Left Hand Valley Courier - All Local, All The Time

Singer- songwriter Kevin Dooley has been in the music business for decades, traveling across the US and Europe. Music is his passion and Colorado is his home. You can find him playing guitar and performing his original folk music on main stages, festivals, and pubs across the Front Range. But sometimes you’re fortunate enough to be part of a more intimate audience of fans right here in Niwot at First Friday Artwalk on 2nd Avenue or at the Niwot Market Friday night dinners.

This summer, you’re also likely to see the soul-patched song man with a watering can in his hand, kindly tending to the public flowers in downtown Niwot.

Lyrics from his latest album include the line, “Happy happy you know just to be, rooted to the ground and a part of all I see.” His roots run deep in Niwot and here’s a little insight into Dooley’s life.

LHVC: Where are you from and what brought you to this area?

KD: I am from the Midwest and graduated from Albion College in Michigan. I lived in Niwot for 27 years and owned a house with my ex-wife Donna (she is still there) when the Hot Rize boys played at the Grange Hall and there were no houses on Springhill. I was Niwot’s P.O. Box 2 and worked for the YMCA in Boulder then. But I’ve always played music and that is what I have done as my living for many decades since leaving that job. When I lived in town, I helped start the Rock & Rails with Robin Abb and others. Now I live in old town Longmont near Roosevelt Park with my cat Merlin.

LHVC: How do you fill your days work-wise and for pleasure?

KD: I still play many gigs every month and have toured Europe twice and all over the US. I am a songwriter and have recorded nine CDs of my songs, and that is a daily ritual. I play lots of Frisbee golf and hike and camp and head back to Michigan to see family. I have a website with more info and performances.

LHVC: What is something that most people don't know about you?

KD: A little known fact is that I competed in The World Frisbee Championship Rose Bowl in ‘79 and ‘80 and was co-captain of the US Ultimate Frisbee team. Also, I was a two-time State of Michigan debate champion my junior and senior years of high school. Another thing most people may not know is that I am loving helping with tending the flowers in old town Niwot this summer. I am an early riser who loves tending plants. I worked my way through college working in greenhouses and it is a treat to visit old town several days a week to water and tend the flowers as they add so much to the beautiful downtown. The hail was a setback, but things are coming back strong!

LHVC: What is the hardest thing you’ve dealt with in your life?

KD: The hardest thing in my life has been trying to make a living out of doing what I love - my art, my music. I have learned to live with less and value each day as I have a bit more time than money at this point.

LHVC: What is a proud accomplishment of yours?

KD: My proudest accomplishment was that my last CD “Treehouse” (2015) reached #64 on the US Folk Charts and was a Top Pick on the Euro Roots Charts. I wrote all the songs and self-produced it.

Check out more about Kevin Dooley, his music, and where to see him live at http://www.KevinDooleyMusic.com