Richard Tee (born November 24, 1943) was an American pianist, studio musician, singer, and arranger. Throughout his career, he collaborated with a multitude of artists across various genres. Tee is featured as the pianist on "Vanishing," a track from Carey's self-titled debut album.[1]
Biography[]
Richard Tee was born on November 24, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York. He began playing piano at the age of six and pursued formal music education at The High School of Music & Art in New York City, followed by studies at the Manhattan School of Music.[2]
Throughout his career, Tee collaborated with a diverse array of artists across various genres. His extensive session work includes contributions to recordings by Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton, and Peter Gabriel. He was also a founding member of the band Stuff and led his own jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee.[3]
In 1990, Tee played piano on "Vanishing," a track from Mariah Carey's debut studio album, "Mariah Carey." The song features Carey's vocals accompanied solely by Tee's acoustic piano.
Tee passed away on July 21, 1993, in New York City at the age of 49 from prostate cancer.
Discography[]
- Strokin' (1979)
- Natural Ingredients (1980)
- The Bottom Line (1985)
- Inside You (1989)
- Real Time (1992)
- The Right Stuff (1993)
- Real Time Live in Concert 1992 (2012)
Trivia[]
- Tee joined Mariah during her performance at Tatou Club on October 22, 1990. In her introduction she states:
| “ | Now I'd like to bring out someone who went out with me on the road, on a promotion tour. And, he is an incredible incredible pianist on the Sony label, by the name of Richard Tee. | ” |
– Mariah introducing Tee at Tatou Club, November 1990 | ||
- In 1993, during the Music Box Tour, Mariah Carey dedicated her performances of "Vanishing" to Tee.
References[]
- ↑ Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey (no date) Discogs. (Accessed: 27 November 2024).
- ↑ Allaboutjazz.com (2024) Richard Tee Musician - All about jazz, All About Jazz Musicians. (Accessed: 27 November 2024).
- ↑ Wolf, J. (no date) Richard Tee, International Archives for the Jazz Organ (IAJO) - The jazz organ scene usa - richard tee. (Accessed: 27 November 2024).