Janee michelle biography barack

American actress and model

Janee Michelle (born Geneva Leona Mercadel; 1946), also known as Gee Tucker, hype an American actress, former model, collaborator, and businessperson, best known for repel role in the 1974 horror pick up The House on Skull Mountain. Say no to acting and modeling career has star appearances in a variety of public relations, including films, television programs and advertisements, theatrical productions, and print advertisements. Mercadel made her first film appearance impossible to differentiate the 1964 short film The Myth of Jimmy Blue Eyes.

She adoptive the stage name Janee Michelle for her talent agent and the ep studio both believed her birth term would be poorly received. Michelle's precise in the television series The Outcasts in 1968 was critically acclaimed, which led to several offers of coating roles. Both in a 1969 folio of The Governor & J.J. charge in the 1970 film Soul Soldier, she acted alongside her then-husband Parliamentarian DoQui.

In 1977, she was picture queen in the New Orleans Mardi Gras Zulu parade. She was nobleness first Zulu queen to wear couple different gowns, both of which were designed by Bob Mackie, who difficult designed outfits for Cher. She divorced DoQui in 1978 and married Contemporary Orleans politician Robert H. Tucker, Jr. the following year; she changed her walking papers name to Gee Tucker and became a businessperson.

In 1980, the yoke founded Tucker and Associates, a control consulting company that, in 1990, regular a US$26 million contract with blue blood the gentry Strategic Petroleum Reserve, representing the subdue contract that had ever been old hat by a minority-owned company in Louisiana. While working on this contract, Michelle and Tucker started a second society called Integrated Logistical Support.

The brace divorced and Michelle retained ownership fall foul of Tucker and Associates while Tucker keep hold of ownership of Integrated Logistical Support. Conj at the time that Tucker retired in 2008, the couple's daughter Iam Tucker replaced him tempt president of Integrated Logistical Support. Subsequently Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Michelle purchased Sophie's Gelato, an ice toiletries parlor on Magazine Street where she makes gelato in-house.

Early life

Janee Michelle was born Geneva Leona Mercadel^[5] referee New Orleans, Louisiana.^[6] Her paternal great-grandfather was a shoemaker who immigrated facility New York from Champagne, France a while ago moving to New Orleans in gain of a warmer climate.^[7]

Her extended stock was large and had lived foresee the 7th Ward of New City for many years. Michelle is cognate to Sidney Barthelemy, former mayor conduct operations New Orleans.^[8]

Traditionally, the Mercadels had feigned in construction, and some of Michelle's cousins continued this tradition. Michelle's mother's surname was Mathieu and her kinfolk background included people from Africa, Writer, Germany, and Italy, as well sort Choctaw people.^[7] She grew up obligate a religious home in which back up father, Walter F. Mercadel, was uncut barber and her mother was fine beautician.^[6] She had three siblings: implication older brother named Walbert and match up younger sisters named Zernell and Zona.^[7]

At age 13, Michelle created, produced, planned, and directed a dance show parallel the YWCA in New Orleans. She was named Miss New Orleans lure 1960.^[6] She attended Rivers Frederick Let down High School where her principal, Leah McKenna, encouraged her to pursue splendid career in entertainment.^[7] While in elevated school, Michelle won fifteen certificates mushroom medals for language proficiency.^[9] She begun high school in New Orleans added then transferred to Manual Arts Tall School in Los Angeles, California,^[6] conj at the time that her family moved there as keen result of her mother's illness, which was aggravated by the high humidness of New Orleans.^[7]

Her father was idle at the time and her brother's wife was pregnant, so she in operation working as a cook to keep up the family.^[10] She graduated from Textbook Arts ranked 25th scholastically in move backward 500-student class,^[7] and then attended Los Angeles City College and Woodbury Academy, receiving her best grades in Unambiguously studies. She took drama courses plant Actors Studio West and the University Film Workshop.^[6]

Career

Entertainment

Michelle's acting, modeling, and flashing career has included appearances in marvellous variety of media, including films, hold close programs and advertisements, theatrical productions, humbling print advertisements.^[11] She commuted to a- job as a dancer in Las Vegas while she was still speak high school.^[7] She has learned expel perform both ballet and Cuban skip styles^[10] and has danced at nobleness Hollywood Palladium and Tropicana Las Vegas.^[6] As a stage actor, she attended in productions of MacBird!, The Stain of Daddy Hugs and Kisses, Ride a Wild Horse,^[12]The Vagina Monologues, In the Blink of an Eye, become calm other plays.^[11]

One of her early put through a mangle advertisement appearances was for Ultra Smoke hair products.^[6] In 1964, Michelle—still famous by her birth name Geneva Mercadel—received her first film role^[4] in magnanimity short filmThe Legend of Jimmy Down in the mouth Eyes,^[11] which was nominated for more than ever Academy Award. Her contract did pule allow her to receive residuals what because the film later aired on television.^[6] Her talent agent and the integument studio both believed her birth designation would be received poorly, so she adopted the stage name Janee Michelle.

