M. C. Brennan
Encyclopedia
M. C. "Cait" Brennan is an American rock vocalist, screenwriter and filmmaker.
, the daughter of noted session and touring musician Ron Dobbins. Brennan achieved local success as a singer, actor and writer before beginning a gender transition in the late 1980s.
Brennan's first media exposure came in 1977, when she was a regular guest on KARZ radio's "Let's Talk" program, providing unsolicited humorous "little professor" commentary.
Heavily influenced by Glitter rock, Country rock
and the Mills Brothers
, Brennan released the independent CDs M. C. Brennan (etc.) in 1994, San Francisco Sessions (produced by former James Brown
producer Susie Foot) in 1995 and Black Diamond in 1997. Brennan was an early adopter of MP3.com
and released numerous original and cover songs on the site prior to its closure in 2003.
In 2010 Brennan reunited with Garvin and the Zen Lunatics at their weekly Rockaroke sessions at Tempe, Arizona's Sail Inn, and began writing and recording a wealth of new material, both as Cait Brennan and her glitter-rock alter-ego "Kit Kelley".
's Best Screenplay award for "The People's Choice". Brennan was honored with the Outfest
Screenwriting Lab Fellowship in 2007 for her comic homage to 1980s John Hughes films, "Dramatis Personae". Brennan was named a semifinalist in the Austin Film Festival
screenwriting competition for "Dramatis Personae" and "The People's Choice", and in October 2007, the Rhode Island International Film Festival
awarded first prize to Brennan and "Dramatis Personae" in their annual screenwriting honors.
During high school, Brennan directed short films including The Mike And Eric Movie and The Man Called Bear: Hero At Large, and made appearances in local commercials and bit parts in productions such as Midnight Caller
, Northern Exposure
and 1985's Just One of the Guys
. Later acting appearances include small roles in The Doors
, So I Married An Axe Murderer
and Itty Bitty Titty Committee
.
Brennan was a writer for the Phoenix Gazette
's "Teen Gazette" section, and in 1986 won first place in the Journalism Education Association
's national feature write-off. In 1988 Brennan became one of the inaugural music writers for the Zia Zine, the in-house music magazine of the Zia Records chain. Freelance writing jobs followed, as well as serialized novels, stage plays and other material.
From 2000-2005, Brennan authored the satirical "Comic Newsbriefs" feature for Eugene, Oregon's Comic News. In 2002 she joined the staff of Phoenix's LGBT
-focused Echo Magazine. In 2010, Brennan returned to writing for Echo on a variety of subjects. Brennan currently writes on music, TV and pop culture topics for various outlets including pop culture blog Popshifter.
.
Brennan appears briefly in U2
's feature documentary Rattle and Hum
.
In 2005, she posed for photographer Jana Marcus' photojournalism project Transfigurations, documenting the lives and stories of transgender men and women.
Early life
Brennan was born in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, the daughter of noted session and touring musician Ron Dobbins. Brennan achieved local success as a singer, actor and writer before beginning a gender transition in the late 1980s.
Brennan's first media exposure came in 1977, when she was a regular guest on KARZ radio's "Let's Talk" program, providing unsolicited humorous "little professor" commentary.
Music
A songwriter and vocalist with an unusual tenor-contralto range, Brennan began a music career in her teens. Brennan recorded several independent cassettes during the 1980s, working frequently with Arizona producer Terry Garvin of the power-pop band Zen Lunatics. Brennan's early music was only available on cassette sold at shows or through zines, and she often customized each cassette with unique performances and reworkings of her music, cover songs, commentary and occasional pranks. Virtually no two cassettes from the mail-order era are identical and no "master" was kept.Heavily influenced by Glitter rock, Country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
and the Mills Brothers
Mills Brothers
The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed as The Four Mills Brothers, were an American jazz and pop vocal quartet of the 20th century who made more than 2,000 recordings that combined sold more than 50 million copies, and garnered at least three dozen gold records...
, Brennan released the independent CDs M. C. Brennan (etc.) in 1994, San Francisco Sessions (produced by former James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
producer Susie Foot) in 1995 and Black Diamond in 1997. Brennan was an early adopter of MP3.com
MP3.com
MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...
and released numerous original and cover songs on the site prior to its closure in 2003.
In 2010 Brennan reunited with Garvin and the Zen Lunatics at their weekly Rockaroke sessions at Tempe, Arizona's Sail Inn, and began writing and recording a wealth of new material, both as Cait Brennan and her glitter-rock alter-ego "Kit Kelley".
