by Heather Graf
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –In Nashville, musicians chase their dreams on a daily basis, and any singer will tell you the road to success is full of challenges. That couldn't be more true for a local band called Hello Kelly.
"We've been a band for a couple years, and we met, online actually, on craigslist," said drummer Ben Mahaffey.
Their journey together started when lead singer Francy Goudreault moved from Canada to Nashville.
Mahaffey says he was impressed with Francy's singing even before they met.
"Honestly, I was blown away, by how well he could sing, and how loud he could sing," he said.
When they guys in the band heard him speak, they were stunned.
"It was like, wow, okay, so you have a stutter and you're the lead singer of a band," said guitarist Travis Wilbourn.
Francy says he's had the stutter for as long as he can remember. Growing up, he eventually realized that his stutter disappeared when he started to sing.
"I remember in high school when I had presentations, I would ask the teacher if I could sing a song instead," Francy told NewsChannel 5, with the help of his computer.
That's why for him, starting a band just made sense.
"Part of being an artist is just opening up and hoping it resonates with people," he said.
It appears that it has.
Hello Kelly has achieved six #1 singles on independent Canadian radio chart and pushed two singles into the Top-20 positions on USA Top-40 Christian radio charts.
Francy's bandmates say his stutter never gets in the way.
"You know, it's just the way he communicates, so it's no different than me talking to you right now, that's just how it happens,' said Wilbourn.
Many of the songs Francy writes deal with his struggle to overcome his stutter. The band's second album is appropriately called 'Easy For You To Say'.
Francy says he feels most comfortable when is he onstage.
"It's the guy onstage, and the chemistry. and it's communicating with the people and the fans," said Mahaffey.
Francy was recently honored by the Stuttering Foundation Of America which provides support to the nearly three million people in this country who struggle with stutters.
To learn more, about what the foundation does, click here: http://www.stutteringhelp.org/.
To learn more about the band and where its performing next, click here: http://www.facebook.com/hellokellymusic.
Hello Kelly currently tours throughout the United States and Canada, but is based here in Nashville, and often performs at local venues.
email: hgraf@newschannel5.com
