Biography: Norman Kelley was born on August 27, 1911 in Eddington, Maine to John Kelley and Janet Kelley. He trained at the New England Conservatory, Pasadena College and Eastman. From 1940 to 1945, he served in the U.S. military. He performed with companies such as the City Opera troupe, the Metropolitan Opera, and the City Center Gilbert and Sullivan Company. He married opera singer Maria Paradiso in 1944. They had two children, and divorced in 1969.

Trivia:
He translated Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel into English. It premiered in 1967, and is still performed by many opera companies.