Randy Kelley: An Open Note
06/16/2025 12:35PM ● By Deb Olsen
Photo: Randy Kelley plays at The Press in downtown Steamboat Springs. Courtesy of Deborah Olsen.
Even on a sunny day, the road from Buena Vista to Steamboat Springs is long and windy. When you’re sleep-deprived, it’s arduous. The fact that a regionally renowned recording artist would make the trek to fulfill a commitment to a local bride is remarkable.
Fiddler/guitarist Randy Kelley wouldn’t have it any other way. For three decades, he has been involved in the local music community on a number of levels, from taking the main stage at WinterWonderGrass to teaching kiddos to play guitar, from performing at area churches to playing at memorial services. “If there’s a benefit or a memorial, yeah, I’m there,” he says.
In September 2022, that meant playing late into the night around the campfire at Billy Strings’ Renewal Festival in Buena Vista, then heading back home to perform solo at a wedding ceremony in Steamboat. “I didn’t get much sleep that weekend,” he recalls. But he wasn’t going to miss that wedding, in particular, because he had proposed to his late wife, Mary, at the wedding of the bride’s parents many years prior.
Mary died in a rafting accident in the Grand Canyon in 2022. Randy was in the boat with her when it flipped. Rescuers flew him and Mary out of the canyon by helicopter, but his sons, who were also on the trip, stayed on the river to lead the trip out of the canyon.
Those were the darkest days of Randy’s life. “I can’t describe how lost I was,” he recalls. “The community kept me alive – literally. The food just kept coming.” He credits his friends Mark and Marilyn McCauley for taking the lead on his care, along with counselor Angela Melzer and trauma therapist Molly Lotz.
The most recent chapter of Randy’s story is a happier one. A year after Mary’s death, he met Aleka Scott, a longtime local whose husband died within six months of Mary. Last winter, they became engaged. Together, they volunteer to teach skiing at Howelsen Hill. “I watch the kids on the magic carpet on the first day; I’m trying to keep up with them after three days,” Randy says. The couple also volunteers at Routt County Humane Society, a cause they champion passionately.
The support Randy has received from the community throughout nearly five decades of local residency provides his incentive for giving his time and talent. “My main thing now is volunteering,” Randy says.
Randy’s most generous gift to the community is his music. Concerned about cutbacks in schools’ music curriculums, Randy made guest appearances this spring at Hayden Elementary School. “I’m encouraging them to maybe play a musical instrument. It feels good to expose these kids to music,” he says. “Music, if you start at a young enough age, helps to develop a part of your brain. Musicians hear differently. I tell students, ‘I’m giving you a super-power: listening.’"
Tuesday mornings are a highlight of Randy’s schedule. He and fellow musician Joe Ghiglia perform at Casey’s Pond, Steamboat’s senior living community. “It brings us joy to see them light up; they’re just the best audience. We play whatever comes into our mind. We speak the language of music.”
Randy has played in too many local bands to count. Among the most recognizable may be Sundog, which performed in various incarnations for close to 1,900 shows at the Western BBQ atop Thunderhead. The group, most recently called SugarBeat, played what was most likely its farewell performance in March. Randy, who left the band a few years ago, returned to the stage for the final show.
He was also a member of Buffalo Commons, a local band that achieved widespread fame for its blend of bluegrass, soul and rock, with a smidge of country. The group disbanded a year and a half ago, after recording an album, being voted best band in Steamboat four years in a row, and earning national recognition at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass festival.
Of all the groups in Randy’s portfolio, the short-lived Afro Cuban band Caliente brings the “warmest” memories. The group featured Solange Guenier, who danced with Tina Turner, Mark Rasmussen, Cary Kamperschroer, Deanna Webb Koebnick, Chris Koebnick, Ron Wheeler and Randy.
Right now, music-wise, Randy is perhaps most excited about his newest endeavor – Flattops – with singer/songwriter Lucas Mouttet, bassist Eric Baker (formerly of Buffalo Commons) and mandolin player Kris Votruba. “We’re still in that honeymoon phase,” Randy says. He describes the band’s sound as a blend of bluegrass, folk and country, but with more syncopation.
Randy is also teaching guitar lessons, as he has done for the past 30-plus years. “I couldn’t not do it,” he quips. Parents at local youth recitals and concerts may be surprised to see Randy slip into a seat beside them. “I want to celebrate what these kids have done. They’ve worked so hard,” he says.
His own sons are grown now. David lives in Bozeman, Montana, and Ryan is a snowmaker at Steamboat Resort. Randy has some advice for their generation, who are stepping into their own as community leaders.
“It’s important we open our arms to new people, who are not like us, and introduce them to the community we love. The way to do that is to reach out and to give back. If you’re going to have a community, you have to give back to that community. Steamboat Springs is going to change. It’s your work now. Try to keep community spirit. When someone asks you to step up – just do it."
And, Six Ways to Volunteer
1. Routt County Humane Society – dog-walking, fostering pets, cleaning and event support. 970-879-7247, routthumane.org/get-involved/
2. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club – event security, setup, street events, ski races. 970-879-0695, www.sswsc.org/volunteer
3. Steamboat Creates – Depot welcome crew, event support, education, facility stewardship. 970-819-900, [email protected]
4. Steamboat Art Museum – docents, event support, museum store. 970-870-1755, ext. 1, [email protected]
5. Steamboat STARS – adaptive skiing, snowboarding and snowbiking, summer camps and equine-assisted therapy. 970-370-9856, www.steamboatstars.com/volunteer
6. Yampa Valley Sustainability Council – tree-planting, event support, climate crew, river restoration. 970-871-9299, yvsc.org/volunteer-opportunities/
Even on a sunny day, the road from Buena Vista to Steamboat Springs is long and windy. When you’re sleep-deprived, it’s arduous. The fact that a regionally renowned recording artist would make the trek to fulfill a commitment to a local bride is remarkable.
