Detroit Percussionist, Gayelynn McKinney is the daughter of legendary jazz pianist/composer Harold McKinney who mentored many great musicians and played with such greats as, Billy Holiday, Gene Krupa, Wendell Harrison, Marcus Belgrave, Roy Brooks, and many others.
Her mother, Gwendolyn McKinney, was a fashion model and renowned singer, singing in such productions as Carmen, and Porgy and Bess and Harold McKinney’s “Voices and Rhythms of the Creative Profile.” Gayelynn began playing the drums at the age of two and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Oakland University. Among her many awards, she was presented with an award for outstanding musical performance during “Music Fest, USA,” where she won best drummer beating out over nine thousand participants.
McKinney was recently awarded the Motor City Music Award with the Grammy-nominated group, she was a co-founder of the group, Straight Ahead. Gayelynn recently recorded her first solo project called “It’s About Time,” Also as a band leader, she has rekindled her father’s music, with a septet called McKinfolk. She has performed as a side musician with such notables as, Aretha Franklin, Freda Payne, James Carter, Ralph Armstrong, Geri Allen, Marcus Belgrave, Chaka Khan, Mary Stallings, Eric Reed, Roy Hargrove, Javon Jackson, David “Fathead” Newman, Steve Turre, Sonny Fortune, Kevin Mahogany, and “Speech” of Arrested Development.
-Words by Gayelynn McKinney