Suzanne de Passe

Last updated
Suzanne de Passe
Born (1946-07-19) July 19, 1946 (age 78) [1] [2]
or (1947-07-19) July 19, 1947 (age 77) [3] [4]
or (1948-07-19) July 19, 1948 (age 76) [5] [6]
(sources differ)
New York City, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Syracuse University
Occupations
  • Executive producer
  • chairwoman
  • television producer
  • businesswoman
  • screenwriter
Years active1966–present [2]
Notable work
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1978;div. 1994)​
Children3
Website depassejones.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Suzanna Celeste de Passe (born July 19, 1946, [1] [2] 1947 [7] [8] or 1948 [5] [9] [10] ) is an American businesswoman, television, music and film producer. De Passe serves as the co-chairwoman of de Passe Jones Entertainment Group.

Contents

Biography

Early life and education

De Passe was born in New York City to a Harlem born mother of Jamaican descent [11] and a father of Haitian and French descent. Raised in Harlem, De Passe attended New Lincoln School and graduated from Syracuse University in 1968. [12] [13]

Career

De Passe began her career in show business at the Cheetah nightclub in New York City. Through her friendship with Cindy Birdsong, who replaced Florence Ballard as a member of The Supremes in 1967, she began working at Motown as creative assistant to company founder Berry Gordy. [14] Early in her career, de Passe developed The Jackson 5's wardrobe and the act they took on the road. She was instrumental in taking the record label to television with a host of notable specials, including Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever produced while she was president of Motown Productions. [15] When Motown was sold, she partnered with her mentor in Gordy/de Passe Productions and subsequently established de Passe Entertainment in 1992. De Passe's association with Gordy was featured in the December 2008 issue of Vanity Fair : Motown the Untold Story, The Labels Greatest Legends, In Their Own Words with photography by Annie Leibovitz.

The subject of two Harvard Business School case studies: "Suzanne de Passe and Motown Productions" and "de Passe Entertainment", de Passe has lectured at the Harvard Business School on several occasions. In 2002, de Passe was named Time Warner Visiting Professor to the Department of Radio, Television and Film at Howard University's John H. Johnson School of Communications, a post she held for the requisite 3 years. During Howard University's 138th Charter Day celebration in March 2006, de Passe received an honorary doctorate degree of Doctor of Humanities. De Passe is currently serving as the Producer-in-Residence at Emerson College, School of the Arts in Boston. She also served as the Emerson College 2007 Balfour Distinguished Lecturer. De Passe served as executive producer of the half-hour situation comedies Sister, Sister and Smart Guy, both of which aired on The WB and were produced in association with Paramount and Disney Television, respectively.

From 2002 until 2008, de Passe served as executive producer of Showtime at the Apollo , a weekly variety program nationally syndicated by Warner Brother/Telepictures. In 2005 and 2006 she co-created, wrote, and executive produced the Black Movie Awards for TNT. Currently[ when? ], she is developing King, a film on the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. [16] In 2009, De Passe was featured in HBO's The Black List: Vol. 2. This is the second installment of the documentary including other prominent African Americans such as filmmaker Tyler Perry, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and Pastor T.D. Jakes.

In 2024, de Passe was selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Ahmet Ertegun Award category for non-performers. [17] [18]

Television

Mini-series

Series

Television movies

Network

  • The Loretta Claiborne Story – Two-hour, 2000, Disney/ABC Sunday Night, de Passe Entertainment.
  • Someone Else's Child – Two-hour, 1998, ABC, de Passe Entertainment.
  • The Last Electric Knight – (AKA Sidekicks) – Two-hour, 1989, ABC, Motown Productions.
  • Bridemaids – Two-hour, 1989, CBS, Motown Productions.
  • Happy Endings – Two-hour, 1983, CBS, King Entertainment, Motown Productions.

Cable

  • Zenon: Z3 – Two-hour, 2004, The Disney Channel, de Passe Entertainment.
  • Zenon: The Zequel – Two-hour, 2001, The Disney Channel, de Passe Entertainment. When it aired, the movie had the highest-ever rating for a Disney Channel original movie. Premiered January 2001 with 3.3 rating/6 share.
  • Cheaters – Two-hour, 2000, HBO Films, de Passe Entertainment.
  • Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century – Two-hour, 1999, The Disney Channel, de Passe Entertainment.

