[5] She was born Kelley Wade in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, and was initially musically inspired by her mother's jazz and blues styled singing.
Hunt's own musical influences came from a diverse range, including the work of Ruth Brown, Ann Peebles, Wanda Jackson, Jay McShann and Mary Lou Williams amongst others.
[2] Her fourth album, Mercy was issued in 2009, and the Star Tribune noted "Surprises don't often crop up on the well-trodden blues circuit.
This Kansan is a full-blown phenomenon: powerhouse singer, hardboogieing pianist, polished songwriter…"[7] In 2011, Gravity Loves You was released which included twelve new songs.
The St. Louis Beacon stated "Hunt's songwriting shines on powerful, moving compositions like 'Deep Old Love', 'This Fall', 'In the End' and the title cut.