Maria McKee

Last updated

Maria McKee
Maria McKee by Jim Akin.jpg
June 2017 profile of Maria McKee
Background information
Birth nameMaria Luisa McKee
Born (1964-08-17) August 17, 1964 (age 59)
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Pop rock, alternative rock, alternative country, rockabilly (early)
Years active1982present
Labels Geffen, Viewfinder/Little Diva, Eleven Thirty, Cooking Vinyl
Website mariamckee.org

Maria Luisa McKee (born August 17, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice, her 1990 song "Show Me Heaven", and her song "If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)" from the film Pulp Fiction . [1]

Contents

Early life

Maria McKee was born in Los Angeles in 1964. She grew up in a bohemian family and is the half-sister of Bryan MacLean (1946-1998), the guitarist of the band Love [1] (he died in 1998 at age 51). [2]

Music

McKee was a founding member of the cowpunk and proto-Americana band Lone Justice in 1982, with whom she released two albums. Several compilations, of both previously released and unreleased material, and a BBC Live in Concert album, have been released since the group disbanded in 1987. Bob Dylan wrote the song "Go Away Little Boy" for the band's debut album, Lone Justice , which later appeared as a B-side. The band opened for such acts as U2 and Tom Petty. During this period of her career, she was managed by Jimmy Iovine.

When she was 19, McKee wrote Feargal Sharkey's 1985 song "A Good Heart", which she has since recorded and released herself on her album Late December . Sharkey also covered "To Miss Someone", from her self-titled solo debut, on his third solo album, Songs from the Mardi Gras. In 1987, she appeared in the Robbie Robertson music video "Somewhere Down the Crazy River" (directed by Martin Scorsese), and contributed back-up vocals to his debut solo album, which included the song. McKee released her first solo, self-titled album in 1989, on which Richard Thompson played guitar and Steve Wickham (from The Waterboys) played fiddle. It received critical acclaim in Europe, prompting McKee to move to Ireland.[ citation needed ]

Her song "Show Me Heaven", which appeared on the soundtrack to the film Days of Thunder , topped the charts in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, where the song topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks, becoming Britain's sixth biggest-selling song of 1990. Additionally, "Show Me Heaven" became McKee's second number one – and first self-performed – song on the UK Singles Chart after Sharkey's "A Good Heart" topped the chart in November 1985. [3] She rarely performed this song in public until recently,[ when? ] [4] before she sang it at Dublin Pride. [5]

Her song "If Love Is a Red Dress, Hang Me in Rags" was personally selected by Quentin Tarantino for his feature film Pulp Fiction . It is the only original song on the soundtrack.

In 1992, she released the song "Sweetest Child", which was produced by Youth and featured Robert "Throb" Young from the band Primal Scream.[ citation needed ]

Following her debut, McKee released five studio records and two live albums. The album Life Is Sweet featured her lead guitar work described as "feral" by the British Mojo magazine, which listed it as a runner-up to album of the year in their critics’ poll. The raw, postmodern album (produced by Mark Freegard) was a marked shift from her previous roots rock style. Her later three records, High Dive (2003), Peddlin' Dreams (2005) and Late December (2007), were released independently via her own label, Viewfinder Records (distributed in the UK via Cooking Vinyl).

In 1995, Bette Midler recorded two of McKee's songs—"To Deserve You" and "The Last Time"—for her platinum album, Bette of Roses . In 1998, country trio The Chicks recorded McKee's "Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way?)", featuring several notable solos by fiddler Martie Maguire. The band included the track on their Grammy-nominated debut album Wide Open Spaces . [6] In 2003, during their Top of the World Tour, The Chicks invited opening act Joan Osborne back to the stage to perform the song with them on several occasions. [7]

McKee appears on the 2014 compilation Songs from a Stolen Spring that paired Western musicians with artists from the Arab Spring. On the album, her performance of the Tony Joe White song "Ol' Mother Earth" was meshed with "I Still Exist" by the Egyptian band Massar Egbari. [8]

She recorded a medley of "Ride a White Swan" and "She Was Born to Be My Unicorn" for the Marc Bolan tribute album Angel Headed Hipster, produced by Hal Willner.[ citation needed ] The album also includes tracks by Gavin Friday, Father John Misty and Nick Cave.

Session and guest work

In addition to writing Sharkey's song, "A Good Heart", McKee has contributed to the Victoria Williams' tribute album Sweet Relief , on the song "Opelousas (Sweet Relief)". She has also provided backing vocals to U2's cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" (B-side of 1992 "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" single from their Achtung Baby album), as well as to Counting Crows' 1993 debut August and Everything After on "Sullivan Street" and "Mr. Jones". On Robin Zander's 1993 solo album she sang backing vocals for the track "Reactionary Girl". She also sang backing vocals on Robbie Robertson's debut and self-titled solo album, on the track "American Roulette". Much lesser known is her contribution of lead and co-lead vocals on two tracks on a contemporary Christian praise and worship album called Come As You Are. [9]

