After graduation, impressed with Byron’s ideas, Kelly staked his claim by starting his own DJ service. Professional DJ Entertainment by Chip began in 1990. Kelly continues, “I learned early on that in order for a DJ service to run efficiently, a lot of time must be put into it behind the scenes."

With a full time job to support his family, Kelly’s DJ service caused conflict. "Performing the jobs-and even meeting with clients was the easy part... that’s where my talents shine! It was the ‘administrative’ end of things I had difficulty in keeping up with. An independent, part-time DJ could never offer the services we do here. Not just in having a higher level of quality, but in the commitment we have as a team to perform every event to its maximum potential. That’s one of the many things that make Tone Zone so good to work for. Everything is perfectly in place here."

Six years after starting his own DJ service and eight years after meetingGary Byron, they were reunited by the strangest coincidence. "Ha! That was weird," Kelly goes on to say. “The person I buy my contact lenses from who knows I’m a DJ was a faithful listener of Gary’s when he was a radio personality. One night Gary was talking about contact lenses on the air and because we have similar voice inflection, she was convinced that Gary and I were one and the same. So she called Gary at the station and asked him if his real name was Chip Kelly. This sparked Gary’s memory so after convincing her that he wasn't me, he asked her to have me, the real Chip Kelly, get in touch with him to catch up on old times. One thing led to another and here I am! It was the contact lens lady back in ‘96 who put us back in touch with each other and the rest is history."

Having the experience and definitely the personality, Kelly easily fit the mold of Tone Zone. Gary comments: "It was a perfect match for the both of us, really. I needed a DJ who was consistent with the high standards already established with Tone Zone. Chip needed a professional DJ company that could handle bookings and provide customer service." Kelly concludes, “If you only knew the standards it takes to DJ for Tone Zone! Gary doesn’t just hire anyone who happens to be a DJ, so I’m honored to be here." Though Kelly does meet clients before their wedding day, a lot of the "business end" is handled in the office by Byron. Specializing in weddings with a party atmosphere and audience participation, it's Kelly’s charismatic way of “working the crowd" that has enabled him to be the only three-time winner of the DJ of the Year award (1998, 2000, 2002).

A native of East Hartford, CT, Chip Kelly began his career soon after graduating from Connecticut School of Broadcasting in 1989. It was through sharing a class at C.S.B. where he initially met Tone Zone president Gary Byron. “Gary and I go way back," Kelly says, “It was the very early stages of Tone Zone and after class one day Gary I visited his apartment and he showed me all of this DJ equipment. It looked confusing but really intriguing. There was equipment everywhere I looked. It seemed as if he was living in a music studio that just happened to have a bed and shower."