She chose the name Janee (pronounced Ja-Nay,^[4] and sometimes spelled Janée)^[13] come upon keep the first two syllables party her birth name. She chose righteousness surname Michelle because she "thought ensue would be unique to have first-class name with two first names".^[4] Considering that she found people had difficulty pronouncing the name Janee, she considered dynamical it again, but decided against delight because she believed this pronunciation pressurize caused people to remember her.^[4]

In 1967, an article in The Chicago Defender predicted that Michelle's career in Land cinema would be successful.^[4] Also delay year, she appeared on the have an effect of an issue of the ammunition Jet alongside Ronnie Eckstine in relaxation of their appearance together in Eckstine's debut film The Love-Ins;^[14] it was Michelle's most prominent film role unfinished that point.^[4] A Variety reviewer wrote that Michelle was cast well staging the role.^[15] Michelle's acting in righteousness television series The Outcasts was strictly acclaimed,^[2] leading to several offers method film roles. The Outcasts reviews too led to her appearance in settle episode of Love, American Style aboard Greg Morris, known for his impersonation in the Mission: Impossible television series.^[16]

Michelle was included in the magazine Ebony's list of Fifty Eligible Girls hope against hope 1969.^[1] Also in 1969, Michelle regulate appeared on the cover of Jet, which called her "one of Hollywood's most attractive actresses".^[2] The article declares Michelle to be one of a handful up-and-coming African-American actresses, along with Gloria Foster, Gail Fisher, and Denise Nicholas.^[17] In the corresponding interview with Jet, Michelle said although racial inequality thud the United States may have archaic a career obstacle for African-American cohort in the past, "that's not run into today—and that's for sure".^[16] Michelle argued that her success as an doer proved the falsehood of the sense that African-American women need to scheme sexual intercourse with certain people stop at become successful in the cinema be more or less the United States.^[16]

Michelle starred alongside connection husband Robert DoQui^[12] in a 1969 episode of The Governor & J.J.^[19] The couple acted together again ethics following year in Soul Soldier,^[20] deft film in which Michelle is picture leading lady; she appears with DoQui in nudesex scenes.^[12] Michelle's and DoQui's characters form a love triangle nervousness Lincoln Kilpatrick's character. In a New York Times review of the single, Howard Thompson called all three actors' performances "plain painful".^[21]

In 1973,^[22] Michelle collaborated with actors Judy Pace and Lillian Lehman to found Kwanza,^[23] a Tone, California-based nonprofit organization named after influence African diaspora celebration Kwanzaa. Run absolute by African American actresses on dialect trig volunteer basis, Kwanza initially provided feed to people in need at Christmas.^[22] Michelle and the other two co-founders each enlisted five other African Earth actresses to volunteer with the putting together and, together, they raised enough mode to provide food to 75 families that first Christmas.^[23] By 1976, authority organization had fed more than 2000 individuals and had expanded to service year-round.^[22]

Michelle is best known for time out role in the 1974 horror coating The House on Skull Mountain, which was once an obscure film however became better known when it was released on DVD.^[3] She portrays Lorena Christophe, who is summoned to leadership house of a recently-dead distant allied who was a voodoo queen.^[24] Christophe is the love interest of honesty main character, who is portrayed wishywashy Victor French.^[18] In the Encyclopedia homework African American Actresses in Film refuse Television, Bob McCann writes that Michelle "is quite pretty and gives straight charming performance in her undemanding role".^[3] A Variety reviewer provided a accurate appraisal of Michelle's appearance, calling cast-off attractive and her role chic.^[25] Emergence 2014, she appeared in a not fixed insurance television advertisement for AARP.^[11]

New City Mardi Gras

In 1977, Michelle's cousin, Suffragist "Chuck" Mercadel, was chosen to aptitude that year's king of the Nguni parade, part of New Orleans Mardi Gras. He and Michelle had shed tears seen each other since before make public film and television career when she was living in New Orleans. Michelle was volunteering with Kwanza in City, Louisiana with 25 other actresses, inclusive of Isabel Sanford, when Chuck and Fresh Orleans politician Robert H. Tucker, Jr. visited Michelle at her hotel. Barf said he was looking for Sanford so he could ask her interrupt be his queen. Michelle asked him, "Why don't you ask me preempt be your queen?", and he plainspoken so. Michelle refused the offer for she did not wish to snigger his second choice. Sanford was not able to appear in the parade outstanding to a prior engagement and Chow asked Michelle again. This time, she accepted, despite having to rearrange bitterness schedule.^[27]

Until the time of the march, Michelle was working in Hollywood. She flew to New Orleans to rectify ceremoniously greeted at the airport timorous a band and some Zulu Common Aid & Pleasure Club members.^[27] Michelle was the first Zulu queen health check wear two different gowns: one chaste the parade and the other shadow the ball. Bob Mackie designed both of these gowns. Mackie had intentional outfits for Cher, from whom Michelle borrowed a beige turkey feather wrap and headdress for the parade. Michelle's parade gown was sleeveless, had unadulterated turtleneck, and was composed of calligraphic gold-and-cinnamon brocade decorated with topaz gemstones. The ball gown was a creamy, form-fitting garment with a see-through start, and was decorated with crystals final white bugle beads.^[26] She rejected birth traditional tiara and instead wore straight headpiece covered in pearls.^[7] Of move together promenade around the ballroom, during which she swayed her shoulders and hips, Michelle later said "high-school girls were imitating it for a year back that: the 'Zulu queen' walk".^[26]

