ROBERT JAMES KELLER AKA "RED KELLY" OBITUARY

Robert James Keller, 67, of South Jamesport, New York, died suddenly on July 14, 2022 at  his family home.

Mr. Keller was born in New York City, to Robert O. and Gloria J (Troop) Keller.

He is survived by his wife of more than 29 years, Georgette (Lauzier) Keller, children Grace and Nina Keller; a grand-daughter Maeve Kennedy Keller, his mother, Gloria Keller; a brother, John (Bernice) Keller, and a sister, Suzanne (Timothy) Kelly; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father Robert O. Keller.

He graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School High School in 1972 and St. John’s University in 1976.  He was an avid writer, gourmand, beachgoer, boater, and traveler.

Mr. Keller was a Long Island Railroad Conductor before he retired in 2004 and started what he’d dreamed of for so long – a life dedicated to his family, his community, and soul music. He researched, wrote about and preserved music history chronicling the musicians who recorded at music studios in the great cities of America. most notably Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans. He embarked on many projects to organize and digitize primary sources and musicians’ experiences to record their histories.   He shared his passion for music through his website as the Soul Detective using the nom de plume, Red Kelly.

John Broven, friend and fellow music researcher and noted music book author adds

Red organized southern road trips to Memphis, Nashville, Muscle Shoals and New Orleans, among other locations. Chase Thompson was often on hand to film interviews and shows.

Red and I, Long Island neighbours, launched the Cosimo Code website in 2013 with help from John 'Sir Shambling' Ridley. Basically, it was a listing of the 1960s /early '70s sequential master numbers from R&B and soul discs cut at Cosimo Matassa's New Orleans studios. Not only that but Red was able to upload many music samples from the often-rare singles. We also compiled a tie-in CD, 'Cracking The Cosimo Code', for Ace.

The Soul Detective and I conducted a presentation based on the Code website at the French Quarter Festival in 2015 with Cosimo's family present. At the same FQF, we hosted one of our New Orleans R&B heroes, Allen Toussaint, in company with Deacon John in an unforgettable perfor­mance.

On a 2017 road trip, we travelled down the Rock n Roll Highway in Arkansas to see Ace Cannon blow his sax in impressive barwalking style at the Newport rockabilly festival. Later we shared with Ace and his bandmembers a few drinks in one of the few bars open in Newport. The 'Tuff' hitmaker was in hilarious form and at one point took us to one side and said quietly, 'Fellas, that lady with me is not my wife'.

Another memorable moment came when we were travelling through Virginia and dropped off to pay homage at Patsy Cline's grave in the Shenandoah Memorial Park. We asked the elderly graveyard keeper where Patsy's grave was located, to which he replied with a knowing smile, 'You know, when she was young she was a lively girl'.

After seeing the Memphis Boys perform twice at Graceland during Elvis Week, in 2012 and 2014, Red became very good friends with the brilliant Memphis / Nashville session guitarist Reggie Young. This association led the Soul Detective to investigate the many branches of Bill Black's influential combo, aided enthusiastically by Brit Memphis authority Jay Halsey.

Red formally interviewed Reggie at the Ponderosa Stomp Conference in 2017 and then set up the Reggie Young Discography Project website (reggieyoung.com) based on the great guitarist's invaluable 1960s Memphis session books from the studios of Sam Phillips, Hi and American. Kelly was an important contributor to the Ace CDs, 'The Memphis Boys' and 'The Soul Of The Memphis Boys'.