Paul Kelly is generally recognised as Australia's pre-eminent singer/songwriter. His ability to capture the "real Australia" without any of the jingoistic overtones of other songwriters is outstanding.

Paul was born in Adelaide in 1955 (he can't have been a fan of the city - "All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't drag me back to Adelaide again") and moved to Melbourne in 1976. After a stint with the High Rise Bombers, he formed Paul Kelly & the Dots. His next band was Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls which, to assist in their activities in the US, soon became Paul Kelly & The Messengers.

Since 1992, Paul has performed primarily as a solo artist. Other Australian artists have compiled two albums containing songs written by Paul Kelly - a tribute reserved for the very best in their field.

In a sign of how little the commercial aspects of the business appeal to Paul Kelly, his songs are being released for free download (in groups according to the first letter of their title) on his web site.