Keith at the piano with
“The Jerry Whitener Singers”
Keith singing at the Grand Ole Opry
in Nashville at Age 18
My Three Kids (not kids anymore)
Sarah 30, Ben 39, Michelle 28
Grace Family Church in Rockford, IL
Where I pastor The Oasis of Grace
Keith & his wife Cathy Manley, along with friends Leon & Renee Patillo
Keith’s wife Cathy Manley
About Keith Manley
At the age of 13 Keith Manley played piano & guitar on his first album project. Three years later he began singing and playing the piano with "The Jerry Whitener Singers", a local group from his church at age 16. One year later Keith formed his own singing group, The Keith Manley Trio, along with two of his friends and recorded his first singing project using his own original tunes.
Later Keith's songs were picked up by gospel artists such as Laverne Tripp and The Blue Ridge Quartet. QCA Records signed Keth as a songwriter and recorded demos of his music for their publishing company. While in the studio, Chuck Sietz, the former chief engineer of RCA Records, called Keith into his office and offered him a recording contract with their new contemporary label, New Day.
Later that year at the age of 17 Keith signed his first recording contract with a new gospel label from Cincinnati called New Day. Keith's first solo album was produced by veteran producer and engineer Chuck Seitz, the former chief engineer for decades at RCA Studio B in Nashville. Keith's first solo album did well and received airplay all over the country. The following year Keith toured Europe and came back to the states feeling a strong calling to pastoral ministry. 1977 Keith performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee on the Grand Ole Gospel Time program with his longtime friend Jimmy Snow.
In 1984 Keith started "Grace Family Church" in Belvidere, Illinois. In 1987 Keith released his song "Spirit Eyes", a duet with Scheree' from Nashville, Tennessee, and the song quickly rose to a number one hit all around the country. Keith Manley has released 8 albums over the past few years. Two of Keith's recordings feature duets with one of his favorite singers, Rhonda Gunn.
In 1997 Keith began his daily radio program entitled "The Gospel Truth". The program featured a 5 minute message of hope and inspiration. The program ran for about 10 years on radio. In 2003, with the prompting of long time friend Pastor Jimmy Snow, Keith began his television ministry "Fresh Oil" on the Total Living Network.
In 2006 Grace Family Church moved to Rockford, IL after purchasing a large church building on 6 acres of land on Forest Hills Rd. This year Grace Family Church celebrated 35 years of ministry.
In 2008 Keith released his album Freedom which marked 30 years since his first solo release "Most Wanted Man", on QCA's New Day label. Keith continues to sing and write music but he always acknowledges that while music is his gift, his calling is to pastor the congregation that God had him start back in 1984.
In 2011 Keith returned to Europe with concerts in London, as well as Norway. In 2015 Keith released two new music projects, “Wake Up America” and his latest CD entitled “Stronger.”
These are available on iTunes and CDBaby, and also available in our WebStore.
Keith Manley and his wife Cathy reside in Rockford, Illinois, along with their two daughters Sarah and Michelle. Keith also has a son, Ben, who currently lives in Denver CO.
