Bob Kelly

Mike Gross · Post by **Mike Gross** » 19 Jul 2010 2:35 am

10PM Sunday July 18 -- this just in from Frances:

Dear Barbara and all our Western Swing Family. Bob passed away tonight
about 7:30. His organs had failed and we had them to take him off life
support
and he went every peacefully in about 5 mins.
Thank you so much for your prayers . We feel like the Lord's will has been
done.

With Love Frances
and Ken and family

Friends, a note can be mailed to the family at 2537 E. 10th, Odessa, TX.
79761.

Will let you know when services are arranged.

We've lost a fine friend and a true music great.
Notify your freinds who knew Bob.

Barbara Martin
Western Swing Monthly

Junior Knight · Post by **Junior Knight** » 19 Jul 2010 5:15 am

Bob was a good friend and player! Our hearts and prayers are with his family.

Johnny Cox · Post by **Johnny Cox** » 19 Jul 2010 12:30 pm

Our prayers are with Bob's Family.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 19 Jul 2010 2:11 pm

This is one of those times when you wish you had told someone something while you still could,,,,Bob was a real close friend in the 80s,,,now he's gone. Our prayers are deep and sincere for Frances, Ken and family,,,

Emmett Roch · Post by **Emmett Roch** » 19 Jul 2010 5:35 pm

Bob was a good'un. I'm so sorry. His family is in our prayers.

Reece Anderson · Post by **Reece Anderson** » 20 Jul 2010 4:45 am

He was a good player and more importantly a fine man. My condolences to the entire family.

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 20 Jul 2010 5:23 am

I loved Bob. I knew he was pretty bad off and we were praying for him here.....

He was with Clay Blaker for many years before I came along, and then he took my place with Johnny Bush when I left. I felt so much better about leaving John when I found out Bob could step in, and they never missed a beat. Bob was so cool to me always.

He was a very good and unsung player. I had a difficult time with a lot of his parts that he played on Clay's "Sooner or Later" album.

He really was a legend. He wrote "Last Time The First Time" that George Strait did, and a couple more maybe I think. There is a picture of Bob playing with Bob Wills at the Broken Spoke in Austin. Big smile on his face (as always). Bob had a great sense of humor!

Prayers to Frances and Ken and the rest of the family..

Mike Gross · Post by **Mike Gross** » 20 Jul 2010 6:52 am

Barbara Martin just sent me this from Frances:

The viewing will be at Frank W. Wilson Funeral Home beginning at noon Tuesday. The family will be there from 7 until 9, The memorial service will be Wednesday Afternoon at 2 at Immanuel Church in Odessa.There will
be memorial service in El Dorado, Ark at a later date.

Danny Naccarato · Post by **Danny Naccarato** » 23 Jul 2010 6:04 am

I had the opportunity to visit with Bob a few years ago when the band I was with was on the same gig with Jody Nix. Bob and his wife were great and I enjoyed visiting with them. Bob told me about the songs he had written, and how a couple wound up being cut by Strait. One in particular, Strait's manager out of the blue asked him to write a Christmas song for Strait, and Bob telling him he's not much of a writer. Anyway, he told me he woke up in the middle of the night and it hit him, "Merry Christmas Strait to You". Then he said he would get a nice royalty check just before Christmas each year as Wrangler Jeans would include a Christmas compilation CD with purchases of jeans.

Great guy and great player.

Chuck Cusimano · Post by **Chuck Cusimano** » 23 Jul 2010 5:04 pm

I only got to be around Bob a couple of times when he was with Jody Nix, and then one year out at the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium but he was solid gold. He treated everyone as if they were important. The Lord has another great soul up there with him, and some durn good Steelin' too!

My Prayers go out to his Family. R.I.P. Bob Kelly

Mikey Phillips · Post by **Mikey Phillips** » 11 Aug 2010 4:29 am

Sorry to hear about Bob. He was a really nice guy and steel player. He played a Sho-Bud back then if I remember correctly. I met Bob back in the days when the Western Swing Festival was in Canton, Tx. He was playing with Jody Nix then. I believe his son was playing drums also. Bob was the kind of guy that had time to stop and talk to you, even if you had just met him, about what ever you wanted to talk about. I haven't seen him in years but I still listen to him playing with Jody Nix. He will be greatly missed.