Jeanette McGruder
Jeanette McGruder, born November 8, 1954 , is a singer, comedian, sketch actress, and writer.
As a child, McGruder discovered a natural ability to sing. Taught by her stepmother, she joined a female trio called "New Dawn" which performed at nightclubs and one Black Panthers rally. During her schooling, McGruder played violin with Earl Klugh in a group called the Electrifying Strings. Occasional performances at United Sound Studios for Motown Records earned McGruder $20 apiece. McGruder opted against pursuing a career as a violinist, and instead majored in voice at Michigan State University.
McGruder performed with P-Funk, Brides Of Funkenstein, and Lynn Mabry & Dawn Silva. In 1979, she recorded with Silva and Sheila Horne on "Never Buy Texas From A Cowboy".
McGruder changed her professional name to Satori Shakoor in mid-1980s and became a comedian and sketch actress on the Canadian show Thick and Thin.
Jeanette McGruder was born in Detroit, Michigan (1954). At any early age, she had a passion for music and began studying the violin. She became a professional violinist at age 15 as well as played in her high school orchestra (Cass Technical High School). Jeanette also played in various orchestras and bands in and around the city of Detroit, including "The Electrifying Strings", a jazz string group with Earl Klugh (guitar), Cecil "Van" Cephus (keyboards), and Ralph Armstrong (bass), and in studio sessions on recordings for local Detroit artists.
Jeanette also sang in her junior high choir and was part of a three-girl group called "New Dawn". They would sneak into nightclubs and Black Panther rallies to sing, wearing the cast-off gowns of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. (Martha Reeves' youngest sister was one of the girls in "New Dawn".)
In 1972, upon entering the music department of Michigan State University, Jeanette decided to focus on voice and retired her violin. In 1974, Jeanette was invited to an event honoring Mrs. Coretta Scott King; when Mrs. King heard her rendition of "We Shall Overcome", she made a special point of telling Jeanette that she had been moved by her voice.
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