John P. Kee

John also reflects, with an obvious sense of gratification, that The Reunion fully put to rest any unsettled feelings that may have lingered with the coming and going of artists who, for a time, were deeply integral parts of NLCC.

“When you have something going musically that’s really working, it can’t help but hurt a little bit when someone who’s an important part of that moves on,” he says. “But with time, and reflection you can see that there’s a season to everything, and we all move through life as we feel led. And things have worked out well for the members who’ve gone on to solo careers, or success in other pursuits, and New Life has continued to flourish and prosper, too.

“Just getting onstage, or in the studio, again with everyone relaxed and happy to be doing this was a beautiful experience. And it all came together beautifully. The Reunion is just what it says it is, and it was a truly joyous reunion for us all, and that comes through very clear and strong throughout the album.”

John was a prodigiously gifted child, born and raised in a strong, church-going family in Durham, North Carolina. The next-to-youngest of 16 children, his talents for academics, as well as singing and playing the piano, were shown at an early age, and his future looked bright. He was placed in a school for gifted children and completed high school at 14, going on to major in music at Yuba College in northern California, where his skills quickly brought him attention and acclaim.

Gigs with several jazz and R&B notables over the next few years brought him recognition, but also swept him into a fast lane of drugs and high living that nearly proved to be his demise, as what began as a casual flirtation with drugs turned into a full blown cocaine addiction. John returned to North Carolina after college, this time to Charlotte, with his cocaine habit unabated, and his main source of income derived from the trafficking of the deadly white powder.