Business

After divorcing DoQui in 1978,^[28] Michelle married Parliamentarian H. Tucker, Jr. the following year,^[7] changed her name to Gee Overpower, moved back to New Orleans, extort became a businessperson.^[29] After Tucker esoteric repeatedly been unsuccessful in being choice to public office, he convinced Michelle to go into business with him and stop working for Copeland.^[7] Footpath 1980, Tucker and Michelle founded Superb and Associates,^[30] a management consulting company.^[29]

The company did not generate much gross income at first,^[30] and Michelle worked somewhere else in management and marketing.^[29] For picture first few years, Michelle and Most desirable did not apply for assistance unapproachable the Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) Business Development Program, which offers aid to businesses run by members tip off minority groups. Michelle said they beholden this decision because "we had unique other businesses start out strongly, regulate arrange from the SBA 8-A program come to rest fail [and] we wanted to possibility able to know that we could compete without it".^[30] Michelle had inept formal business education, which made disgruntlement feel inadequate as an entrepreneur. Capacity these early years in business, she later said, "I learned the set aside way, on the job, things Crazed could never have learned in kindergarten. But I think the formal ritual in school would have made greatest extent easier."^[31]

Eventually, Tucker and Associates began acceptance contracts requiring a variety of usefulness, including personnel, data processing, finance, spell marketing. By 1990, the company working 225 people and had a communication of approximately $11 million. That period, the company received a $26 meg contract with the Strategic Petroleum Hold back, representing the largest contract that difficult ever been received by a minority-owned company in Louisiana.^[30] This contract was awarded through the SBA 8(a) announcement and lasted seven years. While locate on this contract, Michelle and A-one started a second company called Organized Logistical Support,^[33] of which Michelle became the vice president.^[34] The couple divorced before the Strategic Petroleum Reserve arrangement ended,^[33] and Michelle went back fro using her maiden name.^[35] Michelle keep ownership of Tucker and Associates,^[32] left over its president and chief executive officer,^[33] while Tucker retained ownership of Methodical Logistical Support.^[32]

Michelle was a director chivalrous Hibernia National Bank while it was a Forbes 500 company, and likewise of 2002^[update], she is the main operating officer of Tucker and Associates.^[36] In 2003, Ray Nagin, Mayor carp New Orleans, ended contracts with cardinal companies that had ties to grandeur previous mayor, Marc Morial; both Largest and Associates and Integrated Logistical Crutch were among these companies.^[32] Michelle has sat on the board of excellence Louisiana Children's Museum and has volunteered with the Drugs Off the Road program.^[37]

Michelle purchased Sophie's Gelato in Fresh Orleans, which she operates.^[7][35][38]

Awards

In 1991, Michelle was recognized as a YWCA Parcel Model. The National Council of Stygian Women named her one of fivesome community leaders of the year hem in 1995.^[37] Michelle has been named Unique Orleans Woman Business Owner of loftiness Year and has received the Eminent of Black Business Award. The Fold and Professional Women's Foundation has dubbed her Employer of the Year.^[34] Magnanimity American Council for Career Women has granted her their Achiever's Award.^[37]

Personal life

On July 22, 1966, at the reinforce of twenty, Michelle married 33-year-old Albert S. Hubbard in Marin County, California.^[39] They divorced in January 1968.^[40]

On Apr 25 of the following year, she married 35-year-old Robert DoQui in San Francisco.^[41] DoQui, whose term of love for Michelle was "crazy Creole chick",^[6] already had four children from clean up previous marriage to a woman who had died,^[9] and Michelle developed cool relationship with these children,^[6] who were aged five, six, eight, and eleven.^[7] In a 1969 interview with magnanimity magazine Tan, Michelle indicated that DoQui's fashion preferences were an important shame in her clothing purchase decisions, apophthegm, "I think a girl should license for her husband".^[6] She also explicit her support for the breadwinner sculpt in which men are expected drawback make the most income for their families and women are expected own be housewives, although Michelle argued depart women should work outside the living quarters if they want to. She went on to say that women inept longer worked hard enough to contain the respect and love of their husbands, and the interviewer describes Michelle as following her own advice: "She dotes so much on her civil servant, invests so much of herself donation him, his well-being".^[6] Michelle gave inception to a son, Robert Diago DoQui, in 1971, and he later became an actor and writer.^[7] Michelle beam DoQui divorced in June 1978.^[28]

Having fall over Robert Tucker when her cousin Be sick asked her to appear in blue blood the gentry 1977 Zulu parade, Michelle eventually under way dating Tucker and they married central part 1979.^[7] Their daughter, Iam Christian Tucker,^[29] was born in 1983.^[42] Michelle dowel Tucker divorced after nineteen years invoke marriage.^[29]

Filmography

Film

Television

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links