Opening Day / Universal Music has issued the following press release:

Nylon or steel, nickel plated or wound round, SEAN KELLY has strummed and plucked many a guitar string, but like many youngsters, his folks had him get that grounding in the classics. It is to those roots that he returns with his Opening Day release, The Number 1 Classical Guitar Album. Sean grew up in North Bay Ontario, studying the classical guitar but also digging the sounds emanating form his 12 watt stereo system; KISS, VAN HALEN and GUNS N’ ROSES had that little box bursting at the seams with THD morning, noon and night.

But the classics – he studied on. And learned, and learned and learned. Moving from North Bay to Toronto in 1991, Sean studied classical guitar at the University Of Toronto under Canadian virtuoso Eli Kassner (a man who has studied with the father of classical guitar, Andres Segovia). After university, Sean traveled the country in a number of different rock n roll outfits, but with the cries of his parents “get a real job” echoing in his head, he did just that. He found himself taken on by the Toronto Catholic School Board where he teaches Vocal Music at three different schools. Privately, he has been teaching all styles of guitar at the Lippert School of Music since 1995.

While ensuring a steady flow of cash (well, relative to most musicians at any rate) Sean still burned to play in front of any one who would listen. And he kept studying, all styles, classical, rock, metal, country – he plays it all. He started up his own glam rock outfit called CRASH KELLY which released two albums that were, as they say, "big in Japan." The last Crash Kelly record was produced in Los Angeles by GILBY CLARKE of Guns N’ Roses/Rockstar Supernova fame, and the band recently toured North America with ALICE COOPER.

Sean plays sessions with many artists (Shannon Lee Briggs, Dale Martindale of Images in Vogue), writes jingles (most recently a Pontiac spot that was shown throughout sports venues across Canada), and tours as a side man, currently with Carole Pope and Rough Trade. In 2005, Sean was selected out of thousands of entries by Guitar Player magazine to perform at the inaugural Guitar Hero Competition. As a Top 10 finalist, Sean played at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in front of celebrity judges JOE SATRIANI and STEVE LUKATHER, as well as Guitar Player editor Jude Gold.

But it is to his classical roots that Sean now returns. The Number 1 Classical Guitar Album features the songs that inspired Sean. From 'Romance' (anonymous) to Albéniz’ finger-busting 'Asturias' and Stanley Myers’ 'Cavatina', Sean performs the songs that have made the guitar one of the best loved of all instruments.

The Number 1 Classical Guitar Album will be available October 23rd through Opening Day / Universal.