kids encyclopedia robot

Pepper MaShay facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Pepper MaShay
Pepper MaShay.jpg
Mashay performing at Gay Pride in Washington D.C. in 2012.
Background information
Birth name Jean McClain
Also known as Sista Jean McClain
Born (1953-03-08) March 8, 1953 (age 72)
Genres Dance, gospel, R&B, soul, pop
Occupation(s) Singer, musician, songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1977–present

Jean McClain (born March 8, 1953), known to many as Pepper Mashay, is an American singer and songwriter. She is famous for her soul, house, and dance music. Pepper Mashay has had a successful career performing live and recording in studios.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Jean McClain grew up in Muncie, Indiana. When she was young, she loved music from artists like Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan. In her twenties, she left Indiana to follow her dream of becoming a singer.

Pepper Mashay's Music Career

Pepper Mashay has worked with many famous musicians. She was a background singer for the movie What's Love Got to Do with It, which was about the life of Tina Turner. Pepper spent two days with Tina Turner and said she was "rock n' roll."

In 1995, Pepper Mashay started working on her own music. Even though some music labels thought she was too old for a record deal in the 1990s, she never gave up. Her song "Something to Feel" was picked up by Island Records.

Pepper Mashay has also been a background and session singer for many years. This means she sang backup vocals or recorded parts for other artists' songs. She even worked with Gladys Horton from the famous group The Marvelettes. You can see Pepper's photo on the cover of their CD, The Marvelettes: The Very Best of the Motor City Recordings.

Hit Songs and Collaborations

As a lead singer, Pepper Mashay has released many songs that became popular on dance music charts in the U.S. Some of her well-known singles include "Something to Feel" (1995), "Happiness" (1997), and "Sextacy" (2000).

Her voice is also famous from the song "Dive in the Pool" by Barry Harris. This song became very popular after it was used in the American TV show Queer as Folk. Another song with Barry Harris, "I Got My Pride," reached number two on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 2001.

In 2006, Pepper Mashay had her first solo song reach number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. This song was called "Lost Yo Mind." It was played a lot on dance radio stations. Later, she released singles like "Got to Give the People What They Want" (2008) and "Does Your Mamma Know" (2008).

Pepper Mashay also toured with actor Hugh Laurie, who is known for the TV show House. She was an official part of his band, Hugh Laurie & The Copper Bottom Band.

Sista Jean & CB

Pepper Mashay also performs under the name Sista Jean & CB. She has released two albums with this name. The first was Back to the Root in 2013. The second was Requiem for a Heavy Weight in 2015, which was a tribute to Odetta, a famous folk and blues singer.

Discography

Singles

  • 1995: "Something to Feel"
  • 1995: "By Any Means Necessary" (with Lenny White)
  • 1997: "Happiness"
  • 1997: "Not Much Heaven"
  • 1998: "Into You"
  • 1998: "Right Back to Love" (with Subsystem)
  • 1998: "Step 2 Me" (Grant Nelson feat. Jean McClain) - (UK #92, UK Dance #7)
  • 1998: "Step into My Life"
  • 1998: "You've Got to Go" (with DJ Alexia)
  • 2000: "Sextacy"
  • 2000: "Here's to Life"
  • 2000: "Dive in the Pool" (with Barry Harris)
  • 2001: "Love Pretender" (with Frank 'O Moiraghi)
  • 2001: "I Got My Pride"
  • 2001: "You and Me (Feels So Good)" (with Solar City)
  • 2002: "I Want You in My Life" (with Max Iron)
  • 2002: "I Pledge"
  • 2002: "Let's Runaway" (with Scott Michael)
  • 2002: "No More Drama" (with Mary J. Blige, Thunderpuss Club Anthem Mix)
  • 2003: "Happy New Year" (with Ernest Kohl)
  • 2003: "I Can't Stop"
  • 2003: "You're My Inspiration"
  • 2004: "Electro Illusion"
  • 2004: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (with Colton Ford) (cover of the Stevie Wonder song)
  • 2005: "Send Me an Angel" (cover of the Real Life song)
  • 2005: "Beauty Shop" (featured in the film Beauty Shop)
  • 2006: "Lost Yo Mind"
  • 2008: "Got to Give the People What They Want"
  • 2008: "Does Your Mother Know"
  • 2009: "Freeway of Love" (cover of the Aretha Franklin song)
  • 2009: "Burning" (with World of Colour)
  • 2011: "Love S.O.S."
  • 2011: "Things U Do"
  • 2012: "Our World" (with Clemens Rumpf)
  • 2013: "Dance Florr"

Session Work Appearances

Pepper Mashay has worked as a session singer for many other artists. This means she recorded vocals for their albums. Here are some of the artists she has worked with:

See also

  • List of number-one dance hits (United States)
  • List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Pepper MaShay Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.