From an Interview on RediscoverThe80s.com
Q: Did you ever have any formal acting or music training?
Lonette: No formal training, at least at first. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan listening to all the legendary Motown stars. No doubt this was what influenced me to start playing the piano, writing songs and singing at about five years old. My mother quickly became a quintessential “stage mother” and encouraged me to practice and keep writing. She convinced my father to invest in a small tape recorder, microphone and acoustic piano. We went around to record companies and people in the music industry where I would sit at the piano and sing my songs.
When neighborhood small-time music producers heard me sing and play they arranged for me to go into a recording studio to cut my first demo. I started getting live bookings at local clubs. Then when I was about 13, I was introduced to Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey, who were well-known local producers and top-notch musicians. We went in the studio and recorded an R&B single called “Stop Don’t Worry ‘Bout It.” The record made the charts and became a regional hit and I became a regular on a local hit television variety/dance show called “Swingin’ Time” hosted by radio personality, Robin Seymour. That transitioned me into the professional music scene. Admittedly, it was difficult doing gigs at night and trying to gear up for high school in the morning. Eventually, with my parent’s blessing, I dropped out of school in favor of pursuing a music career. Soon after that, I went to Los Angeles and I was on my way…
Q: Did your music career at such a young age help open up opportunities for acting?
Lonette: That’s a good question. In some respects being in music helped. But in the mid-70s it was actually kind of troublesome to be multifaceted. As my career moved forward I was met with a lot of resistance when I wanted to do both music and acting. There was some weird (and obviously false) notion that to do several things well was almost a sentence to do none. Thankfully times have changed and nowadays artists are expected to do everything well and it’s quite desirable to be multi-talented.
Q: Which do you love more, music or acting?
Lonette: Writing and composing/producing music are my first loves. I’ve also started writing screenplays, television concepts and have begun work on my first novels. I love acting too and enjoy teaching my actor’s workshop at CCNY.
Q: When and how did you get your start in acting?
Lonette: My first film and professional acting job was a starring role in the now cult-film, Sparkle [1976]. I auditioned for the part of “Sista” along with a lot of other very fine actresses. My then-agent had given me the script and I immediately fell in love with the story and character and felt deep down that I could nail the role, even though I hadn’t had formal training as an actor.
Making Sparkle was an outstanding experience and introduction to filmmaking. A stunning cast of newcomers, Irene Cara, Philip Michael Thomas, Dwan Smith and Tony King exploded onto the movie scene. I’m still in touch with these incredible people and am currently writing and producing our first ever Sparkle Reunion Concert to star the original cast members
Q: You received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a musical in 1983 for Show Boat. Please tell us a little bit about your early Broadway career, your favorite memories of that and your feelings regarding performing on the Broadway stage.
Lonette: Well, actually, my very first experience with musical theatre was a powerful lesson. I was a wild child from Detroit who sang my own songs at the piano without training. I realized that to do musical theatre, I needed to – had to – study vocal technique, which I then did. I studied hard with a wonderful vocal teacher in L.A. for many years who became one of my mentors. Dini Clark was solely responsible for my learning to sustain my voice during the rigors of musical theatre and also introduced me to Billie Holiday and the jazz greats. My first Broadway show was The First [1981]; a musical version of the Jackie Robinson story. After going through a grueling series of auditions, I won the role of his wife Rachel Robinson. Following that show, I was immediately cast in a wonderful Chicago production of a musical headed for Broadway called Ladies in Waiting. The show never made it to Broadway, but the experience was great. I discovered that doing musical theatre could be a joy.
| Credit Type | Production | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Actor | Sowa’s Red Gravy | 2012-13 Season |