Specials

  • Executive Producer, Commander In Chief's Inaugural Ball for President Barack Obama.
  • 70th Anniversary Tribute to the Apollo Theatre: Two-hour, 2004, NBC, de Passe Entertainment.
  • Motown 40: The Music is Forever, Four-hour documentary 1998, ABC, de Passe Entertainment. Executive Producer & Writer.
  • Motown 30: What's Goin' On, Two-hour, 1990, CBS, Motown Productions, and Emmy Award Nominee. Executive Producer & Writer.
  • Motown: Merri X-Mas, One-hour, 1987, ABC, Motown Productions.
  • Motown Returns to the Apollo, Three-hour, 1985, NBC, Motown Productions. Emmy Award winner for best variety Program. NAACP Image Award winner. Executive Producer & Writer.
  • Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever , Two-hour, 1983, NBC, Motown Productions, Emmy Award winner for best variety program. Winner of NAACP Image Award and Peabody Award. Executive Producer & Writer.
  • Motown on Showtime: – Smokey Robinson – One-hour, 1990, Showtime, Motown Productions. – Comedy on Campus – One-hour, 990, Showtime, Motown Productions. – Michael Jackson – One-hour, 1988, Showtime, Motown Productions. – Marvin Gaye – One-hour, 1987, Showtime, Motown Productions. – Temptations and Four Tops – One-hour, 1986, Showtime, Motown Productions

Series

  • Sister, Sister : Half-hour sitcom – 122 episodes completed, 1995–1999, ABC/The WB, de Passe Entertainment. Starring: Tia and Tamera Mowry, Tim Reid and Jackee Harry.
  • Smart Guy : Half-hour sitcom – 51 episodes completed, 1996–1999, The WB, de Passe Entertainment. Starring: Tahj Mowry, John Marshall Jones, Jason Weaver, Omar Gooding and Essence Atkins.
  • On Our Own : Half-hour sitcom – 20 episodes completed, 1994–1995, ABC, de Passe Entertainment. Starring: The Smollet Family.
  • The Motown Revue starring Smokey Robinson: Six one-hour episodes, 1986, NBC, Motown Productions. Starring: Smokey Robinson.

First-run syndication

  • Showtime at the Apollo : 130 one-hour episodes completed, variety program format. 2002–Present. Syndicated through Warner Brothers/Telepictures.
  • Lonesome Dove, The Outlaw Years: 44 one-hour episodes completed, western drama, 1994-1996. Starring: Eric McCormack, Scott Bairstow and Paul Le Mat.
  • Night Life: (195) half-hour episodes, talk show. 1986-87. Hosted by David Brenner.

Award programs

  • 2006 Black Movie Awards: A Celebration of Black Cinema: Past, Present, & Future. A 90-minute special which aired nationally on Turner Network Television (TNT) October 18, 2006. Hosted by Tyler Perry
  • 2005 Black Movie Awards: A Celebration of Black Cinema: Past, Present, & Future. A 90-minute special which aired nationally on Turner Network Television (TNT) October 19, 2005. Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer
  • 34th NAACP Image Awards, Two-hour special, 2003 FOX, de Passe Entertainment. Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer.
  • 2003 Essence Awards, Two-hour special, FOX, de Passe Entertainment.
  • 2002 Essence Awards, Two-hour special, FOX, de Passe Entertainment. Hosted by Steve Harvey
  • 33rd NAACP Image Awards, Two-hour special, 2002, FOX, de Passe Entertainment. Hosted by Chris Tucker
  • 32nd NAACP Image Awards, Two-hour special, 2001, FOX, de Passe Entertainment. Hosted by Chris Tucker
  • MUSIC and MORE...Image Awards, One-hour special, 2001, WB, de Passe Entertainment. Hosted by Sinbad and Brandy. [19]

Awards

De Passe received an Academy Award nomination for co-writing the screenplay Lady Sings the Blues , making her the first African-American to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay. [2] De Passe also won two Emmy Awards and NAACP Image Awards as executive producer of Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever and Motown Returns to the Apollo. De Passe served as executive producer for the CBS western miniseries Lonesome Dove , that won both Golden Globe and Peabody Awards and was voted "Outstanding Program of the Year" by the Television Critics Association.

