Charleston music community mourns loss of local luminary Ted McKee
by Lorne Chambers | editor
A little after midnight on Friday, Dec. 18, Skye McKee posted on Facebook that her husband, local musician Ted McKee, was in the ICU at Roper St. Francis Bon Secours Hospital. She assured his fans, while he would not be on stage with his band that Sunday at Southern Roots Smokehouse in West Ashley, that the show would go on and McKee’s friend and fellow musician Ed Hunnicut would be filling in for him.
At this point, Skye already knew that her husband would not only not be playing that Sunday, but that he had played his last show. She already knew that despite the hospital staff’s best effort’s to get McKee’s body functioning on its own again, that this was the end of the line for a man who had meant so much to her for the last two decades and to so many more he touched though his music over the years.
That night Skye made another post to let people know that after many consultations with family and doctors that the machines were stopped and that Ted McKee, aka Teddy Midnite, had passed away. The news sent shockwaves through the local music scene as dozens of fans, friends, and fellow musicians shared their sorrow and sympathies.
“It really touched me and everybody has been so kind,” said Skye a little more than a week after her husband’s passing. Local musicians such as Roger Bellow, Bob Sachs, Rodney Stone, Chris Tidestrom, Doug Walters, Ian Sanchez, Jon Picard, Paul Allen, Bobbie Storm, and many more shared their thoughts via social media.
Bandmate Bob Sachs wrote: “Lost a very dear friend today. Ted McKee was a very special and talented songwriter, singer and player whom I had the pleasure of playing with over many years. Many special times, but especially getting to play together throughout the pandemic at d.d. Peckers’ Wing Shack. I’m heartbroken having lost a great friend! I am also sorry for the loss to so many mutual friends and musicians. Music will go on, but Ted will be sorely missed by me and many others! Rest in Peace my friend and I hope we get to play more on the other side!!”
Paul Allen, an award-winning poet and local musician, shared his sympathies with Skye, recalling that McKee played on his album and at his daughter’s wedding. For many years, Allen was a poetry professor at College of Charleston, where McKee played one of his final gigs for the faculty holiday party days before going into the hospital.
Local saxophonist Ian Sanchez, who played with McKee often, wrote: “Talented, kind, cool … there was no one like him. He brought much joy to the hearts of the people that were lucky enough to hear him perform or share a conversation. I feel extremely fortunate to have had many car rides, meals, and shared many bandstands with him. He contributed tremendously to the music scene in Charleston and employed a lot of musicians. He was more than a friend, he was like a brother. I’ll never forget him.”
Skye said that all the musicians who have reached out to her have mentioned, not only McKee’s professionalism, but his kindness and generosity as both a person and an artist. She said the pandemic had been tough on McKee, who was used to playing five, six, sometimes seven gigs a week (occasionally two or three in one day). He was just starting to recover from the financial hit that the pandemic created, especially after the closing of dd Pecker’s Wing Shack, which was a regular gig for McKee. Over the years he was a fixture at many West Ashley venues, including Pecker’s, Manny’s Mediterranean Grill, Wolftrack Inn, Sunfire Grill, and most recently, Southern Roots Smokehouse.
McKee was a talented singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. In 2019 he was inducteed into The Low Country Music Hall of Fame. He played everything from bluegrass and country to blues and jazz and Caribbean. He headed up as many as 10 different musical acts of various genres, including The Sneakers, Swing Soup, Island Duo, Teddy Midnite, McKee & Stone, Wing Walker Jazz Trio, Blue Sky Band, Boss Hawg, and others. He hailed from a family of musicians and was playing gigs since he was 14 years old. His niece, Bonnie McKee, is also a performer who has written songs for Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Kesha, Cher, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, and Adam Lambert. While in the hospital,
“He touched so many people in so many ways. He will probably be most remembered for his original songs and I struggle to put them into any one genre — Americana, I guess,” said Skye. “He was a very gifted guitar player and prolific songwriter, but never content doing just one thing. One time he recorded an album of piano tunes and another time a collection of Celtic songs.”
According to Skye, there will be a Celebration of Life at McAllister Smith funeral home on Bee’s Ferry Road on Sunday, Jan. 15. Call the funeral home for times. She is also planning an “Irish wake,” with drinks, live music, and food, time and place to be determined.
