Randy Meisner and Rick Nelson at Mister Kelly’s in Chicago, IL – Feb. 22-Mar. 8, 1971

Randy Meisner and Rick Nelson at Mister Kelly’s in Chicago was a two-week engagement. Mister Kelly’s was a small, but famous, nightclub on Rush Street and was open from 1953-1975. Rick, Randy and the rest of the Stone Canyon Band had their opening night on Monday February 22, 1971.

Other posts on this website about Rick Nelson and Randy Meisner are The Troubadour and the Stone Canyon Band in Germany. Randy left the Stone Canyon Band a short time later in 1971 to begin playing with Linda Ronstadt and then the Eagles.

There are videos of Randy being interviewed about Rick Nelson on this site’s Podcasts and Interviews page. Then, there are also music videos (including the “Easy To Be Free” film) on the Music Audios and Videos page.

Randy Meisner and Rick Nelson at Mister Kelly’s on stage

Randy Meisner, Rick Nelson, Pat Shanahan (on drums), Allen Kemp, and Tom Brumley

Rick Nelson on stage at Mister Kelly’s two of the other nights that the Stone Canyon Band performed there

Mister Kelly’s on Rush Street in Chicago

Two short documentary clips of Mr. Kelly’s in Chicago
The full documentary can be bought or rented from the Mr. Kelly’s site

Ad in the Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) – Feb. 19, 1971

I wonder if the Stone Canyon Band knew their name had been changed to the Iron Mountain Band.

Chicago Daily News (Chicago, IL) – Feb. 10, 1971

“He and the Stone Canyon Band, an incredibly tight, strong group, have been working together for the past 1 1/2 years, bringing together all the styles we like–a blues bass, a country steel guitarist (he paused)–but it’s rock ‘n’ roll.”

Chicago Daily News (Chicago, IL) – Feb. 25, 1971

“The ensemble sound was not bad. Not bad at all. The Stone Canyon Band, his back-up group, is a disciplined, inventive combo that works with clean counterpoint to Rick’s firm, solo line.”

Chicago Daily News (Chicago, IL) – Feb. 27, 1971

Record Mirror – Apr. 17, 1971
By June 1971, Randy had left Rick’s band and was playing in Linda Ronstadt’s back-up band.

“Nelson found he needed Meisner’s high-harmony contributions. ‘Tim Cetera was a real good player,’ acknowledges Pat Shanahan. ‘When Randy decided to come back it was hard to let Tim go, but we needed that voice. He had that real high-end voice, so when you want a male singer who can do that, he’s who you want’.”

Excerpt from the book “Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock” – pg. 232