As executive producer of the benchmark NBC miniseries The Temptations , de Passe won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Miniseries and was nominated for both the Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award for Best Miniseries. She also served as Executive Producer for Small Sacrifices , The Jacksons: An American Dream and Buffalo Girls , all of which were nominated for the Emmy Award for Best Miniseries. [20]

De Passe has also received countless awards for her contributions to the television, movie and music industries including:

Recent community honors include:

Personal life

In 1978, De Passe married actor Paul Le Mat. They have since divorced.[ citation needed ]

Boards, trade associations and affiliations

Additionally, she has appeared as a speaker before numerous businesses and industry trade groups, including:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Allen</span> American actress (born 1950)

Deborah Kaye Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards. She has won a Golden Globe Award, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obba Babatundé</span> American actor (born 1951)

Obba Babatundé is an American actor. A native of Queens, New York City, he has appeared in more than seventeen stage productions, thirty theatrical films, sixty made-for-television films, and two prime-time series.

<i>The Jacksons: An American Dream</i> 1992 film directed by Karen Arthur

The Jacksons: An American Dream is an American five-hour miniseries broadcast in two halves on ABC and originally broadcast on November 15 through November 18, 1992. It is based upon the history of the Jackson family, one of the most successful musical families in show business, and the early and successful years of the popular Motown group the Jackson 5.

Bruce Gowers was a British television director and producer, best known for his work on large-scale live music and event productions.

Lionel Chetwynd is a British-American screenwriter, director and producer.

Gerald William Abrams is an American television producer who has produced many TV movies starting in the mid-1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glynn Turman</span> American actor, writer, director (born 1947)

Glynn Turman is an American actor, director, writer, and producer. First coming to attention as a child actor in the original 1959 Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun, Turman is known for his roles as Lew Miles on the prime-time soap opera Peyton Place (1968–1969), high school student Leroy "Preach" Jackson in the 1975 coming-of-age film Cooley High, math professor and retired Army colonel Bradford Taylor on the NBC sitcom A Different World (1988–1993), and Baltimore mayor Clarence Royce on the HBO drama series The Wire. He received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role on the HBO drama series In Treatment.

Edward James Scott is an American soap opera producer. Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Scott earned a Bachelor of Arts from California State University at Northridge with a double major of anthropology and broadcasting journalism. He has been married since 1985 to actress Melody Thomas Scott, who is recognized for her role as Nikki Newman on The Young and the Restless. The couple have three daughters: Jennifer, Alexandra, and Elizabeth. They renewed their wedding vows on their 20th wedding anniversary in an Entertainment Tonight special, ranked #1 in its timeslot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clement Virgo</span> Canadian film director

Clement Virgo is a Canadian film and television writer, producer and director who runs the production company, Conquering Lion Pictures, with producer Damon D'Oliveira. Virgo is best known for co-writing and directing an adaptation of the novel by Canadian writer Lawrence Hill, The Book of Negroes (2015), a six-part miniseries that aired on CBC Television in Canada and BET in the United States.

Lindy DeKoven is a novelist, television executive, producer, and California state commissioner. She was executive vice president of NBC overseeing movies and miniseries and then served as an executive producer at Paramount/CBS where she developed the comedy, Listen Up for CBS Television as well as, television pilots, miniseries, and made-for-TV movies.

<i>Lonesome Dove</i> (miniseries) 1989 TV mini-series

Lonesome Dove is a 1989 American epic Western adventure television miniseries directed by Simon Wincer. It is a four-part adaptation of the 1985 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry and is the first installment in the Lonesome Dove series. The novel was based upon a screenplay by Peter Bogdanovich and McMurtry. The miniseries stars an ensemble cast headed by Robert Duvall as Augustus McCrae and Tommy Lee Jones as Woodrow Call. The series was originally broadcast by CBS from February 5 to 8, 1989, drawing a huge viewing audience, earning numerous awards, and reviving both the television Western and the miniseries.

Neema Barnette is an American film director and producer, and the first African-American woman to direct a primetime sitcom. Barnette was the first African-American woman to get a three-picture deal with Sony Pictures. Since then, she accumulated a number of awards, including a Peabody, an Emmy and an NAACP Image Award.

de Passe Jones Entertainment US entertainment content provider

de Passe Jones Entertainment (dJE) is an American entertainment content provider led by Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones that sources, develops, acquires, and produces a variety of television, motion picture, theater, new media, and print content. The company was founded by Berry Gordy Jr., in 1968, as Motown Productions, the film and television arm of Gordy's Motown Records label. It became de Passe Entertainment in 1992, then in 2008, joining forces with Jones, de Passe Jones Entertainment.

