Lonette McKee
Encyclopedia
Lonette McKee is an American film and television actress, music composer/producer/songwriter, screenwriter and director.
, Michigan
the daughter of Dorothy, a Scandinavian
, and Lonnie McKee, an African American
bricklayer and auto manufacturer employee.
McKee's career began in the music business in Detroit as a child prodigy, where she started writing music/lyrics, singing, playing keyboards and performing at the age of seven. At fourteen, she recorded her first record, which became an instant regional pop/R&B hit. McKee wrote the title song for the film Quadroon when she was fifteen.
She has written and produced three solo LPs, the most recent, Natural Love, for Spike Lee's
Columbia 40 Acres and A Mule label. McKee scored the music for the well-received cable documentary on the Lower Manhattan
African Burial Ground
, as well as numerous infomercials. McKee has toured extensively throughout the world singing concert performances, including the JVC Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall
.
McKee studied film directing at The New School
in New York and apprenticed directing with filmmaker Spike Lee
. McKee studied singing with Dini Clark and ballet with Sarah Tayir, both in Los Angeles
.
McKee won critical acclaim for her Broadway
debut performance in the musical The First
. She became the first African American to play the coveted role of 'Julie' in the Houston Grand Opera's
production of Show Boat
on Broadway, for which she received a Tony Award
nomination. Her tragic portrayal of jazz legend Billie Holiday
in the one-woman drama with music, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill won critical acclaim, standing ovations and a Drama Desk Award
nomination. She reprised the role of 'Julie' on Broadway in the most recent revival of the musical Show Boat directed by Hal Prince.
McKee is currently developing plans to establish a performance arts center in the New York tri-state area.
McKee performs her one-woman memoir with music on stages throughout the country.
(1976); Cuba
(1979); Which Way Is Up?
(1977) and Brewster's Millions
(1985), The Cotton Club
(1984) and Gardens of Stone
(1987) for Francis Ford Coppola
; and Lift (2001), for which she earned a Black Reel nomination. Other films include Honey
(2003), Men of Honor
(2000), Round Midnight
(1986) for the great filmmaker Bertrand Tavenier, Jungle Fever
(1991), Malcolm X (1992), He Got Game
(1998) Recent features include She Hates Me for Spike Lee
, "A Day in Black & White" and "ATL". Television miniseries and films include The Women of Brewster Place
(1989), for which she received an NAACP nomination; Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
(1999); Queen
(1993) with Halle Berry
; To Dance with Olivia (1997) and For Love of Olivia (2001) for CBS
Television Network and Blind Faith
(1998) for the Showtime cable network. Lonette also received an NAACP nomination for her appearances on the long-running CBS
soap opera
As The World Turns
. McKee had a recurring role on the NBC
drama Third Watch
. Mckee reprised her role as Connie Daniels in the 2011 sequel Honey 2
starring Katerina Graham
and Randy Wayne
is set be released to cinemas on the June 10, 2011.
McKee teaches a master acting workshop at Centenary College of New Jersey
, where she serves as an adjunct professor in the Theater Arts department. She is producing her first feature film Dream Street, which she wrote and will direct. She also appeared on the CW sitcom The Game as Mrs. Pitts, the mother of Jason (played by Coby Bell).
Biography
McKee was born in DetroitDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
the daughter of Dorothy, a Scandinavian
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
, and Lonnie McKee, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
bricklayer and auto manufacturer employee.
McKee's career began in the music business in Detroit as a child prodigy, where she started writing music/lyrics, singing, playing keyboards and performing at the age of seven. At fourteen, she recorded her first record, which became an instant regional pop/R&B hit. McKee wrote the title song for the film Quadroon when she was fifteen.
She has written and produced three solo LPs, the most recent, Natural Love, for Spike Lee's
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
Columbia 40 Acres and A Mule label. McKee scored the music for the well-received cable documentary on the Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
African Burial Ground
African Burial Ground National Monument
African Burial Ground National Monument at Duane Street and African Burial Ground Way in Lower Manhattan preserves a site containing the remains of more than 400 Africans buried during the 17th and 18th centuries. Historians estimate there may have been 15,000-20,000 burials there...
, as well as numerous infomercials. McKee has toured extensively throughout the world singing concert performances, including the JVC Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.
McKee studied film directing at The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
in New York and apprenticed directing with filmmaker Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
. McKee studied singing with Dini Clark and ballet with Sarah Tayir, both in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
McKee won critical acclaim for her Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut performance in the musical The First
The First
The First is a musical with a book by critic Joel Siegel. The music was composed by Robert Brush, and Martin Charnin wrote the lyrics. The show is based on the life of Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play major league baseball in the 20th century.The...
. She became the first African American to play the coveted role of 'Julie' in the Houston Grand Opera's
Houston Grand Opera
Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera was founded in 1955 through the joint efforts of Maestro Walter Herbert and cultural leaders Mrs. Louis G. Lobit, Edward Bing and Charles Cockrell...
production of Show Boat
Show Boat
Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working...
on Broadway, for which she received a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination. Her tragic portrayal of jazz legend Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
in the one-woman drama with music, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill won critical acclaim, standing ovations and a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
nomination. She reprised the role of 'Julie' on Broadway in the most recent revival of the musical Show Boat directed by Hal Prince.
McKee is currently developing plans to establish a performance arts center in the New York tri-state area.
McKee performs her one-woman memoir with music on stages throughout the country.
Appearances
Her feature film credits include: SparkleSparkle (1976 film)
Sparkle is a 1976 American film directed by Sam O'Steen and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Inspired by The Supremes, Sparkle is a period film set in Harlem, New York during the late 1950s and early 1960s which follows the rough lives and careers of singer Sparkle Williams and her family and...
