DC-based Cletus Kennelly is an eight-time WAMMIE Award winner (Washington Area Music Awards) in the categories of SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR , BEST NEW ARTIST , BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK VOCALIST (three times), and BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK DUO/GROUP. (for "Cletus Kennelly & Lori Kelley")  His eclectic music incorporates contemporary urban folk with elements of melodic pop and alternative rock. He accompanies his clear, passionate vocals with both the power and the delicacy of his 12-string guitar. His songs create vivid character portraits as they explore the gamut of human emotions, while using phonetic phrasing and word-play to accompany his rhythmic and percussive style of guitar playing.

Cletus’ songs are highly crafted, alert and contemplative. He has been nominated for 27 WAMMIE Awards and has earned 36 songwriting awards, including a 1st Place Award in the 2004 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, and 2nd Place Awards in the 1997, 1999, and 2001 Mid-Atlantic Song Contests, 3^rd Place Awards in the 1998, 2000, and 2002 Mid-Atlantic Song Contests, and a 4^th Place Award in the 1995 Louisville Area Songwriter Competition. The range of categories in which he has received awards (Folk, Pop, Modern/Alternative, Adult Contemporary, and Rock) displays the stylistic breadth of his music. He is also honored to have been selected to perform at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.

After success as a songwriter, Cletus began working with guitar legend Pete Kennedy, releasing a self- titled seven-song recording . He then followed up with his debut CD "Thread", which along with Pete Kennedy was produced by Washington Area Producer of the Year Marco Delmar (Lisa Moscatiello, emmit swimming). The CD features some of the D.C. area’s finest musicians, including Pete and Maura Kennedy, Lea, Morgan Rowe, Richard ‘Dahl, Ray Ruskin, and drummer Tamir Eid (formerly of the band emmit swimming). Five songs from the CD, nearly half of the recording, have received awards in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. The CD itself garnered three WAMMIE nominations, including BEST DEBUT RECORDING and BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK RECORDING. After the 9-11 tragedy, Cletus, wrote the song "Looking Up", which was nominated for a WAMMIE Award for SONG OF THE YEAR, and was released on a two-song 9/11 Fund benefit CD.

Cletus is currently immersed in a duo with fellow former solo artist Lori Kelley.  Cletus & Lori are honored to have received the 2004 WAMMIE Award for BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK DUO/GROUP.  Their debut CD LOTUS received a WAMMY nomination for BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK RECORDING.

Ray Ruskin of the Kensington Coffee House Concert Series, remarks, "What makes Cletus great is Cletus. He has a way of connecting to the audience directly, and the rich quality of his voice is so effective, he doesn’t need a band behind him. That he has such a good one [on the CD] is a bonus." Chris Slattery of the Gazette Newspapers writes, "Cletus Kennelly has a way with words. [He] takes only the finest words--the most honest and expressive. He painstakingly crafts them into finely wrought phrases, and coaxes them into verse." "[He] is able to pan for nuggets of lyrical gold." Cliff Johns of the Old Town Crier describes Cletus as "a powerful artist", and the CD as "genre-crossing music of great power" and "a strong, emotionally engaging record!" "’Thread’ will wake up the listener; it is truly worthy of your attention." Says Eric Brace of the Washington Post, "Cletus Kennelly wields a mean 12-string acoustic and writes a moving tune…the earnest and true kind."

After earning a degree in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, Cletus joined a volunteer service program in Arizona where he worked with "at risk" youths and their families, and also worked at a homeless shelter. During this time, he also focused on guitar playing and songwriting, and performed at coffeehouses, clubs, shelters, and benefit concerts. After having worked as a mental health counselor, high school Ethics/Social Justice teacher, and as a carpenter (all by the time he was 27), Cletus returned to his hometown of Washington, DC and has further dedicated himself to songwriting and pursuing a solo career.   He is currently immersed in a duo with fellow former solo artist Lori Kelley.  Cletus & Lori are honored to have received the WAMMIE Award for BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK DUO/GROUP three times.

Cletus is honored to have shared stages along the way with:

Sophie B. Hawkins

Jill Sobule

The Nields 

David Wilcox

The Kennedys

Tom Prasada-Rao

Bill Danoff

John Carroll

Francis Dunnery

Peter Mayer

Mercy Creek

Grace Griffith

Al Petteway & Amy White

Naked Blue

Rachel Bissex

Lisa Moscatiello

Johnsmith

Nikki Barr Band

Todd Sheaffer (Railroad Earth, From Good Homes)

and many others.