Lonette McKee in "The Cotton Club" (1984)
Lonette McKee in “The Cotton Club” (1984)

Today I’d like to highlight not just an actress, but a performer who’s recording/performing/acting career spans four decades, who’s name for some reason doesn’t get mentioned among her more famous peers.

Lonette McKee entered this world on July 22, 1954 in Detroit, MI. As a child she was labeled a musical prodigy, due to her ability to play the piano, vocalize, and write song lyrics.




As a teen she recorded the single ‘Stop, Don’t Worry Bout It’, which became a local radio hit.

Between McKee’s many TV/Film credits, she has released numerous albums, sang on stages all over the world, and starred in hit musicals on & off Broadway, earning two Tony nominations and one from The Drama Desk Awards.

But for this article I’ll just focus on some of her best known films and my personal faves.

Originally, McKee planned to make her mark in the world first and foremost in music, when, in the mid 70’s, her agent informed her about a film project that was going into production, and she should try out for it.

She was also told that it would require her to sing and she should have something prepared.

At the audition, not only did she sing, she did it while playing piano (the other women brought accompanist) and walked away with the role.

On April 7, 1976 ‘Sparkle’ was released in theaters, with McKee playing the role of Sister, one of a trio of singing sisters who find success in music, before meeting a tragic end.

The movie was reportedly unsuccessful at the box office, but became a cult classic among black audiences due to the musical numbers which were written & produced by Curtis Mayfield.

The film’s soundtrack was released a month after the film, but features Aretha Franklin as the lead vocalist, with the background vocals from the movie.

The most popular song by far was ‘Something He Can Feel’.

Scene from Sparkle: ‘Something He Can Feel’:

In 1984 McKee appeared in the the musical/crime drama ‘The Cotton Club’, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, where she plays a 1930’s club singer who gets into a relationship with one of the male dancers at the famed nightclub, played by Gregory Hines.

McKee’s character, Lila Rose Oliver is biracial and light-skinned enough to pass for white, which allows her to earn more at white only venues.

Scene from ‘The Cotton Club’: Lonette McKee performs ‘Ill Wind’:

There’s a scene in which Hines’ character confronts her about passing, she becomes irate. By McKee being the product of an interracial relationship, she is able to tap into the angst that some mixed race people feel, and is able to emote to great effect.

The first time I saw Ms. McKee was in the 1985 Richard Pryor comedy, ‘Brewster’s Millions’, where she played Angela Drake, a Loyola-Marymount grad, who becomes a financial advisor to Pryor’s Monty Brewster after he inherits 30 million dollars, before she becomes mortified as he quickly begins to squander it.

Scene from ‘Brewster’s Millions’:

A year later she returned to her roots, playing a lounge singer in ‘Round Midnight’ (1986), which saw her collaborate with the likes of Dexter Gordon & Herbie Hancock.

Scene from ‘Round Midnight’:

In a video interview McKee gave in 2012, she stated that ‘Round Midnight’ was her favorite film to make, due to the talent involved.

McKee gave one of her most powerful performances in the award-winning 1989 two-part TV movie, ‘The Women Of Brewster Place’, based on the Gloria Naylor novel (published in 1982), in which she portrays Lorraine, one half of a lesbian couple that face discrimination not just in society, but also in their apartment complex where most of the characters live. Lorraine’s partner Theresa is played confidently by fellow veteran of stage & screen, Paula Kelly.

The two actors compliment each other and feel like a real couple living in the late 50’s/early 60’s when people were less tolerent of same sex relationships.

McKee’s character is involved in the climax of the film. It’s a heartbreaking scene that would make the most cynical viewer misty-eyed.

‘Women Of Brewster Place’: Lorraine & Theresa scenes (not embeddable): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ_RFkiWfNQ&index=12&list=WL

The project won that year’s GLAAD award for ‘Outstanding TV Mini Series’, and an Image Award for ‘Outstanding Drama Series’.

This role sharpened McKee’s dramatic skills that benefited her preparation for 1991’s ‘Jungle Fever’, where she plays Drew Purify, whose husband Flipper Purify (Wesley Snipes) cheats on her with a white female co-worker, which causes Drew to recollect her painful memories of growing up being teased over her light complexion/biracial upbringing.

Scene from ‘Jungle Fever’:


In the scene where Flipper brings flowers to Drew’s job to apologize, I can’t tell if she’s pulling out things in her own personal bag, but she sells the pain & vulnerability well.

This is McKee’s first of many appearances in a Spike Lee joint, which also includes ‘Malcolm X’, ‘He Got Game’, and ‘She Hate Me’.

The list of films I’ve written about is very short compared to McKee’s total body of work, and in a fair world she should be an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner by now… even if it’s honorary.

So in honor of her upcoming birthday, check out some of her film projects that are streaming on Amazon & Netflix, as well as her musical performances which you can find on YouTube.


Kai Arnold is a former TV newsroom employee who currently resides in Selma, AL. His favorite TV show is ‘Sanford & Son’. His blog is thedisgruntledduck.com