Podcast: Diane Kallay joins Rockabilly Greg in the Flamingo Lounge -

Buffalo Music: Versatile vocalist excels across genres

Diane Kallay visited the Flamingo Lounge on January 8, 2026, to tell her stories and share her music.

Diane Kallay is an award-winning vocalist and East Lovejoy native whose powerful, versatile voice has made her one of Western New York’s most popular singers.

She has gained national recognition opening for rock and blues legends including Dave Mason, The Marshall Tucker Band, .38 Special, and Kim Mitchell at venues like Artpark and Buffalo Place. Known for mastering genres including Pop, Blues, R&B, and Country, her talent has been consistently recognized by the Buffalo music community, earning her “Best Female Blues Vocalist” in 2001 and the “Best Lead Blues Vocalist” award at the 2024 Night Life Magazine Awards Show. Following a period performing in Las Vegas and California, Diane returned home and continues to share her talents with The Diane Kallay Band, supporting local establishments and community benefits.

Diane had been Performing in Vegas and recently returned to WNY. Her career in music began with a group called Suspect. They had a progressive sound and style, covering such artists as Kate Bush, the Eurythmics, and Motels. In 1995 she joined Red Rain, which won best new country band in WNY at the Country Music Awards. She performed with her brother Bob Raslawsky in an acoustic duo called Kinship. In 1999, Diane’s solo performance at the Tonawanda Women’s Music Festival marked the debut of an impressive repertoire of original compositions. Since then, Diane has been nominated in several categories at the Buffalo Music Awards: Kinship was nominated for “Best Acoustic Duo” and Diane for “Best Female Vocalist.” Her band won top honors in the “Best Crossover Blues Band” category. She was named “Best Female Blues Vocalist.”

Her musical highlights include performances at “Thursday at the Square” (opening for Kim Mitchell), The Tralf (sharing the stage with Shemekia Copeland), and opening slots for Artpark shows featuring The Marshall Tucker Band, Dave Mason, and .38 Special. A trip to the “Chicago Blues Festival” gave her a chance to sing with the legendary Larry McCray at Club Legends. A guest appearance at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, prompted festival promoters to invite her to return next year as a featured performer.

Diane has participated in several benefit shows and compilation recordings in support of the community. Her original song, “It’s Christmas Time,” appeared on a CD to benefit the MS Foundation. She helped raise money for the Buffalo Performing Arts School of Music, and participated in “Stand America,” a CD to benefit the American Red Cross. She recently performed at a hospital benefit for the Women and Children’s Foundation.

Visit Dianekallay.com for more Information.

Greg Hennessey’s “In the Flamingo Lounge with Rockabilly Greg” podcast is must listen content for fans of Western New York music. Hennessey just started his sixth season of podcasts, and he’s got over 100 episodes in his archives at https://rockabillygreg.com.

New episodes are available at 9 a.m. EST each Saturday at RockabillyGreg.com. Each posting includes a link to the podcast, website, and social media links, images, and other interesting tidbits about the week’s guest(s).

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