Danette McMahon

Okay, how do I do this? Do I write a bio hoping you will think I’m young and hip, or do I just give you the straight skinny? I like the skinny part, so I think I’ll go straight to the truth.******My public singing began when I was seven. I became a professional at eighteen and received my Actor's Equity card. I was a singer in the chorus line at The Houston Music Theatre. Quite an eye opening experience for a small town girl from Cleveland, Texas. I got a big dose of theatre folks and their music and had an unforgettable summer. (I don’t feel the need to list all the names of the famous people I got to work with…but Rita Moreno was a blast!)********The summer of 1969 (okay, do the math) helped me realize I wasn’t meant to be on Broadway. My freshman year in college, a friend turned me on to Nancy Wilson. I loved her voice and her music, but it wasn’t what I wanted to sing. The Houston club scene is where I ended up. I was a pop singer, doing what every other pop singer was doing then...trying to sound like the artist they were covering. I spent my nights being Karen Carpenter, Marilyn McCoo, Lani Hall, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Carole King, Judy Collins, Carly Simon, Laura Nyro, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Aretha and Janis (those last two weren’t easy!!). Did I leave out Helen Reddy and Cher? I strived to add my personal twist to the songs, but the audience could care less.********After a couple or years and a few bands, I felt the call to “Go West.” Las Vegas was my destination. This ‘pop’ singer fell into a gig that could have been career changing, if my attitude had been different and my ears had been bigger.*******I worked “The Blue Room” at the Tropicana Hotel in the early seventies. It seemed the trio I ended up with wanted me singing standards…WHAT?? Well, I had major homework to do. Not knowing anything about jazz, I had no idea that my bass player, MONK MONTGOMERY, was from such a well respected family of musicians. All I knew was that he played great and he was fun to hang with in the employee cafeteria. *********Sometimes, I would alternate sets with a singer, by the name of JOE WILLIAMS. He would sit at the bar and listen. One night, after singing “Am I Blue”, he called me over and said, “You sing pretty good blues, for a white girl.” That meant a lot to me then, but even more so, years later. I heard him do some amazing things with his voice. I was sitting at the feet of a legend and didn’t know it. He was a very kind, down to earth gentleman. He would even sit and visit with my parents, when they would come from Texas to hear me.********My drummer tried to open my ears to the world of jazz and blues. He and Joe would play tunes for me, in the dressing room, and I couldn’t get excited about them. I wish Ralph Pollack was alive today to hear my originals. (I think he would be happy, maybe even a little proud, that his ‘pop’ singer from East Texas finally found the place where she belongs.)*******Like a siren’s song, the traveling Vegas Show Group, Sidro’s Armada, called me away from The Blue Room and back to the ‘pop’ world, where I was comfortable. The horn band was covering tunes from Chicago, Tower of Power, Blood Sweat and Tears, and I was the chick singer touring with the six piece guys. What a hoot! After a year and a half, I left my costumes behind (the wild 70's outfits I made to match their's…LOL) and headed home.********Texas welcomed me back, the music scene re-opened for me, as well as love, marriage and baby carriage. Life changed, states did, too. From Chicago, Atlanta…then back to Texas with baby and divorce papers. Started a band that had a very talented bass player, who later wrote a Grammy award winning tune. His name is GARY BAKER, the song is “I Swear”….way to go, Gary!! (This is name dropping…I know!)*******I eventually remarry, continue singing around Houston…….. ********---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ This is enough for now, I will add more soon. I’ve got some fun stuff to share about being in the movie “Powder”, opening a jazz concert with Freddie Hubbard, Paquito, Spyro Gyra and Hiroshima in the line up. The gig in Meryl Streep’s backyard is one of the highlights in my career. What a lady! ____________________________________________________________ ____

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