Josh Kelley, a young musician from the South, will be playing tonight in Smith Union's Morrell Lounge at 8 p.m. Kelley is known for his top 10 hit, "Amazing." He last toured with Dave Matthews and the Goo Goo Dolls.
A native of Augusta, Georgia, Kelley went to the University of Mississippi on a golf scholarship. There, Kelley began singing and playing the acoustic guitar at parties. He became well known for his specialty of using Dave Matthews progressions as backup for his rendition of Snoop Dogg rhymes.
While at UMiss, Kelley posted some demos online, which led to his eventual signing with Hollywood Records.
The tall, attractive build of an athlete disguises the sensitivity of this 25-year-old singer who can be heard full force in songs such as "Everyone Wants You" and "Only You." According to his web site, Kelley claims to have begun singing as a way to meet girls, though it soon became a way to emotionally express himself.
Much of Kelley's appeal is the gospel-like qualities that he has incorporated, citing a nearby gospel choir as an influence as well as musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and Jeff Buckley.
The Campus Activities Board (CAB) chose Kelley because it was looking to bring to Bowdoin a variety of musicians that would appeal to the campus.
Kelley represented the kind of variety the CAB was looking for.
"We try and cover as many different genres as we can," said Carolyn Hricko '08.
The concert is free to students.
Jesse Drummond contributed to this report.