Aug. 15, 2001 – A young Crucian is making his way — his own way — in the mainland music world. Lee Anduze, originally from Dolby Hill on St. Croix, has been living and performing in Orlando, Fla., since graduating from American University two years ago.
He writes and arranges all of his music, sings all vocal parts heard on his CD's and plays the keyboard, guitar and piano. He has independently produced two CD's, "Soul Session" in 2000 and the appropriately titled "Dolby Hill" out this summer, and has his own band.
Anduze, the son of Dr. Alfred and Sari Anduze, is currently a nominee for a People’s Music Award for musicians who are based in Central Florida. Winners will be selected online via an Orlando web site that allows fans to vote for their favorites in 16 categories ranging from Best Live Performance to Best Eclectic/Experimental Act. The awards are being presented by the Where2Groove.com web site, Connections magazine, and The Lost & Found Night Club in the Orlando suburb of Longwood, Fla.
Anduze has been nominated in the "Best New Band" category in the online ballot at www.where2groove.com. The winners will be announced on the web site and in Connections.
Locally, Isle 95 and Radio One have played his music, and his "Dolby Hill" album is carried at the Sam Goody shop in Sunny Isle. In addition, one station in Atlanta and two in Orlando play his song "Positive Revolution" in a regular rotation, his mother said.
Both of his albums can be heard and purchased on www.cdbaby.com. Reviews are posted there, too.
"Finally, a soul singer who stands out from the hundreds you see on the CD rack every day," is one of the on-line comments about his first album. Of his new release, another states: "Anduze has become more daring and bold as he experiments with new sounds, twists and meaninful lyrics … 'Dolby Hill' is a solidifying album."
His parents fully support his decision to follow his muse. "We want him to do what he enjoys and what makes him happy," his mother said. "But we've warned him that it is a very competitive and difficult career to pursue."
If anyone can make it in the field, though, Sari Anduze thinks her son should be able to. "We feel Lee is quite talented as he writes all his music and lyrics, and plays piano, keyboard and guitar, while singing all voices on his CD," she said. "It's a real talent to be able to do your own harmony. This is where Lee shows his true talent, as he knows exactly what sounds to blend to achieve the desired results."
Anduze's first professional performance was for the "Last Sunset of the Millennium" celebration in Frederiksted on Dec. 31, 1999. Last summer, he made his successful CD debut on "MTV Undressed." He also was a finalist in Ed McMahon's "Next Big Star" competition.
Last year, his song "You Didn't" made it to the No. 1 spot for two weeks on the Mp3.com charts for Pop Vocals. He has performed twice at Hard Rock Live at Universal Studios in Orlando.
The last time Anduze was at home was over the Christmas holidays. Since then, however, his mother has been to the states twice to see him in professional settings — in February at his opening at Hard Rock Live, and in July at his new CD release show at the Cotton Club in Atlanta.
Anduze attended Country Day School from kindergarten through 7th grade. After Hurricane Hugo, his family relocated to Atlanta, where he graduated from high school. His musical talent and interest were evident early on, according to his mother: "He started as a featured singer in his first grade play at Country Day," she recalled. He played Tiny Tim in an Island Center production of "A Christmas Carol" and "did a couple of plays at Cobb Children's Theatre in Atlanta and competed in and hosted his junior and senior high school cabarets."
At American University, he majored in communications with an emphasis in film/visual media. After getting his B.A., he moved to Orlando, attracted by opportunities in the music field and the "warm lifestyle," his mother said.
He appears regularly at several clubs in the Orlando area and performed in July at the Cotton Club in Atlanta. He has tentative plans to tour with his band and perform on St. Thomas and St. Croix toward the end of this year.