She also contributed a song, "Never Be You," for the soundtrack to the Walter Hill movie Streets of Fire . She recorded a duet, "Friends in Time", [10] with The Golden Horde on their eponymously titled album in 1991. She also recorded the duet "This Road is Long" with Stuart A. Staples of the band Tindersticks on his 2006 album Leaving Songs. In addition she co-wrote a duet titled "Promise You Anything" with Steve Earle, which appeared on his 1990 album The Hard Way. She teamed up with Dwight Yoakam for a duet on "Bury Me," from his 1986 debut, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. She contributed the lyrics and vocals to the song "No Big Bang" on the only album by The Heads, No Talking, Just Head , also playing guitar and synthesizer on the song together with the band, mostly ex-members of Talking Heads. [11]

In 2016, she performed the Blind Willie Johnson song "Let Your Light Shine On Me" on the tribute album God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson . [12]

Film work

In 2013, McKee and her husband, Jim Akin, self-released their first independent feature film, After the Triumph of Your Birth, through their production company, Shootist Films. The film was written, directed, shot, recorded, and edited by Akin and features McKee (who co-produced) in her acting debut as an ensemble cast member. They scored the film together and the soundtrack was released in 2012.[ citation needed ]

Shootist Films' second feature film The Ocean of Helena Lee (featuring her in a supporting role) was released May 2015 with accompanying soundtrack. The film played a week run at The American Cinematheque at The Egyptian Theater. Akin, McKee and drummer Tom Dunne (also an actor and lead player in the film) performed a set of music after each screening. The film screened in competition at The Indie Memphis Film Festival and The Pesaro International Film Festival as well as out of competition in The Fastnet Film Festival in Schull, Ireland.[ citation needed ]

Published fiction

In 2009, McKee's short story, "Charcoal", was included in the Melville House Publishing short fiction anthology Amplified: Fiction from Leading Alt-Country, Indie Rock, Blues and Folk Musicians. In 2018, an audio version of "Charcoal" was recorded by voice actor Patrice Gambardella and published on Bibliophone, a free audio book platform. [13] [ non-primary source needed ]

Personal life

McKee is married to musician and filmmaker Jim Akin. [14] She came out in 2018 as pansexual, and referred to herself as a "dyke". [15] [16] She is also an advocate for queer and transgender rights. [17]

She is a dog lover, and she and Akin have had a range of breeds as pets over the years, including a pug, greyhound, and whippet. She also has volunteered with a greyhound adoption group. [18] Her song "My First Night without You" was written after one of her pugs died. [18]

As of 2020, she lives in London, where she recorded La Vita Nuova . [19] [20]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Williams</span> American singer, songwriter and musician (born 1958)

Victoria Williams is an American singer, songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 1990s, Williams was the catalyst for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faith Hill</span> American country singer (born 1967)

Audrey Faith McGraw, known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American country singer. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold almost 50 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norah Jones</span> American musician (born 1979)

Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and, as of 2023, had sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000s decade. She has won nine Grammy Awards and was ranked 60th on Billboard magazine's artists of the 2000s decade chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patty Smyth</span> American singer

Patricia Smyth is an American singer and songwriter. She first came into national attention with the rock band Scandal and went on to record and perform as a solo artist. Her distinctive voice and new wave image gained broad exposure through video recordings aired on cable music video channels such as MTV. Her debut solo album Never Enough was well received, and generated a pair of Top 100 hits. In the early 1990s she reached the top 10 with the hit single "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," a duet with Don Henley of the Eagles. She performed and co-wrote with James Ingram the song "Look What Love Has Done" for the 1994 motion picture Junior. The work earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas (band)</span> Scottish alternative rock band

Texas is a Scottish rock band from Glasgow, founded in 1986 by Johnny McElhone, Ally McErlaine, and Sharleen Spiteri. Texas made their performing debut in March 1988 at the University of Dundee. They took their name from the 1984 Wim Wenders movie Paris, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Carnes</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1945)

Kim Carnes is an American singer and songwriter born and raised in Los Angeles. She began her career as a songwriter in the 1960s, writing for other artists while performing in local clubs and working as a session background singer with the famed Water Sisters. After she signed her first publishing deal with Jimmy Bowen, she released her debut album Rest on Me in 1971. Carnes' self-titled second album primarily contained self-penned songs, including her first charting single "You're a Part of Me", which reached No. 35 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1975. In the following year, Carnes released Sailin', which featured "Love Comes from Unexpected Places". The song won the American Song Festival and the award for Best Composition at the Tokyo Song Festival in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcella Detroit</span> American singer, songwriter, and guitarist

Marcella Levy, known professionally as Marcy Levy and Marcella Detroit, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She co-wrote the 1977 Eric Clapton hit "Lay Down Sally" and released her debut studio album Marcella in 1982. She joined Shakespears Sister in 1988 with ex-Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey. Their first two studio albums, Sacred Heart (1989), and Hormonally Yours (1992), both reached the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart. Detroit sang the lead vocals on their biggest hit, "Stay", which spent eight consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1992. Detroit left the band in 1993 and had a UK top 20 hit with "I Believe" in 1994. She formed the Marcy Levy Band in 2002, and finished third in the 2010 ITV series Popstar to Operastar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Stone</span> American singer and actress (born 1961)

Angela Laverne Brown known professionally as Angie Stone, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip hop trio The Sequence. In the early 1990s, she became a member of the R&B trio Vertical Hold. Stone would later release her solo debut Black Diamond (1999) on Arista Records, which was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and spawned the single "No More Rain ".

