Irene Kelley has been a force on Nashville’s Music Row for decades. She spent 20 years writing or co-writing hit songs for country artists like Ricky Skaggs and Loretta Lynn. But at the same time she was quietly working on her career as a performer.
Earlier this year Kelley released “Benny’s TV Repair,” a record full of personal songs that recall simpler times. The album is the namesake of her father Benny, a hard-working man who had a big influence on her musical tastes. She joins host Frank Stasio at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh to perform music from the album and to talk about her career. Her daughter Justyna Kelley performs with her in studio. Kelley is in Raleigh for the seventh annual World of Bluegrass festival in Raleigh. Kelley performs at the World of Bluegrass Street Fest on Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh on Friday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m.
