Jacci McGhee - The Phoenix Rises Again

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Episode 123. Join host Troy Saunders as he chats the vocal powerhouse singer, writer and arranger Jacci McGhee!

Best known for her belted-out duet with Keith Sweat on the hit song of the 1980s, “Make It Last Forever,” Jacci has returned from a self-admitted dark place to her passion and gift of singing. Actually, Jacci began her reappearance on the music scene in 2015 with step-out vocals alongside Dominique, on DJ Jay Salter’s international EDM hit, "Angel of Mine" (Soul Remix). Once the song took off on the streaming sites, momentum began to build. It continued to escalate with the booking of a modeling job through a chance encounter at a local New York coffee house. "The owner of a gourmet popcorn line approached me and asked me if I would do a print ad for him in a food magazine," she said. "It became my first modeling job." Afterward, she was a bitten by the acting bug, co-starring in a short film on teen suicide with Marc John Jefferies, the actor best known for film and TV productions "Power," "Get Rich or Die Tryin’," and "Losing Isaiah," to name a few.

McGhee's music career was spawned by her duet with Sweat and lead vocals on Salt-N-Pepa's hit, "Expression." Immediately afterward, she was signed to MCA, now Geffen Records, releasing a Top 10 R&B single, "It Hurts Me." With corporate shake-ups, she got lost in the fray, but bounced back as the successor to Sandra St. Victor, taking over as lead vocalist for urban alternative band The Family Stand on their "Connected" album.

Following the dissolution of the band, she steered her vocal talents to opportunities to sing jingles for ad campaigns while raising a family. Her reconnection with DJ Jay Salter resulted in the 2017 Christmas pop single, “Every Day Is A Holiday."

In 2017, the New York native used her vocal and comedic chops to host R&B live showcases in Charlotte, NC, and Philadelphia, and later worked alongside Talent the comedian in collaborative routines.

However, family took priority. Upon her return to New York, the mother of three took a hiatus from music to immediately step into the role of caregiver for her fourteen-year-old daughter, Madison, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes.

A woman of great faith, Jacci said it was a spiritual experience that encouraged her to return to singing. "The Most High touched my spirit and told me to move forward and sing again," she said. That decision resulted in a return collaboration with a friend and former producer, DECLARE. Together, they composed the new single, "If This World Were Mine," with an accompanying video directed by her son, Kamrin, a filmmaker and graduate of the arts from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her daughter also makes a cameo.

In 2022, Jacci released "Riches of the World," a high-octane cautionary pop record with an equally electric music video, in addition to a remix with legendary hip-hop artist Chubb Rock the following year.

In the summer of 2023, the re-release of the expanded edition of Jacci McGhee's 1992 self-titled debut album hit all streaming platforms. Jacci's 2023 single "Time and Time" would also go on to chart highly on the UK Amazon charts.

A year later, in the summer of 2024, Jacci debuted her latest single, "Slow Down," produced by Father MC, with music composed by Rockwilder. Her latest single, "No More," produced by Producer Declare, is set to release November 8th. This single paves the way for her forthcoming EP, "Jacci's Closet," releasing January 2025.

"I've got butterflies in my stomach because it's all new to me. But it just feels like it's my time an