Ms KO
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KO stands for Kelli Owens, a native of Cleveland, OH. She sings, plays keyboards, engineers, writes, and produces. She has been singing and arranging both music and vocals since the age of eight. As described by music.download.com’s editors, “Ms. KO… —efficiently strides her way through neo-soul compositions that knock out more rhythm and soul than your average R&B singer. Creating a barrage of soulful beats and an arty, charming lyrical delivery, her music is the perfect blend of asymmetric melodies and underground hip-hop rhythms.”
Growing up in a musical family as second youngest of four, James G. Stewart, her father, introduced his children to music at an early age since he himself is a jazz musician. KO was trained in classical piano, violin and voice from the age of eight. She has studied on scholarships at the Cleveland Music School Settlement, Interlochen Music Camp, and the Murtis H. Taylor Center. She grew up listening to several Jazz and R&B influences such as Oscar Peterson, Gene Ammons, Minnie Ripperton, Esther Phillips and Chaka Khan, just to mention a few.
KO started her R&B career as a member of the group BLU BAC where she sang, wrote, played keyboards and performed with her sister Marlena Stewart. She later joined the group Hipnatix, an R&B and hip-hop group based in New York. KO has done background vocals for a number of Cleveland based artists like Fear No Mob on their album “Conversation Rules”, Midwest Mafia’s “Ain’t No Sunshine”(not yet released), and played keyboards on an album released by Brother’s of the Struggle.
Growing up in a musical family as second youngest of four, James G. Stewart, her father, introduced his children to music at an early age since he himself is a jazz musician. KO was trained in classical piano, violin and voice from the age of eight. She has studied on scholarships at the Cleveland Music School Settlement, Interlochen Music Camp, and the Murtis H. Taylor Center. She grew up listening to several Jazz and R&B influences such as Oscar Peterson, Gene Ammons, Minnie Ripperton, Esther Phillips and Chaka Khan, just to mention a few.
KO started her R&B career as a member of the group BLU BAC where she sang, wrote, played keyboards and performed with her sister Marlena Stewart. She later joined the group Hipnatix, an R&B and hip-hop group based in New York. KO has done background vocals for a number of Cleveland based artists like Fear No Mob on their album “Conversation Rules”, Midwest Mafia’s “Ain’t No Sunshine”(not yet released), and played keyboards on an album released by Brother’s of the Struggle.
