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It's been a long road from Darnestown to the Grammy stage for guitarist Charlie Kelley.
The Seneca Valley High School graduate was nominated for Best Polka Album at the 51st annual Grammy Awards for his work with the eclectic duo The Boxhounds. Kelley and his musical partner, accordionist LynnMarie, have been nominated in the category four times since forming the group in 2002.
"The competition is so tough that when you get in the final five, it's huge," Kelley said last week.
The Boxhounds' album, "Speechless," lost to "Let The Whole World Sing" by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra at Sunday's awards ceremony.
Kelley, 40, grew up on a Darnestown farm listening to bluegrass with his father, and Tom Jones with his mother. He studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston before moving to Nashville, Tenn., in 1990.
Kelley has played guitar for artists including SheDaisy and Keith Urban and has recorded music for the Sky Angel IPTV and Great American Country television networks. He is a music producer in Nashville, where he lives with his wife, Nan, and their dogs.
The Boxhounds do more than just polka, Kelley said, and the duo's sound also encompasses elements from genres such as Tex-Mex, Cajun and blues.
"I think it's kind of by default because Lynn is an accordion player," Kelley said. "… The cool thing about the combination of accordion and guitar is there are so many different things you can draw from, but it doesn't sound like a hodgepodge. The accordion brings everything together."
