Stephanie McKay facts for kids

Stephanie McKay is an American singer and songwriter from the Bronx, New York. Her music mixes different styles like soul, funk, rock, and hip-hop. She has worked with many artists over her 20-year career. Some of these include Anthony Hamilton, DJ Spinna, Mos Def, and Tricky.

Stephanie McKay has released two solo albums: McKay (in 2003) and Tell It Like It Is (in 2008). She also released an EP called Stephanie McKay in 2006. She has toured around the world as a solo artist. She also played guitar in Kelis's band and recorded music with the Brooklyn Funk Essentials.

Early Life and Dance

Stephanie McKay was born in New York City and grew up in the Bronx. When she was young, she sang in school choirs and music groups. She also joined the Alvin Ailey School. Later, she studied modern dance at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She earned her degree in 1993.

Starting in Music

Stephanie's dance dreams ended after a knee injury. She then started going to singing auditions. At one audition, producer Kashif hired her right away. She joined a new girl group called "The Promise." This group signed with Arista Records. During this time, Stephanie began writing her own songs. She also started taking lessons for singing and drums.

Solo Music Journey

While working on her music career in New York, Stephanie also continued to dance. She performed with several modern dance groups. She also sang her own songs in clubs around New York City. She started getting more jobs as a session vocalist, singing for other artists. One of these artists was Carl Hancock Rux. While touring with Kelis in England, Stephanie met Geoff Barrow through Rux.

First Album: McKay

Stephanie McKay and Geoff Barrow worked together on her first album, McKay. Stephanie wrote the original songs for the album. Producers Tim Saul and Geoff Barrow also helped. Barrow was known as "Fuzzface" in the album notes. Other musicians from Bristol, England, also played on the album.

The album was very popular with music critics. The Guardian newspaper said it brought back the passion of soul singers from the 1960s and 1970s. MOJO magazine called McKay "extraordinarily eclectic." They said her album was "a coherent artistic statement" and "worth investigating."

Stephanie played at big music festivals like WOMAD and the Glastonbury Festival. Her music was played on MTV and became known around the world. The McKay album was released in Europe. Soon after, American company Astralwerks signed Stephanie. To introduce her to the American market, they released a five-song EP in 2006. This EP had new songs and some older ones. It also included a remix by DJ Spinna. She also sang on US funk musician Amp Fiddler's album, Afro Strut.

Second Album: Tell It Like It Is

Stephanie McKay's second album, Tell It Like It Is, came out in 2008. She released it independently. After this, she performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2009. She also played at the North Sea Jazz Festival and Spoleto in France.

Other Projects

After her mother passed away in 2008 and her son was born in 2009, Stephanie took a break. She focused on being a mom instead of touring. She still released singles with her friend and collaborator, DJ Katalyst. These songs included "Day into Night" and "You Can't Save Me."

In 2013, she sang with Jimmy Cliff in a Volkswagen commercial. This commercial aired during the Super Bowl.

Working with Jacques Schwarz-Bart

Stephanie McKay is married to jazz saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart. They have worked together on music. She sang on his album Rise Above. One song from that album, "Feel So Free," was a single. Another song they wrote together, "Forget Regret," has been covered by Roy Hargrove. They also wrote "Friend and Lover" for jazz guitarist Yosuke Onuma.

Musical Style

Stephanie McKay's music style has been called "Motown meets midnight Marauder." Her songs combine strong words with sounds that include hip-hop, rock, pop, and soul.

Stephanie says her music is inspired by growing up in New York. She also loves the classic soul singers of the 1960s and the creative soul bands of the 1970s. She remembers her older brother playing funk music like Earth, Wind And Fire. Her mom listened to Al Green. Stephanie herself enjoyed pop artists like Michael Jackson and Jim Croce.

Albums

• McKay (2003)
• Stephanie McKay EP (2006)
• Tell It Like It Is (2008)

Singles and EPs

• "Tell him"
• "Take me Over"
• "Tell it like it is"
• Stephanie McKay EP (2006)
• "Jackson Avenue" (2008)
• "Song in my Heart" (2018)
• "Phenomenon" (2022)

Personal Life

Stephanie McKay is married to saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart. They met at a concert where they were both performing. This meeting led them to work together on the Tell Me More album. Their personal and musical relationship inspired this album. For example, Jacques Schwarz-Bart said the idea for their song "Rainbow" came to him while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge to meet Stephanie. He wanted it to be poetic, but more than just a love song.