Malea McGuinness
Encyclopedia
Malea McGuinness is a female singer-songwriter
, musician
and actress, best known for her role in Broadway’s The King and I
as Tuptim, alongside Lou Diamond Phillips
.
(1520–1560), Malea McGuinness was born in Ft. Hood, Texas to a Korean mother and an Irish father who served in the armed forces as a Green Beret. Her father, Richard J. McGuinness, retired in early 2001, but returned to the army after the September 11 attacks, and deployed to Iraq, where he stayed until 2010. At age two, McGuinness moved to Korea to live with relatives until age five. Upon her return to the States, she and her younger sister went to live with her grandfather (first class private in the USMC) and step grandmother (from her father’s side) in Long Island
, New York.
During her childhood, McGuinness attended several music programs including: Tanglewood Music Center
in Lenox, Massachusetts
; Oberlin Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio
; and the Chautauqua Institution
in Chautauqua, New York
. She continued her musical training at the Manhattan School of Music, where she majored in Vocal Performance (classical & opera), and landed a featured role in the Broadway
revival of The King and I
.
McGuinness continued working in the acting industry doing commercial work until she moved to Los Angeles
to pursue a music career. McGuinness learned to play guitar as she attended songwriter circle events. She began performing live making a name for herself in the local club circuit, while also bartending nights.
(Pete Townshend
, Iggy Pop
, The Ramones), which she released independently. The first single, “Deeper,” hit #16 on influential Radio Tip Sheet Friday Morning Quarterback’s AC40 chart. The follow-up (and first video) “Sweet Light” was most added, climbing to #3, with both in rotation on Sirius XM Satellite and Triple A stations across the country.
McGuinness released her second studio album, Close As Air in April 2010 which was produced by Jamie Candiloro (Ryan Adams
, Sheryl Crow
) and Michael Patterson
( Jennifer Lopez
, Beck
). The first single, “Spinning,” was played on National AAA Radio and the video debut on MTV
. “Time Will Show,” another song found on Close As Air, was the winner of the SongwriterUniverse “Best Song Of The Month” Contest in October 2010, as well as SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition for January (2010), for her song “Memories.”
Sweet, McGuinness’ third release was released on September 27, 2011. Produced by Jim Scott
(Tom Petty
, Wilco
), the album includes the title track “Sweet”, co-written with Nathan Meckel, and “Always Something (To Believe In)”, co-written with Gary Burr
.
, and Toad The Wet Sprocket
, The Counting Crows, B.B. King, Bon Jovi
, John Mayer
and Kenny Wayne Shepherd
.
McGuinness has also toured with Kenny Loggins
, and teamed up with Canadian folk-rockers, The Crash Test Dummies, for a special performance in Redondo Beach.
Other artists McGuinness has opened for: Liz Phair, Gin Blossoms, Michelle Branch, Parachute, Crash Test Dummies, Shawn Colvin, Counting Crows, Kenny Loggins, Vertical Horizon, Lukas Rossi, Augustana, Gavin Degraw, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Ambrosia, Marc Ford, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Donovan, Tyrone Wells, Terri Nunn, Roger Clyne and the Peace Makers, Boy Hits Car, Todd Rundgren, Ed Burns and The Blue Jackets, Green River Ordinance, Willie Porter.
McGuinness, a devoted activist for animal rights, has worked in direct partnership with humane societies and animal shelters across the nation to raise funds and awareness for rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Most recently, she collaborated with her local animal rescue, The Amanda Foundation, to put on the 'Paws For Patterns' Fundraiser. Attendees include: Cesar Millan ("The Dog Whisperer"), Bill Maher and Pauley Perrette (NCIS), Kaley Cuoco (Big Bang Theory), Kristen Bauer (True Blood) and Jenna Ushkowitz (Glee). She also serves as a guest blogger on PetLvr.com.
Other notable philanthropic works include donations of all her merchandise profits earned to a pair of local organizations: The Milwaukee Art Museum and the Wisconsin Humane Society. McGuinness also participated in The Avon Foundation's 'Drink Pink Night', a breast cancer charity concert.
Close As Air (2010) ASIN: B003C9SRDI
Sweet (September 2011) ASIN: B005Q2Y83C
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and actress, best known for her role in Broadway’s The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
as Tuptim, alongside Lou Diamond Phillips
Lou Diamond Phillips
Lou Diamond Phillips is an American film, television, and stage actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred in the film La Bamba. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his role in The King and I...
.
Early life
A direct descendant of Hwang Jin-iHwang Jin-i
Hwang Jin-i , also known by her gisaeng name Myeongwol , is one of the most famous gisaeng of the Joseon Dynasty who lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her exceptional beauty, charming quick wit, and extraordinary intellect...
(1520–1560), Malea McGuinness was born in Ft. Hood, Texas to a Korean mother and an Irish father who served in the armed forces as a Green Beret. Her father, Richard J. McGuinness, retired in early 2001, but returned to the army after the September 11 attacks, and deployed to Iraq, where he stayed until 2010. At age two, McGuinness moved to Korea to live with relatives until age five. Upon her return to the States, she and her younger sister went to live with her grandfather (first class private in the USMC) and step grandmother (from her father’s side) in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York.
During her childhood, McGuinness attended several music programs including: Tanglewood Music Center
Tanglewood Music Center
The Tanglewood Music Center is an annual summer music academy in Lenox, Massachusetts, United States, in which emerging professional musicians participate in performances, master classes and workshops designed to provide an intense training and networking experience...
in Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
; Oberlin Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
; and the Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
in Chautauqua, New York
Chautauqua, New York
Chautauqua is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, U.S. . The population was 4,666 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Chautauqua Lake. The traditional meaning remains 'bag tied in the middle'...
