IT'S OFFICIAL...HERE WE GO AGAIN! Kelly & Ann are heading back to sea, rejoining Royal Caribbean's "Radiance of the Seas" May 25th in Vancouver, Canada for the 2012 Alaska season. We left the Rad last September in Hawaii, and are looking forward to seeing many of our friends who are still aboard. We'll depart the ship again in Hawaii Sept. 24th for our next adventure!
Kelly will be playing his final gigs at JD's Restaurant (on the "Back Porch") this Thursday from 1-5 p.m., then Sunday, May 20th will be our farewell "Bon Voyage Party" on JD's Back Porch from 6-10 p.m. Thanks to all our friends & acquaintenances who came out in droves all season long, and special thanks to the Downing family for sticking us in the rotation. We'll dearly miss everyone.
Kelly has a repeat performance drumming with Bill and Alan of "Two Dog Night" fame at Whiskey Joe's (Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa) on Friday, May 18th from 6-10 p.m. It promises to be an outrageous evening, so don't miss it!
CHECK IT OUT!...Kelly performing "I'm Still Standing" and "Philadelphia Freedom" in Elton attire with the eight piece Monarch of the Seas Orchestra http://youtu.be/JmT_tZPGb_Q in the Sound of Music Theatre, white Yamaha grand piano and all! Check this out!
SCHOONER BAR VIDEO at http://youtu.be/pm6xcQjyOw4 was shot on RCCL "Monarch of the Seas." The "Compilation Video" was shot by good friend and talented videographer Jason Fisher, and includes snipets of my Jimmy Buffett, Elton John, Billy Joel, and Beatles tribute segments.
Thanks to all the new and long-standing friends who have supported us during our remarkable journey.
Ann and myself had a wonderful time onboard Monarch, after a year on Radiance, where I've been entertaining nightly in the Schooner Piano Bar since late 2010. What a life-altering experience it has been! Getting to know fellow staff and crew members from around the world, learning to cope with shipboard life, being trained in safety and security procedures...all quite mind-boggling! Those who have cruised before and wondered about the inner workings of a cruise ship...now WE know!
Some of the special theme nights I presented include a "Jimmy Buffett Parrotthead Party" in the Schooner Bar. Total madness! On every cruise I have an "Elton John" and "Billy Joel" tribute hour in full costume, which has been very popular, and on special occasions an "Elvis Tribute" in full battle regalia! Sheer Frankenstein! Every cruise now offers my "Beatles Rewind Revue" in Fab Four digs! Release the Hounds! Royal Caribbean encourages these specialty performances. Hope to see you out there.
See "Itinerary" for more information! Follow our cruising adventures and keep in daily touch at www.facebook.com/k.a.goodrich
Kelly Goodrich, Entertainer!!!!
A Brief Biography: Born and raised in east-central Ohio; Graduated in 1971 from Claymont High School, Uhrichsville, Ohio; Attended Kent State University; Employed by the U.S. Postal Service for 31 years; Married for 24 years to my high school sweetheart Ann, with three grown daughters, three grandsons and a granddaughter between us; Resided in Clearwater, Florida for the past nine years before going aboard ship.
Musical history: Took piano lessons for two years in grade school at the urging of my trumpet-playing father. By my Junior High years, I had tired of the structured piano tutorials, and thrashed about on the drum kit with the local rock bands throughout high school and college. In 1974, I hooked up with a musician who sang, had a Hammond B-3, and could hold his own on the drums. We traveled the Holiday Inn circuit for a couple years, trading places on keys and drum kit.
After that, it was strictly piano, organ, synthesizers, and vocal harmonies that fueled my musical world, including forays into Dixieland Jazz, Big Band swing, acoustic folk rock, and Top 40 dance music. In the early ‘90s, my universe expanded to Columbus, Ohio where I joined renowned ‘Elvis’ impersonator Mike Albert’s Big “E” Band as keyboardist/backing vocalist.
Engagements across the U.S., in Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and on cruise ships in the Caribbean often featured former Elvis Presley associates, including original drummer D.J. Fontana, guitarist Scotty Moore, backing vocalists “The Jordanaires,” “J.D. Sumner and the Stamps,” “The Sweet Inspirations,” and “TCB Band” members James Burton, Ronnie Tutt, Jerry Scheff, and Glen Hardin.
After nine years as music director for the Big “E” Band, the lure of sunny beaches and palm trees brought us to Florida in 2001, where I began playing piano bars and solo keyboard and vocal gigs. I bring the diverse grab bag of musical treats that I’ve collected over the years to each engagement, and try to connect with every segment of my audience with music and participation. Another "nine year itch" was scratched with my retirement from the U.S. Postal Service after 31 years as a letter carrier, and acceptance of an offer to join Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines aboard the majestic "Radiance of the Seas" as Schooner Bar Entertainer. After a year aboard "Radiance," and four months on "Monarch of the Seas" out of Port Canaveral, FL we're currently enjoying a little time off in the Madeira Beach area.,
A Brief Biography: Born and raised in east-central Ohio; Graduated in 1971 from Claymont High School, Uhrichsville, Ohio; Attended Kent State University; Employed by the U.S. Postal Service for 31 years; Married for 24 years to my high school sweetheart Ann, with three grown daughters, three grandsons and a granddaughter between us; Resided in Clearwater, Florida for the past nine years before going aboard ship.