Over several years of regional touring with Powerhouse, Kay performed with or opened for Bonnie Raitt, Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Big Walter Horton, J.
B. Hutto, John Lee Hooker, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Blood Sweat & Tears, NRBQ, Bob Margolin, Janis Ian, The Nighthawks and many others.
[citation needed] Kay moved to New York in 1985 to produce music for the successful television program You Magazine and fashion videos for Liz Claiborne, Anne Klein and others.
[citation needed] Blue Whispers marked Kay's debut as a solo release of romantic ballads and included accompaniment by the bassist Ray Brown, drummer Grady Tate, Jr. and keyboardist Carlton Holmes.
Five of the tracks from Blue Whispers were added to rotation on CHFI-FM, Canada's largest FM radio station, along with Frank Sinatra's Duets album.