Johnette Napolitano is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and bassist for the alternative rock group Concrete Blonde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merry Clayton</span> American soul and gospel singer

Merry Clayton is an American soul and gospel singer. She contributed vocals to numerous tracks and worked with many major recording artists for decades, including a duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter". Clayton is prominently featured in 20 Feet from Stardom, the Oscar-winning documentary about background singers and their contributions to the music industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Good Heart</span> 1985 single by Feargal Sharkey

"A Good Heart" is a song by Maria McKee and recorded by Northern Irish singer Feargal Sharkey, released as the first single from his self-titled debut album. It was released in September 1985 and became a number-one hit in the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Vidal</span> American singer (born 1960)

Maria Elena Vidal is an American singer songwriter. She is known for her hit single "Body Rock", which reached No. 8 on the US Dance Charts, No. 48 on the Hot 100, No. 5 on the Springbok Charts in South Africa, and No. 11 in the UK, and charted on various international charts. It was the theme song to the film Body Rock in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Show Me Heaven</span> 1990 single by Maria McKee

"Show Me Heaven" is a song written by American singer and songwriter Maria McKee, Eric Rackin and Jay Rifkin, and recorded by McKee for the soundtrack to the Tom Cruise film Days of Thunder, released in June 1990. Produced by Peter Asher, the power ballad received favorable reviews from most music critics, reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and became the sixth-highest-selling single of 1990 in the UK. Additionally, the song became a worldwide hit, topping the charts of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway and becoming a top-five hit in Australia, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland. It has since been covered by numerous other artists, including Tina Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Hannigan</span> Irish musician

Lisa Margaret Hannigan is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: Sea Sew (2008), Passenger (2011), and At Swim (2016). Hannigan's music has received award nominations both in Ireland and the United States. Hannigan also received attention in North America for her role as Blue Diamond in Steven Universe, an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar.

<i>Late December</i> 2007 studio album by Maria McKee

Late December, released on April 24, 2007, is Maria McKee's sixth solo album. The album contains the single "A Good Heart", a song McKee had written over 20 years earlier but had never released. Feargal Sharkey had a U.K. No. 1 with the song in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Holland</span> American singer

Amy Celeste Boersma, known professionally as Amy Holland, is an American pop and rock singer. Her career spans more than 30 years. She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1981, following her self-titled debut album containing the single "How Do I Survive".

This article is a discography for American singer Maria McKee. For releases as part of Lone Justice, see Lone Justice § Discography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Harry</span> American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1945)

Deborah Ann Harry is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached No.1 on the US charts between 1979 and 1981.

Sarah L. Buras, professionally known as Sera Buras and Serabee, is an American singer-songwriter. She has released four studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Miss Someone</span> 1989 song by Maria McKee

"To Miss Someone" is a song by American singer Maria McKee, released in 1989 as the second single from her debut studio album Maria McKee. The song, written by McKee and produced by Mitchell Froom, was covered by Northern Irish singer Feargal Sharkey in 1991.

References

  1. 1 2 "Obituary: Bryan MacLean". The Independent . January 1, 1999. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  2. "Maria McKee: 'Show Me Heaven'? I don't think it's missed". The Independent . May 18, 2003. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 339. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  4. "Maria McKee - Daily Edition". February 23, 2016. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2018 via YouTube.
  5. "Dublin Pride 2013 » What is Dublin Pride?". Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  6. "Wide Open Spaces - Dixie Chicks - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  7. "Joan Osborne w/ The Dixie Chicks - Am I The Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)". The Lost Tones (YouTube channel). March 26, 2020.
  8. "Songs From A Stolen Spring". Valley Entertainment. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  9. "Maranatha The New Jesus Music". Crossrhythms.co.uk. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  10. "The Golden Horde - Friends in Time video". Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2011 via YouTube.
  11. "No Talking Just Head - The Heads - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  12. "God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  13. "Charcoal by Maria McKee". Bibliophone. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  14. culturesonar (April 26, 2016). "Maria McKee's Next Act" . Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  15. McKee, Maria [@realmariamckee] (September 14, 2018). "I suppose 'technically' I'm BI /Queer/Pan but really just enjoying my Dykedom right now" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019 via Twitter.
  16. McKee, Maria (April 27, 2019). "Maria McKee on Instagram: "As I get to know more people in the community and we share coming out stories there is a degree of shame that comes up for me as a late…"". Instagram . Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2019. In keeping with the theme of being a late dyke, I am a day late with my #lesbiandayofvisibility post.
  17. Baltin, Steve (March 16, 2020). "Maria McKee Returns: How Life Upheaval Brought The '80s Golden Child Back To Music After 13 Years". Forbes . Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Singer-songwriter Maria McKee". Talking Animals. January 31, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  19. "La Vita Nuova, by Maria McKee". Maria McKee. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  20. "Maria McKee | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved December 7, 2020.