Source: The Twisted Parrot, Press Release, October 2004
The group consists of Mike Kelly, Woody Dickson and Rawslyn Ruffin.
Kelly has performed in concert with some of the biggest names in the business, including James Taylor, Chuck Berry and Linda Ronstadt. A gifted singer, songwriter and musician, he was educated at the prestigious Julliard School in New York before embarking on a musical career that has spanned multiple decades, venues and styles. He can play almost any instrument imaginable and his vocal presence has been compared to artists as diverse as Willy Nelson, James Taylor and Rod Stewart.
Woody Dickson was born in Santa Monica and raised in Riverside,California. He was introduced to the mandolin at age 18, after mastering a number of other instruments. While in high school, he was selected to join the All California Honor Band as a clarinetist. He later performed with the U.S. Army Band and, while stationed in Alaska, he performed with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra. He plays a variety of instruments while performing with the group.
Raised in Houston, down the street from a record shop and around the corner from a juke joint in a community that could boast a church on every block, Rawslyn Ruffin could not help but grow up to be musically inclined. In high school, she had the support of music teachers to create and perform original band ensemble pieces, which led to a major in music composition and Bachelors and Masters degrees earned from Rice University. Rawslyn was one of the directors and music arrangers for HeartSong, a Houston women’s chorus.
According to Kelly, “Epic rock and roll is most popular with our audiences, but we try to keep the show constantly moving and varied. We are not adverse to audience members singing with the group — we really like to get the audience involved in our performances.”