Madison Jones is an American film and television executive and producer. He is also the Co-Chairman of the Los Angeles-based de Passe Jones Entertainment (dJE) with Suzanne de Passe.

<i>Showtime at the Apollo</i> 1987 American TV series or program

Showtime at the Apollo is an American variety show that first aired in syndication from September 12, 1987, to May 24, 2008. In 2018, the series returned on Fox with Steve Harvey hosting. Filmed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, the show features live performances from both professional and up-and-coming artists, and also features the Amateur Night competition. In many cities such as New York, it often aired after Saturday Night Live during the late Saturday night/early Sunday morning hours, and was often paired with the similarly syndicated Soul Train.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dee Rees</span> American screenwriter and director (born 1977)

Diandrea Rees is an American screenwriter and director. She is known for her feature films Pariah (2011), Bessie (2015), Mudbound (2017), and The Last Thing He Wanted (2020). Rees has also written and directed episodes for television series including Empire, When We Rise, and Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams.

The 45th NAACP Image Awards, presented by the NAACP, honored outstanding representations and achievements of people of color in motion pictures, television, music and literature during the 2013 calendar year. The awards were presented in two separate ceremonies. The first ceremony honoring non-televised categories took place on February 21, 2014, hosted by Rickey Smiley and Kimberly Elise. The second was broadcast live on TV One on February 22, hosted by Anthony Anderson. All nominees are listed below with the winners listed in bold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David A. Rosemont</span> American producer

David A. Rosemont is an American producer. He has been nominated for five Emmy Awards and four Golden Globes. Rosemont has won the Peabody award, two Critics Choice Awards, The Media Access Award, The Celebration of Diversity Award, The American Film Institute Award of Excellence, the Christopher Award, and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie for the critically acclaimed Door to Door.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenya Barris</span> American television writer and producer (born 1973)

Kenya Barris is an American film and television writer, producer, director, and actor. He is best known as the creator of the ABC sitcom Black-ish (2014–2022).

Jerry Offsay is an American motion picture & television executive and executive producer. He served as President of Programming for Showtime Networks from 1994-2003.

References

  1. 1 2 "Suzanne de Passe Biography - Biography.com". Archived from the original on 2010-08-25. Retrieved 2010-12-18.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lecocq, Richard; Allard, François (2018). "Bad". Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London, England: Cassell. pp. 461–63. ISBN   9781788400572.
  3. ↑ Lady Sings The Blues, 1972.Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  4. ↑ Encyclopedia of African American Business: Updated and Revised Edition, 2nd ... edited by Jessie Smith.Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Notable Black American Women, Book 2, By Jessie Carney Smith · 1992.Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  6. ↑ Black Women in America: A-G, By Darlene Clark Hine · 2005.Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  7. ↑ African-American Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs, By Rachel Kranz.Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  8. ↑ National Portrait Gallery, Suzanne De Passe
  9. ↑ Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema, By S. Torriano Berry, Venise T. Berry · 2015.Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  10. ↑ Great Negroes, Past and Present. Volume Two, By Jawanza Kunjufu, Erica Myles, Nichelle Wilson · 1999.Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  11. ↑ Bernard, Aubrey J., ed. (1 February 2011). "Audrey's Society Whirl: Suzanne de Passe first woman to Receive AFUWI Bob Marley Award". EurWeb. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Making a Big Production as President of Motown". Courier-Post . Camden, New Jersey. May 2, 1986. p. 56. Retrieved 22 April 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Soyars Leadership Lecture Series features Suzanne de Passe". Syracuse University News . 11 October 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  14. ↑ J.T. (1987). "Suzanne de Passe" (PDF). Channels: The Business of Communications. p. 27. Retrieved August 25, 2023– via worldradiohistory.com.
  15. ↑ "She Made It". She Made It. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  16. ↑ "Suzanne de Passe Biography Biography - Biography.com". Archived from the original on 2010-01-09. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  17. ↑ "2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  18. ↑ Greene, Andy (22 April 2024). "Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, Mary J. Blige Lead Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2024 Class". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  19. ↑ "Suzanne De Passe". IMDb. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  20. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-12-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ↑ "Past Recipients". Archived from the original on 2011-08-30. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
  22. ↑ "CANDACE AWARD RECIPIENTS 1982-1990, Page 2". National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Archived from the original on March 14, 2003.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.