. She continued her musical training at the Manhattan School of Music, where she majored in Vocal Performance (classical & opera), and landed a featured role in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
revival of The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
.
McGuinness continued working in the acting industry doing commercial work until she moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to pursue a music career. McGuinness learned to play guitar as she attended songwriter circle events. She began performing live making a name for herself in the local club circuit, while also bartending nights.
Career
In 2008, McGuinness recorded her debut album True Believer with producer Scott HackwithScott Hackwith
Scott Hackwith is an American composer-producer-musician whose career has progressed from work as a professional guitarist and singer to recording producer and scoring motion pictures...
(Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, The Ramones), which she released independently. The first single, “Deeper,” hit #16 on influential Radio Tip Sheet Friday Morning Quarterback’s AC40 chart. The follow-up (and first video) “Sweet Light” was most added, climbing to #3, with both in rotation on Sirius XM Satellite and Triple A stations across the country.
McGuinness released her second studio album, Close As Air in April 2010 which was produced by Jamie Candiloro (Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
, Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
) and Michael Patterson
Michael Patterson
Michael Patterson is an experimental film artist, teacher, and a commercial film director specializing in TV spots and music videos. He currently teaches animation at the Division of Animation and Digital Arts at the USC School of Cinematic Arts...
( Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
). The first single, “Spinning,” was played on National AAA Radio and the video debut on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. “Time Will Show,” another song found on Close As Air, was the winner of the SongwriterUniverse “Best Song Of The Month” Contest in October 2010, as well as SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition for January (2010), for her song “Memories.”
Sweet, McGuinness’ third release was released on September 27, 2011. Produced by Jim Scott
Jim Scott
Jim Scott is a guitarist, singer/songwriter and composer in the genres of jazz, classical and folk music.-Life:Jim Scott has made it his business to create and perform music that celebrates peace, justice and the earth. He co-wrote the celebrated Missa Gaia - Earth Mass and many other pieces with...
(Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
), the album includes the title track “Sweet”, co-written with Nathan Meckel, and “Always Something (To Believe In)”, co-written with Gary Burr
Gary Burr
Gary Burr, born in Meriden, Connecticut, is an American musician and songwriter and producer, mostly known for his stable of hits recorded by country music performers. Burr began his career as a member of the group Pure Prairie League from 1982 to 1985, taking over after Vince Gill departed the group...
.
Sharing the Stage
While performing several tours at Summerfest Music Festival in Milwaukee (of which she is the first Asian American to lead her own band in the 40 year history of Summerfest), McGuinness shared the bill with: Shawn ColvinShawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
, and Toad The Wet Sprocket
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Toad the Wet Sprocket is an American alternative rock band formed in 1986. The band consists of singer/guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss. The band enjoyed chart success in the 1990s with the singles "Walk on the Ocean," "All I Want,"...
, The Counting Crows, B.B. King, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
and Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced a rare level of commercial success both as a blues artist and a young musician.-Biography:Shepherd graduated Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, Louisiana...
.
McGuinness has also toured with Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, and teamed up with Canadian folk-rockers, The Crash Test Dummies, for a special performance in Redondo Beach.
Other artists McGuinness has opened for: Liz Phair, Gin Blossoms, Michelle Branch, Parachute, Crash Test Dummies, Shawn Colvin, Counting Crows, Kenny Loggins, Vertical Horizon, Lukas Rossi, Augustana, Gavin Degraw, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Ambrosia, Marc Ford, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Donovan, Tyrone Wells, Terri Nunn, Roger Clyne and the Peace Makers, Boy Hits Car, Todd Rundgren, Ed Burns and The Blue Jackets, Green River Ordinance, Willie Porter.
Philanthropy
McGuinness has been associated with several charities, both as a volunteer and donor. She helps to raise money for animal charities & foundations through her live performances in communities she performs in.McGuinness, a devoted activist for animal rights, has worked in direct partnership with humane societies and animal shelters across the nation to raise funds and awareness for rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Most recently, she collaborated with her local animal rescue, The Amanda Foundation, to put on the 'Paws For Patterns' Fundraiser. Attendees include: Cesar Millan ("The Dog Whisperer"), Bill Maher and Pauley Perrette (NCIS), Kaley Cuoco (Big Bang Theory), Kristen Bauer (True Blood) and Jenna Ushkowitz (Glee). She also serves as a guest blogger on PetLvr.com.
Other notable philanthropic works include donations of all her merchandise profits earned to a pair of local organizations: The Milwaukee Art Museum and the Wisconsin Humane Society. McGuinness also participated in The Avon Foundation's 'Drink Pink Night', a breast cancer charity concert.
Discography
True Believer (2007) ASIN: B000PHN9CO- Dreamer
- Love Me Don't Forsake Me
- True Believer
- Brave in Your Arms
- Deeper
- Too Beautiful to Stay
- I Never Cry
- Spinning
- Sweet Light
- No Man's Land
- Where Does Love Go
- In and Out of Blue
- Waves
- Ave Maria
Close As Air (2010) ASIN: B003C9SRDI
- Spinning
- Time Will Show
- Close As Air
- Moving On
- Tonight
- Stars
- Birthday Song
- Falling
- No More
- Memories
Sweet (September 2011) ASIN: B005Q2Y83C
- Always Something (To Believe In)
- In the Next Life
- Stars
- Miss Moonlight
- Sweet
- True Believer
- Jesus Was A Crossmaker
- The Phoenix
- Looking For Love
- Girl In The Mirror
- Midnight Rider