Put down the guitar, John Mayer. Step away from the microphone, Jason Mraz. There is a new kid in town, and he is ready to take the music world by storm. Rock/pop newcomer Josh Kelley, 22, hails from Augusta, Ga. and will bring his musical stylings to the Quinnipiac campus when he provides opening act support for the unique Third Eye Blind campus performance Nov. 16.

With his boyish good looks and southern charm, Kelley has won over listeners as his hit “Amazing” has been steadily climbing both local radio playlists and the Billboard music charts. “Amazing” is just one of the tracks of his thirteen track Hollywood Records debut disc, “For the Ride Home,” released last June.

Kelley began his musical journey at 14, when he formed the group Inside Blue with his brother. Luck was on his side as his music caught the eye of the legendary James Brown, and with that noted praise, Kelley hit the ground running. Branching out from Inside Blue, he was able to focus more on his personal growth as an artist.

Further honing his talents while a student at the University of Mississippi, the songwriter got his big break after self-promoting his music through the online music file-sharing Web site, Napster. This promotion put Hollywood Records on notice, and Kelley was signed to the label a year after he released an independent compilation “Changing Faces,” in 2001.

Working with producer John Alagia, who had a hand in creating hits for the Dave Matthews Band, to break his album, this multi-talented instrumentalist is definitely on his way to making it big in the business.

Interested fans can check out Josh Kelley’s website at www.joshkelley.com for more information on Kelley’s career, or pick up his debut album, “For the Ride Home,” in stores now from Hollywood Records.