Ranee Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ranee Lee
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| Background information | |
| Born | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Vocal jazz, jazz blues, torch songs |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, jazz drummer, tenor saxophonist |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Justin Time |
Ranee Lee is a talented American jazz singer and musician. She lives in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Besides singing, she is also an actor, a writer, a teacher, and a TV host! People often call her "Montreal's Queen of Jazz." Ranee Lee has won a Juno Award, which is a big music award in Canada. She was also named the best Canadian female jazz singer twice by Jazz Report Magazine. She received special awards from the International Association of Jazz Educators for her amazing work in jazz music.
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About Ranee Lee
Ranee Lee was born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1970, when she was 28 years old, she moved to Montreal. In the 1970s, she traveled all over North America. During this time, she played as a jazz drummer and a tenor saxophonist.
Acting and Music Career
Ranee Lee later got a main role in a play called Lady Day. She played the famous singer Billie Holiday. For her amazing acting, she won a Dora Mavor Moore Award. After this, she started recording music as a singer. Her first album, Live at the Bijou, came out in 1984.
She also wrote and starred in a musical called Dark Divas, The Musical. This show celebrated the lives of seven famous female jazz singers. These included Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan.
Ranee Lee's music was also featured in an animated short film. This film was called Black Soul and came out in 2000.
Other Talents
Beyond music and acting, Ranee Lee is also a children's book writer. She wrote a book titled Nana, What Do You Say?. She has also been a teacher for a long time. She taught at the University of Laval in Quebec City. She also taught at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. On top of all this, she hosted a TV show called The Performers.
Awards and Recognition
Ranee Lee has received many important awards for her work.
Major Achievements
- In 1988, she received the Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award. This was for her great achievements in music and acting.
- In 2006, she was made a member of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest honors a Canadian can receive.
- She received the International Association of Jazz Educators award twice, in 2004 and 2008.
- In 2010, she won a Juno Award for her album called Ranee Lee – Lives Upstairs.
Music Albums
Here is a list of albums released by Ranee Lee:
- All Grown Up (RCA Victor, 1980)
- Live at Le Bijou (Justin Time, 1984)
- Deep Song: a tribute to Billie Holiday with Oliver Jones (Justin Time, 1989)
- The Musicals: Jazz on Broadway (Justin Time, 1992)
- I Thought About You (Justin Time, 1994)
- You Must Believe in Swing (Justin Time, 1996)
- Seasons of Love (Justin Time, 1997)
- Presents Dark Divas (Justin Time, 2000)
- Maple Groove: Songs from the Great Canadian Songbook (Justin Time, 2003)
- Just You, Just Me with Oliver Jones (Justin Time, 2005)
- Lives Upstairs (Justin Time, 2009)
- A Celebration in Time with Oliver Jones, (Justin Time, 2010)
- What's Going On (Justin Time, 2014)
