Songs and Samples

The Strong One
Finding the truth within one’s self and shedding the deceptive masks we put on - allowing God to be the Strong One.

Save This Girl
A plea to leave an unfulfilled life in search of the love for which one’s soul hungers.

Don’t You Think It’s Time
The cry of my heart to save my marriage, acknowledging that God had lost His place in our relationship.

River Of Jordan
A spiritual song written moments after having washed my feet in the Jordan River, on one of my trips to Israel with the United Nations.

Unusual Child
A ballad of healing and forgiveness for my eldest brother, who sexually abused me when I was a preschooler and who died at the age of 27 of a heroin overdose.

Lucky Ones
God has given us a second chance to become the people He wants us to be.

I’m Ready
An up tempo song of renewed faith, and a commitment to live a life of freedom with the Lord.

Change of Life
Reaching a point in my life of heartbreak and brokenness and finding that only the Truth could set me free.

Never Thought I’d See The Day
A celebration of coming through the dark tunnel back into the light of Jesus... forgiving myself for past sins.

Must Have Been From Heaven
My testimony song ... always finding the beauty in the fires that we must walk through.

Let The River Flow
A song of love... for you, for me, for God.

Some Nice Things People Have Said

Kelita is blessed with a rich stirring voice - her songs tell wonderful evocative stories that we can all relate to.
- Dan Hill,
Singer/Songwriter

You have certainly excelled in your field and Canadians across the country are proud of your achievements.
- Gilbert Parent,
The Speaker, House of Commons,
Ottawa Canada

One lady shared with me "Kelita's music stirred deep wounds from the very depth of my soul that had laid dormant for years bringing tears of healing and release from years of bondage. I have never been touched like this during the fifty years of my life."
- Laura J. Weber,
Director Christian Fellowship Centre
Norwood, NY

Thank you so much for appearing on our Life Today program "People of Impact". What a blessing you were to all in attendance and you can rest assured more people than you can ever imagine will be helped by what you shared and the inspiration you provided.
- James Robison,
Life Today TV Program

There is a real healing, convicting and encouraging component in Kelita's songs which serve well in communicating to others with similar backgrounds. I have personally been moved by the healing content of her performances.
- Chris Matthisen,
Director of Family Life Resource Centre,
Ontario

Kelita connects with her audience and very definitely communicates God's love, grace and healing power. She has a very natural and graceful way of sharing the deep valleys she has crossed in her lifetime.
- Terri Mazik,
Director Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Ottawa

About Kelita

With a penchant for revealing her innermost heart through her own words and music, Kelita is blessed with the ability to penetrate and touch the human soul. She is a beacon of hope that brings encouragement and inspiration.

For the past several years, Kelita’s compelling life story interwoven with songs have attracted people on their own journey of recovery and healing and faith. The diminutive five-time Juno Nominee (Canada’s version of the Grammy) is one of Canada’s most precious singer/songwriters dedicated to sharing her life’s journey in an honest, direct and creative way.

On the Alberta ranch where she grew up, Kelita had a passion to perform. At age nine, she began to play the piano. At age eleven, shortly after her alcoholic father’s suicide, she began to write songs. Songwriting, she discovered, was a means of communicating her innermost feelings.

Music was her lifeline as she grew up, especially when tragedy struck again. Kelita’s mother died of breast cancer when she was fifteen. Two years later, her oldest brother Jimmy, whom she fell sexual victim to as a preschool girl, died of a heroine overdose.

In addition to her music, Kelita coped with her grief through the support of her church. Kelita’s long time desire to perform started with a gospel band, The Love and Truth Company. "We went on tour when I was sixteen", she says. "We played in six different states down the West Coast. It was an amazing experience. My first album was with that group, which had two of my own songs on it."

Upon graduating from school, Kelita left the west, moving to Toronto to study drama. Upon completion, she won parts in "Gypsy" and "Godspell." Although Kelita enjoyed the theatre, she felt a deep longing to pursue her music. "My songwriting was taking a back seat. I wasn’t able to express myself," she explains. Passing on an opportunity to join the Toronto Second City comedy troupe, Kelita decided to dive in and record her first album.

Venturing into the foray of country music, Kelita began her successful recording career that brought her numerous musical accolades and career achievements. Included in these were Canada’s CMA Entertainer of the Year Nomination; the Vista Rising Star of the Year Award; and Four Juno Award Nominations (Three for Female Country Vocalist and One, Group/Duo). She opened up shows and shared stages with names like Reba McEntire, George Jones, k.d.lang, Kris Kristopherson, Jim Carrey, and Hall And Oates.

Kelita also gave a break to a young aspiring nineteen year-old from Timmins Ontario named Eileen Twain who sang back up on Kelita’s hit song, “Too Hot to Handle.” We all know that young woman today as Shania Twain.

Kelita had a strong national radio presence and frequented many popular television shows across Canada and US including Nashville Now, Tommy Hunter Show, Star Search, CMT and Much Music. Kelita had an infectious tenacity and drive both on and off the stage. She also wasn’t afraid to express her passion towards performing through her exuberant live performances and her zany, yet down to earth comedic characters that are still loved today.

After years of climbing to the top of her field, a near fatal automobile accident saw Kelita’s personal life and music career take a dramatic turn. A pending recording contract with Capital Records, Nashville fell by the wayside as a result of Capital’s corporate restructuring; and her thirteen-year relationship with her husband/manager also ended.

Stepping back from the spotlight, Kelita knew changes were desperately needed and so she took a break from the music business. She spent this time dealing with her childhood abuse, tragedies and recent losses. Years of substance and alcohol misuse as ways of coping were now being dealt with. Kelita found strength in her renewed personal relationship with God and thus began her journey of healing and recovery.

A few years later Kelita married musician Gord Lemon who then became her producer and co-writer. Together they have created and produced all of Kelita’s award winning contemporary Christian music including “Naked Soul” for the 2000 Juno nomination for Gospel Album of the Year; and “Because of Love,” winner of the 2003 C.G.M.A. Inspirational Album of the Year.

Gord and Kelita have one teenage son and reside just outside of Toronto.

“Heavenly Night,” Kelita’s first ever Christmas CD is a fundraising and advocacy project, which was birthed after her family’s trip to Cambodia. Proceeds go to support young girls in Cambodia who have been rescued from the sex trade. It is all part of a vision that has Kelita now stepping into new arenas that are expanding her beyond the confines of writing, speaking and playing music, to that of justice advocate.

Her songs, her stories, her healing and triumph are who Kelita is. Now she is reaching out beyond her North American borders to support young children who she hopes will be given the chance to experience their own recovery and healing.