Fiddler/guitarist Randy Kelley wouldn’t have it any other way. For three decades, he has been involved in the local music community on a number of levels, from taking the main stage at WinterWonderGrass to teaching kiddos to play guitar, from performing at area churches to playing at memorial services. “If there’s a benefit or a memorial, yeah, I’m there,” he says.
In September 2022, that meant playing late into the night around the campfire at Billy Strings’ Renewal Festival in Buena Vista, then heading back home to perform solo at a wedding ceremony in Steamboat. “I didn’t get much sleep that weekend,” he recalls. But he wasn’t going to miss that wedding, in particular, because he had proposed to his late wife, Mary, at the wedding of the bride’s parents many years prior.
Mary died in a rafting accident in the Grand Canyon in 2022. Randy was in the boat with her when it flipped. Rescuers flew him and Mary out of the canyon by helicopter, but his sons, who were also on the trip, stayed on the river to lead the trip out of the canyon.
Those were the darkest days of Randy’s life. “I can’t describe how lost I was,” he recalls. “The community kept me alive – literally. The food just kept coming.” He credits his friends Mark and Marilyn McCauley for taking the lead on his care, along with counselor Angela Melzer and trauma therapist Molly Lotz.
The most recent chapter of Randy’s story is a happier one. A year after Mary’s death, he met Aleka Scott, a longtime local whose husband died within six months of Mary. Last winter, they became engaged. Together, they volunteer to teach skiing at Howelsen Hill. “I watch the kids on the magic carpet on the first day; I’m trying to keep up with them after three days,” Randy says. The couple also volunteers at Routt County Humane Society, a cause they champion passionately.
The support Randy has received from the community throughout nearly five decades of local residency provides his incentive for giving his time and talent. “My main thing now is volunteering,” Randy says.
Randy’s most generous gift to the community is his music. Concerned about cutbacks in schools’ music curriculums, Randy made guest appearances this spring at Hayden Elementary School. “I’m encouraging them to maybe play a musical instrument. It feels good to expose these kids to music,” he says. “Music, if you start at a young enough age, helps to develop a part of your brain. Musicians hear differently. I tell students, ‘I’m giving you a super-power: listening.’"
Tuesday mornings are a highlight of Randy’s schedule. He and fellow musician Joe Ghiglia perform at Casey’s Pond, Steamboat’s senior living community. “It brings us joy to see them light up; they’re just the best audience. We play whatever comes into our mind. We speak the language of music.”
Randy has played in too many local bands to count. Among the most recognizable may be Sundog, which performed in various incarnations for close to 1,900 shows at the Western BBQ atop Thunderhead. The group, most recently called SugarBeat, played what was most likely its farewell performance in March. Randy, who left the band a few years ago, returned to the stage for the final show.
He was also a member of Buffalo Commons, a local band that achieved widespread fame for its blend of bluegrass, soul and rock, with a smidge of country. The group disbanded a year and a half ago, after recording an album, being voted best band in Steamboat four years in a row, and earning national recognition at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass festival.
Of all the groups in Randy’s portfolio, the short-lived Afro Cuban band Caliente brings the “warmest” memories. The group featured Solange Guenier, who danced with Tina Turner, Mark Rasmussen, Cary Kamperschroer, Deanna Webb Koebnick, Chris Koebnick, Ron Wheeler and Randy.
Right now, music-wise, Randy is perhaps most excited about his newest endeavor – Flattops – with singer/songwriter Lucas Mouttet, bassist Eric Baker (formerly of Buffalo Commons) and mandolin player Kris Votruba. “We’re still in that honeymoon phase,” Randy says. He describes the band’s sound as a blend of bluegrass, folk and country, but with more syncopation.
Randy is also teaching guitar lessons, as he has done for the past 30-plus years. “I couldn’t not do it,” he quips. Parents at local youth recitals and concerts may be surprised to see Randy slip into a seat beside them. “I want to celebrate what these kids have done. They’ve worked so hard,” he says.
His own sons are grown now. David lives in Bozeman, Montana, and Ryan is a snowmaker at Steamboat Resort. Randy has some advice for their generation, who are stepping into their own as community leaders.
“It’s important we open our arms to new people, who are not like us, and introduce them to the community we love. The way to do that is to reach out and to give back. If you’re going to have a community, you have to give back to that community. Steamboat Springs is going to change. It’s your work now. Try to keep community spirit. When someone asks you to step up – just do it."
And, Six Ways to Volunteer
1. Routt County Humane Society – dog-walking, fostering pets, cleaning and event support. 970-879-7247, routthumane.org/get-involved/
2. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club – event security, setup, street events, ski races. 970-879-0695, www.sswsc.org/volunteer
3. Steamboat Creates – Depot welcome crew, event support, education, facility stewardship. 970-819-900, [email protected]
4. Steamboat Art Museum – docents, event support, museum store. 970-870-1755, ext. 1, [email protected]
5. Steamboat STARS – adaptive skiing, snowboarding and snowbiking, summer camps and equine-assisted therapy. 970-370-9856, www.steamboatstars.com/volunteer
6. Yampa Valley Sustainability Council – tree-planting, event support, climate crew, river restoration. 970-871-9299, yvsc.org/volunteer-opportunities/