The first thing that strikes you about Lisa Kelly is her eyes — sparkling and smiling and focused on every word in a conversation.

Then come the lighthearted laugh and delightful Irish accent that color her sentences. On some people, these melodic accessories might come off as affectations, but with Kelly, everything oozes authenticity.

For nearly a decade, Kelly supplied those attributes, as well as her angelic soprano voice, to Celtic Woman, the international Irish phenomenon that is a favorite of PBS watchers and fans of lilting Celtic folk-pop.

But when the group visits the Fox Theatre on Tuesday, Kelly won’t be with them. Instead, she’ll be teaching a class at the Lisa Kelly Voice Academy, her recently opened singing school in Peachtree City.

In January, Kelly officially departed Celtic Woman to concentrate on the academy — which she runs with her husband, former Riverdance star and Celtic Woman CEO Scott Porter — and raise their four children in the golf-cart-loving enclave about 40 minutes south of Atlanta.

To continue reading, please visit www.myajc.com.