(1976); Cuba
Cuba (film)
Cuba is a 1979 drama film directed by Richard Lester and starring Sean Connery, set during the build-up to the 1959 Cuban Revolution.Connery stars as a British mercenary who travels to Cuba, which is on the brink of revolution with the authority of dictator Fulgencio Batista collapsing every day...
(1979); Which Way Is Up?
Which Way Is Up?
Which Way is Up? is a comedy film starring Richard Pryor. It was directed by Michael Schultz, and is a remake of the 1972 Italian film The Seduction of Mimi, which was written and directed by Lina Wertmuller....
(1977) and Brewster's Millions
Brewster's Millions (1985 film)
Brewster's Millions is a 1985 comedy film starring Richard Pryor and John Candy based on the 1902 novel of the same name by George Barr McCutcheon. It is the seventh film based on the story, with a screenplay by Herschel Weingrod & Timothy Harris...
(1985), The Cotton Club
The Cotton Club (film)
The Cotton Club is a 1984 crime-drama, centered on a famed Harlem jazz club of the 1930s, the Cotton Club.The movie was co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, choreographed by Henry LeTang, and starred Richard Gere, Diane Lane, and Gregory Hines...
(1984) and Gardens of Stone
Gardens of Stone
Gardens of Stone is a 1987 film by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel of the same title by Nicholas Proffitt.A drama, it stars James Caan, Anjelica Huston, James Earl Jones and D. B. Sweeney.-Plot:...
(1987) for Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
; and Lift (2001), for which she earned a Black Reel nomination. Other films include Honey
Honey (2003 film)
Honey is a 2003 motion picture released by Universal Pictures. Featuring music produced by Rodney Jerkins, the film stars Jessica Alba, Mekhi Phifer, Lil' Romeo, Joy Bryant, David Moscow and features performances by Tweet, Jadakiss and Ginuwine. It also features a cameo by Missy Elliott...
(2003), Men of Honor
Men of Honor
Men of Honor is a 2000 drama film, starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The film was directed by George Tillman, Jr...
(2000), Round Midnight
Round Midnight (film)
Round Midnight is a 1986 film directed by Bertrand Tavernier and written by David Rayfiel and Bertrand Tavernier. It tells the story of an African American tenor saxophone player in Paris in the 1950s who is befriended by an unsuccessful French graphic designer who idolizes the musician and who...
(1986) for the great filmmaker Bertrand Tavenier, Jungle Fever
Jungle Fever
Jungle Fever is a 1991 American drama film directed by Spike Lee, starring Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra. It was Lee's fifth feature-length film. The film mainly explores interracial relationships...
(1991), Malcolm X (1992), He Got Game
He Got Game
He Got Game is a 1998 American sports-drama film written and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as Jake Shuttlesworth, a prison inmate convicted for killing his wife...
(1998) Recent features include She Hates Me for Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
, "A Day in Black & White" and "ATL". Television miniseries and films include The Women of Brewster Place
The Women of Brewster Place (1989 television)
The Women of Brewster Place is a TV miniseries that aired on March 19,1989 & March 20,1989 on ABC. The miniseries is based upon the 1982 novel by Gloria Naylor. It was produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions with a teleplay by Karen Hall...
(1989), for which she received an NAACP nomination; Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (film)
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years is a 1999 American television movie directed by Lynne Littman. The film is an adaptation of the 1993 New York Times bestselling oral history written by Sarah L. Delany, A. Elizabeth Delany, and journalist Amy Hill Hearth. The telefilm adaptation...
(1999); Queen
Queen: The Story of an American Family
Queen: The Story of an American Family is a 1993 partly factual historical novel by Alex Haley and David Stevens. It brought back to the consciousness of many White Americans the plight of the children of the plantation: the offspring of black slave women and their white masters, who were legally...
(1993) with Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
; To Dance with Olivia (1997) and For Love of Olivia (2001) for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Television Network and Blind Faith
Blind Faith (1998 film)
Blind Faith is a 1998 film starring Charles S. Dutton, Courtney B. Vance, and Lonette McKee.-Plot:Black lawyer John Williams defends his nephew, who is charged with murdering a white youth in 1957.-Cast:*Charles S. Dutton as Charles Williams...
(1998) for the Showtime cable network. Lonette also received an NAACP nomination for her appearances on the long-running CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
As The World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. McKee had a recurring role on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
drama Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
. Mckee reprised her role as Connie Daniels in the 2011 sequel Honey 2
Honey 2
Honey 2 is a dance film which follows the 2003 film Honey. It stars Katerina Graham, Randy Wayne, Melissa Molinaro, Lonette McKee and Audrina Patridge...
starring Katerina Graham
Katerina Graham
Katerina Alexandre "Kat" Graham is an American actress, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and model. She has appeared in numerous television shows and film productions, as well as music videos...
and Randy Wayne
Randy Wayne
Randy Wayne is an American actor.Wayne was born and raised in Moore, Oklahoma. He appeared on the 2002 season of the British reality show Shipwrecked, which led to guest appearances on the television shows The Closer, Huff, NCIS, Jack & Bobby, and Numb3rs as well as a series regular role as the...
is set be released to cinemas on the June 10, 2011.
McKee teaches a master acting workshop at Centenary College of New Jersey
Centenary College of New Jersey
Centenary College was founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church. Centenary has evolved from a coeducational preparatory school to a girls' preparatory school , to a Junior college for women , to a four-year women's college , to a coeducational...
, where she serves as an adjunct professor in the Theater Arts department. She is producing her first feature film Dream Street, which she wrote and will direct. She also appeared on the CW sitcom The Game as Mrs. Pitts, the mother of Jason (played by Coby Bell).