Harmoni Kelley: Rhythm, Melody & Harmoni

Harmoni Kelley dishes on playing with one of country music’s biggest artists and the challenge of dialing in arena-size tone

Harmoni Kelley: Rhythm, Melody & Harmoni

Harmoni Kelley dishes on playing with one of country music’s biggest artists and the challenge of dialing in arena-size tone

In 2012, Harmoni Kelley landed the high honor of joining country star Hank Williams Jr.’s band, so she packed up her things and made the move from Austin, Texas to Nashville. After a brief stint with Williams, she flourished in her new scene and went on to play alongside James McMurty, Bonnie Bishop, and Holly Williams. She busily was making a name for herself in Nashville’s bustling music scene, when one day she got a call from her friend, guitarist Kenny Greenberg. He told her that Kenny Chesney was looking for a new bassist and that he wanted her to audition. After meeting the band for an instrumental audition and to make sure her personality fit the bill, Kelley went back home and waited for a callback. Weeks passed, and Kelley began growing nervous that she didn’t land the once-in-a-lifetime gig. But finally her phone rang and she was called back for another audition, this time with Chesney in attendance. The only problem was that the gig called for a 5-string player, which
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Jon D'Auria   By: Jon D'Auria

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