- published: 09 Dec 2013
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Morgan James (born November 24) is an American singer and actress. In November 2011, she began starring in the first-ever Broadway revival of Godspell at the Circle in the Square Theatre, in New York City. She is a member of AEA, AFTRA, and SAG.
Born Morgan Grunerud, in Boise, Idaho, Morgan is the daughter of Allen Grunerud and Shellie Harwood. Growing up, Morgan's family moved from Pocatello, ID, to Logan, UT, to Knoxville, TN, and finally to Modesto, CA, where Morgan attended Johansen High School. Upon graduation, Morgan was accepted to The Juilliard School, in New York City, where she received her BM in Voice. Morgan made her Broadway debut in The Addams Family, starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, in 2010.
James' vocal range runs from G above high C to E below middle C. She started voice lessons and singing in choirs when she was 13. As a solo artist, James has performed at popular New York City nightspots such as Birdland Jazz Club, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center, Dominion, Joe's Pub, (Le) Poisson Rouge, and Rockwood Music Hall. She performs songs from several genres, including blues, classical jazz, soul, R&B and rock and roll. She cites Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Eva Cassidy, Donny Hathaway, and Etta James as influences.
Cynthia Ann McKinney (born March 17, 1955) is an American politician and activist. McKinney was a member of the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party of the United States nominated McKinney for President of the United States. She was the first African-American woman to have represented Georgia in the House.
In the 1992 election, McKinney was elected in the newly re-created 11th District, and was re-elected in 1994. When her district was redrawn and renumbered due to the Supreme Court of the United States ruling in Miller v. Johnson, McKinney was easily elected from the new 4th District in the 1996 election, and was re-elected twice without substantive opposition.
McKinney was defeated by Denise Majette in the 2002 Democratic primary. Some people believe she was defeated because of Republican crossover voting in Georgia's open primary election, which permits anyone from any party to vote in any party primary and "usually rewards moderate candidates and penalizes those outside the mainstream." Others believe that her defeat was due to her "her controversial profile, which included support for Arab causes and a suggestion that Bush knew in advance of the September 11 attacks."