Jane McNealy

Jane McNealy studied classical piano with famed blind teacher Lev Shore in San Francisco at the age of three. She was a musical sponge and had an incredible ear. Though being highly creative and impatient, she didn’t have the temperament to be a professional musician. However, she came from a musical family and was constantly exposed to different styles, from classical to Broadway to varied forms of jazz and pop–and she loved to write.

The varied influences of McNealy’s early life, combined with her natural talent, turned her into a kind of a musical chameleon, able to absorb all the styles and nuances she was exposed to and create her own style of music. And it might also be safe to say that what became her style and the catalog of music she’s written has in large part been shaped by the musical kinships she made as she navigated the waters of Los Angeles in the 1960s/1970s.

The most influential of these kinships was with legendary Harold Battiste Jr. (the first black musical director on an American TV series—The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour [1971-1974]). With his mentorship, McNealy was able to start a successful career as a songwriter, publishing and recording over 300 songs in the span of five years under his wing. Many of these tracks were recorded at the famous Hollywood Central and GoldStar recording studios. Many singers have recorded or performed her songs, including Sarah Vaughan, Petula Clark, Mel Carter, Joyce Dunn, Tami Lynn, Lydia Marcelle, and many more.