Maria McKee

After making her name as the gritty, soulful lead singer of roots rockers Lone Justice, Maria Mckee embarked on an often-rewarding solo career. A native of Los Angeles, Mckee was born in 1964; her half-brother was Bryan Maclean, the guitarist and sometime singer of the groundbreaking psychedelic band Love. After studying musical theater as a teenager, Mckee started performing on the L.A. club scene in a duo with Maclean and also teamed up with local blues singer Top Jimmy (who inspired the Van Halen song of the same name). A roots-music scene sprang up in L.A. during the early '80s, and Mckee -- a country music fan -- met like-minded guitarist Ryan Hedgecock; the two co-founded Lone Justice in 1982, and with Mckee often composing material, the group became a local favorite. They signed with Geffen on the recommendation of Linda Ronstadt, but in spite of highly positive media attention, their two albums -- 1985's Lone Justice and 1986's Shelter -- failed to sell well, hampered by slick production and a sense of not-quite-fulfilled potential. Mckee went solo after the latter record and released her self-titled debut in 1989, with Mitchell Froom producing.

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