Laurie Beebe Lewis
Laurie Beebe Lewis is an American singer-songwriter. At age 14 she was the female lead singer of the Saginaw, Michigan cult-underground band Pitche Blende, a featured band on The Michigan Mixture Volume 1 album. She is most associated with her affiliation as the keyboard player and vocalist with Chicago's reformed group The Buckinghams from 1982 to 1985; and as lead singer in the reformed group The Mamas & The Papas from 1986 to 1993 with original members John Phillips and Denny Doherty, along with Spanky McFarlane.
Lewis was the only female artist on the 1985 Happy Together Tour with The Buckinghams, the Turtles, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, and the Grass Roots. That same year the Buckinghams recorded their 1985 come-back album entitled A Matter Of Time to which Lewis contributed lead and back-up vocals as well as co-writing the song "Made To Love You". Meanwhile, in 1997 she recorded with singer Gary Puckett on his album Is This Love. The album was released in Canada and Europe with tracks later released on compilation albums Timepiece and This is Love, both of which feature a power duet of Puckett and Lewis covering the Heart ballad "Alone".
In 2013 Lewis was part of the all-star musical project Dick Wagner & the Rockers for St. Jude in which she shared lead vocals with Wagner, Mark Farner, Jean Beauvoir, Merrilee Rush, and Trini Lopez, in a band that included drummer Danny Seraphine, guitarists Jennifer Batten and Elliot Easton, as well as bassist Lee Sklar and a huge backing choir of well known musicians. The group recorded a digital single and a music video, "If I Had The Time " with proceeds earmarked to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Lewis was also featured on the 2nd Annual 2016 Dick Wagner Memorial Concert 'Remember The Child" at The Fillmore Detroit. The show honored DJ Russ Gibb, a former concert promoter and media personality from Dearborn, Michigan, and commemorated the late guitarist/singer/songwriter Dick Wagner. Wagner's music was performed by many artists including Wagner's son Robert Wagner, Jean Beauvoir, Grammy Award-winning pianist and singer from The Waterboys Paul Brown, drummer Sandy Gennaro, guitarist Micki Free, Derek St. Holmes, Joe Bass, Hal Patino, Maryann Cotton, Jimmie "Bones" Trombly, guitarist Kenny Olson, Peter Keys, David Winans II, Muruga Booker, Dennis Dunaway, The Frost, Johnny "Bee" Badanjek and other supporting musicians. Proceeds benefited Children's Miracle Network Hospitals supporting music therapy.
On March 24, 2017, Lewis performed with Suzi Quatro as one of The Pleasure Seekers, along the latter's sister Patti Quatro, on the third annual "Remember the Child Concert" held in Detroit, Michigan at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in The Sound Board performance venue. She also contributed backing vocals for Mark Farner, Kip Winger and many returning artists from the previous year.Partial discography
This is a partial discography on which Laurie Beebe Lewis contributes vocals or instrumentation:Albums
Solo
- 1997 - Laurie K. Lewis - Cool Waters -
- 2017 - Laurie Beebe Lewis - Baby Birds Produced by Warren Huart
With Bands
- 1985 - The Buckinghams - A Matter Of Time -
- 1997 - Gary Puckett - Is This Love -
- 1998 - Gary Puckett - Timepiece -
- 2011 - Queen Divas of The Universe - All Wrapped Up In Christmas features Roni Lee, Shaaron Schuemaker
Singles
- 1968 - Pitche Blende - "My World has Stopped" b/w "Stop"
- 1985 - The Buckinghams - "Veronica" b/w "Veronica" - promo - both sides stereo
Compilation albums
- 1990 - Michigan Mixture Volume 1 - includes Pitche Blend "My World has Stopped"
- 2012 - Michigan Mixture Volume 1 Reissue. Includes Pitche Blend's "My World has Stopped" and "Stop"
Album contributions
- 1974 - The Celebration Road Show - Amazing Grace -
- 1975 - The Celebration Road Show - Songs of Freedom -
- 1976 - The Celebration Road Show - That's A Plenty -
- 1977 - Gary Miller's Celebration Road Show LIVE ON STAGE
- 2000 - Personal Praise & Worship - Adventures In God's Presence Collections Volume 6 -
- 2007 - Leigh Taylor & Adventures Worship Band - Songs For Every Tribe -
- 2015 - Roni Lee - Heroes