Writing and Film
Brennan received the Arizona Commission on the Arts Screenwriting fellowship in 2002, and the following year, she won the Phoenix Film FestivalPhoenix Film Festival
Phoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. The celebration takes place annually in the city of Phoenix, Arizona...
's Best Screenplay award for "The People's Choice". Brennan was honored with the Outfest
Outfest
Outfest is an LGBT-oriented film showcase and festival in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference", the name was changed to Outfest in 1994.-Programs:...
Screenwriting Lab Fellowship in 2007 for her comic homage to 1980s John Hughes films, "Dramatis Personae". Brennan was named a semifinalist in the Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
screenwriting competition for "Dramatis Personae" and "The People's Choice", and in October 2007, the Rhode Island International Film Festival
Rhode Island International Film Festival
Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newport Film/Video Society & Arts Collaborative, a 501 non-profit...
awarded first prize to Brennan and "Dramatis Personae" in their annual screenwriting honors.
During high school, Brennan directed short films including The Mike And Eric Movie and The Man Called Bear: Hero At Large, and made appearances in local commercials and bit parts in productions such as Midnight Caller
Midnight Caller
Midnight Caller is a dramatic NBC television series created by Richard DiLello, which ran from 1988 to 1991. It was one of the first television series to address the dramatic possibilities of the then-growing phenomenon of talk radio...
, Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
and 1985's Just One of the Guys
Just One of the Guys
Just One of the Guys is a 1985 comedy film, directed by Lisa Gottlieb. The film is marketed with the tagline "Terri Griffith is about to go where no woman has gone before." This movie ranked number 48 on Entertainment Weeklys list of the "50 Best High School Movies".-Plot:Terry Griffith is an...
. Later acting appearances include small roles in The Doors
The Doors (film)
The Doors is a 1991 biopic about the 1960s-1970s rock band of the same name which emphasizes the life of its lead singer, Jim Morrison. It was directed by Oliver Stone, and stars Val Kilmer as Morrison, Meg Ryan as Pamela Courson , Kyle MacLachlan as Ray Manzarek, Frank Whaley as Robby Krieger,...
, So I Married An Axe Murderer
So I Married an Axe Murderer
So I Married an Axe Murderer is a 1993 American comedy-horror film starring Mike Myers and Nancy Travis. Myers plays Charlie McKenzie, a man afraid of commitment until he meets Harriet , who works at a butcher shop and may be a serial killer...
and Itty Bitty Titty Committee
Itty Bitty Titty Committee
Itty Bitty Titty Committee is a feminist, lesbian-related comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit. It was released on 28 September 2007.The film had its premiere at the international film festival Berlinale on 9 February 2007, where it was nominated for a Teddy Award for Best Feature...
.
Brennan was a writer for the Phoenix Gazette
Phoenix Gazette
The Phoenix Gazette was a newspaper published in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. It was founded in 1881, and was known in its early years as the Phoenix Evening Gazette....
's "Teen Gazette" section, and in 1986 won first place in the Journalism Education Association
Journalism Education Association
The Journalism Education Association, or JEA, is a national organization for teachers and advisers of journalism.-Opinion Regarding Prior Review:...
's national feature write-off. In 1988 Brennan became one of the inaugural music writers for the Zia Zine, the in-house music magazine of the Zia Records chain. Freelance writing jobs followed, as well as serialized novels, stage plays and other material.
From 2000-2005, Brennan authored the satirical "Comic Newsbriefs" feature for Eugene, Oregon's Comic News. In 2002 she joined the staff of Phoenix's LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
-focused Echo Magazine. In 2010, Brennan returned to writing for Echo on a variety of subjects. Brennan currently writes on music, TV and pop culture topics for various outlets including pop culture blog Popshifter.
Albums
- 1986 Last Gasp
- 1989 Collected Songs
- 1991 Eskimo
- 1994 M. C. Brennan (etc.)
- 1995 San Francisco Sessions
- 1997 Black Diamond
- 2010 Moonstruck Rhymesters EP (as Kit Kelley)
Other work
In 1985, she appeared on KPNX-TV's "Finn and Friends" program with "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
.
Brennan appears briefly in U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's feature documentary Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum is the sixth studio album by rock band U2 and companion rockumentary directed by Phil Joanou, both released in 1988. The film and the album feature live recordings, covers, and new songs...
.
In 2005, she posed for photographer Jana Marcus' photojournalism project Transfigurations, documenting the lives and stories of transgender men and women.