Kelley was born in Sanford, Florida to the late Stanley and Mae Muller. She received her primary and secondary education in the public schools of Seminole and Orange counties. Upon graduating from high school, she spent one year of vocal music studies at Bethune-Cookman College (now has University status) in Daytona Beach, Florida. She continued her vocal music studies for the next three years, preparing herself for a career in her field of concentration at the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore, Maryland.

While attending Peabody, she began a professional career in vocal music that expanded over a period of ten years. Her credits include: Voices Inc., The Robert DeCormier Singers, and The Norman Luboff Choir, all based in New York City; Once Upon a Stage - Dinner Theater, Walt Disney World's "Kids of the Kingdom", both in Orlando, Florida; a cast member of the second national touring company of the Broadway Musical,"Timbuktu", staring the late Eartha Kitt and directed by Geoffrey Holder, and a night club singer in the Buckhead community of Atlanta, Georgia. This ten year period allowed her the opportunity to perform in major cities across the United States as well as parts of Canada and Mexico, placing her on many well known stages such as, Radio City Music Hall and Town Hall, both of New York City; Tyrone Guthrie Theater of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and several Orpheum Theaters in the United States.

Her greatest accomplishment, however, was achieved in 1980 when she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and allowed Him to rule as Lord of her life.

She married Benjamin L. Smith in 1981 and to this union one child, Mauria Elizabeth, was born. Since the family’s arrival in Memphis in 1986, Kelley has served as a Vocal Technique Clinician at various local, surrounding areas, and out of state music workshops, including: The Lighthouse Worship Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, The Church of God in Christ's National AIM Conventions, O'landa Draper's Music Lover's Conferences, The University of Mississippi's Gospel Music Department, and several other churches and community choirs throughout the Mid-South. In 2003, she was nominated for Memphis' Gospel Bridge Award in the Church Choir Director/Vocal Trainer category.

Kelley held the position of Minister of Music for Tennessee’s Fourth Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ under the leadership of the late Bishop G. E. Patterson for two years. She served for sixteen years as Minister of Music at her church, Miracle Temple Ministries, Inc., where her husband, Dr. Benjamin L. Smith, is the Founder and Senior Pastor.

In 2004 she auditioned and was accepted as a member of The Memphis Symphony Chorus under the direction of Dr. Lawrence Edwards, where she holds a seat on its board of directors. She is also a board member of Concerts International, an organization which has brought internationally acclaimed chamber music groups to Memphis for 35 years. Kelley currently offers private voice lessons at her vocal studio located at her church.