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Author Stephen C. Kelly
Who is He?
I was born on December 28th, 1943, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, the fourth of five siblings. My father, Charles B. Kelly Sr., was born in Virginia and moved to Philadelphia, where he met his lovely bride-to-be, my mother, Juliet Elzie, from Crisfield, MD. My father was employed as a bus driver for PTC (now SEPTA). My mother was employed by the City of Philadelphia as a Data Processing Analyst.
Life was not easy growing up in North Philadelphia in the early 1950s, since the economy had suffered after World War II. However, my parents instilled in all of us that if you work hard, your dream may come true. My dad taught all of us trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, masonry, electrical installations, and general building maintenance.
There were Saturday mornings when I thought I was going to play stickball with my friends on the block, only to learn my dad had other plans for me. I would be spending the next three to four months on Saturdays converting two-story row homes into duplexes.
I couldn’t have been blessed with a better mom. She taught me to respect others, instilled in me spiritual guidance and love, and taught me how and why I should love others. She also taught me the importance of my personal appearance and hygiene and the importance of receiving a great education. My mother was a musical genius. She could play the piano by reading music charts or by ear. She inspired me to enter the music industry.
Our neighborhood consisted of thirty row homes per block. Each house was three stories tall with white marble steps. Families on our block were very close-knit; we looked out for each other. If you misbehaved while your parents were at work, the neighbors became your parents and would physically or verbally correct you. When your parents came home and were informed of your behavior, you were corrected a second time. That’s probably how I learned to dance. Shaking from fear. I was scared to death!!
We lived approximately five blocks from the world-renowned Uptown Theater. I would shine shoes, run errands, etc., to earn money to see a show. My love for the music industry began in 1955. A friend and I formed an R&B singing group in 1956. We called ourselves The Superbs. I was subsequently a member of other doo-wop groups in the neighborhood.
I finally got to see my first rock and roll show at the Uptown Theater, which featured The Blue Notes, standup comedian Moms Mabley, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, and others.
What an incredible experience that was!
My family moved from North Philadelphia to West Philadelphia in 1957. Consequently, I lost all my neighborhood friends. That’s when I was determined to re-enter the music industry and resumed singing with newly formed groups.
I attended and graduated from John Bartram High School in 1959.
I joined the U.S. Naval Reserve the same year and was honorably discharged in 1963. That is when I again pursued my dream of becoming a recording artist.
During this time, I continued to work full-time at my day job and also continued my education. I completed two years of college at Temple University, studying sociology, and one year at the University of Delaware, majoring in law enforcement.
My employment history included Operating Room Technician at Philadelphia General Hospital, Respiratory Therapist, Philadelphia Police officer, and Pennsylvania Justice Department Investigator. I was the first person of color to be selected for the U.S. Navy’s first pilot Criminal Investigative Task Force (CID).
Additionally, I was the first person of color to serve as a law enforcement official in three different municipalities. I dedicated a total of fifty-five years to law enforcement.
Re-visiting my singing career. In 1964, I decided to try to market my singing group. The group auditioned for Arctic Records and was renamed The Volcanos.
The Volcanos were introduced to their first recording session at Virtue Recording Studios that year. Our first recording was “Baby.” The flip side of the record was “Storm Warning.” “Storm Warning” was a national success. In November 1965, the Volcanos appeared in a show at the Uptown Theater.
Other recording artists appearing on the same show were Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Four Tops, and many others. My dream was coming true!!
That was just the beginning of The Volcanos performing at the Uptown Theater, other venues, and TV shows, and becoming world-renowned.
After a contract dispute with Arctic Records in 1970, The Volcanos became The Trammps.
The Trammps were most famous for their hit song “Disco Inferno,” which John Travolta danced to in the hit movie “Saturday Night Fever.”
In 2003, I established my own record company, Prettyboy Records. I managed and recorded music by the following recording artist the following year.
I recorded “Northbound,” a jazz fusion group. In addition, I recorded “Metropolitan Male Ensemble,” a gospel group from Philadelphia, PA. My music career followed me into the calendar year 2022 and is still active. The Trammps are world-renowned and continue to perform to this day!
