Maria McKee

b. Maria Louise McKee, 17 August 1964, Los Angeles

Before her solo career McKee was the singer with Lone Justice, a band formed by her half-brother, Bryan MacLean, the former Love guitarist and vocalist. Both Lone Justice albums, 1985's Lone Justice and 1987's Shelter, were critically acclaimed. After the break-up of the band McKee took time to compose herself, and her debut solo album provided a good platform for her powerful voice and distinctive register (similar to a more cultured Janis Joplin) with more pop-orientated hooks. Predominantly concerned with romance and heartbreak, it was boosted commercially by 1990's unrepresentative UK number 1 single, "Show Me Heaven", taken from the soundtrack to the Tom Cruise movie, Days Of Thunder.
Touring extensively in support of the album, McKee eventually decided to move to Ireland. This period also saw McKee collaborate with a variety of Irish musicians, including Gavin Friday, at a series of gigs for the Dublin AIDS Alliance. She also recorded the UK club hit "Sweetest Child", with the help of noted producer Youth. She eventually returned to Los Angeles in 1992 to begin work on a follow-up set. This time she recruited producer George Drakoulias, veteran of successful albums by Black Crowes and the Jayhawks. You Gotta Sin To Get Saved, released in 1993, reunited three-quarters of the original line-up of Lone Justice: Marvin Etzioni (bass), Don Heffington (drums) and Bruce Brody (keyboards), alongside Gary Louris and Mark Olson (guitar/vocals) both of the Jayhawks. Bob Fisher provided guitar on live dates, with McKee seemingly much more comfortable with the return to rootsy material. Three years later she released her most representative work to date, Life Is Sweet, but the commercial failure of the album precipitated a protacted hiatus from the recording scene. The singer returned in 2003 with a new album, High Dive, released on her own Viewfinder label.

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