Biography

Shirley Kennedy is the owner of SJK Public Relations, LLC, where she works as a publicist for several independent bands. She holds a Bachelor's in Political Science with an emphasis on Creative Writing from Agnes Scott College and a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Phoenix. Shirley's writing talent was discovered by Bo Ball, a writing professor at Agnes Scott and a published author. Dr. Ball nurtured Shirley's talent and helped her to hone her skills during her tenure at Agnes Scott.

Shirley began entertainment writing by preparing articles about American Idol for The National Ledger, an on-line news publication. She has been touted as one of several experts on American Idol on the Internet and is considered the southeast's premier writer on the show. From those early writings, Shirley began interviewing and profiling musical artists, beginning with Elliott Yamin and Ace Young, the third and seventh-place finishers, respectively, on season five of American Idol. Since that time, Shirley has interviewed several independent musicians and communicates directly with Bruce Iglauer, President of Alligator Records, to schedule interviews of the artists on his label, including Tinsley Ellis and Eric Lindell.

Shirley's work has been published by The National Ledger and Jazz Quad, two on-line publications. Jazz Quad translated Shirley's articles to Russian and published those pieces in its paper magazine. While Shirley no longer writes on a regular level, she continues to establish relationships with other media, which allows her to create press opportunities for the musicians and clothing line she represents. She was honored by inclusion in the liner notes of "Elliott Yamin" (Hickory Records), the largest selling independent CD in SoundScan history with the highest debut in the Billboard Top 100. She has since been included in the liner notes of the re-release of "Contradictory" by Lucas Cates (PopBomb Records), "These Parts Unknown" by Mike Droho (Ruff Roads Records), and on "All The Pieces" by The Lucas Cates Band (LucasCatesMusic BMI), clients of SJK Public Relations, LLC.

Shirley is a founding member of Opus Entertainment Agency, a Division of SJK Public Relations, LLC, which provides booking, artist development, and artist management services. Opus's clients include The Lucas Cates Band (Madison, WI), Mike Droho and The Compass Rose (Madison, WI), the Sharp and Harkins Band (Stoughton, WI), Robert J. (DeForest, WI), The Rowdy Prairie Dogs (Madison, WI) and Ethan and the Ewox (Atlanta, GA). Shirley is the NACA Agent and Tour Manager for The Lucas Cates Band, Mike Droho and The Compass Rose, The Sharp and Harkins Band, and Ethan and the Ewox.

Shirley is a member of the National Writers Union, a trade union for freelance and contract writers; Freelance Writing Organization International; the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists; and the Entertainment Publicists Professional Society. She has served as a panelist at The Cutting Edge Music Business Conference and the Atlantis Music Conference.