Celeste Headlee

Celeste Headlee (born December 30, 1969) is the host of the Georgia Public Broadcasting program "On Second Thought."^[1] She has previously been the co-host of the national morning news show The Takeaway, from Public Radio International and WNYC. Before joining fellow host John Hockenberry in 2009, she was the Midwest Correspondent for NPR’s Day to Day and the host of a weekly show on Detroit Public Radio.

A classically trained soprano, Headlee performs frequently.

Early life

Celeste Headlee was born December 30, 1969, in Whittier, California, the daughter of Judith Anne Still, a writer, and Larry Headlee, a marine geologist. Her maternal grandparents were composer William Grant Still and pianist Verna Arvey. Her father is of European descent. Her maternal grandfather was African-American and her maternal grandmother was of Russian Jewish descent.^[2]

Journalism career

Headlee began her career as a journalist as an anchor and writer with Arizona Public Radio station KNAU in Flagstaff in 1999^[3] and as an on-air personality with Flagstaff station KVNA. In 2001, she became a reporter and anchor for WDET-FM, Detroit Public Radio, hosting a weekly one-hour program called Front Row Center.^[4][5] In 2006 she began working for National Public Radio, developing stories, covering breaking news, and producing long-form features.^[6] Headlee was the Midwest Correspondent for NPR’s Day to Day and her news reports have aired on NPR, Public Radio International, the Pacifica Network, the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, and National Native News.^[7]

From 2009 to August 2012,^[8] Headlee was the host (along with John Hockenberry) of The Takeaway, a live national morning news program produced by Public Radio International^[9] and WNYC New York.

As of late 2012, she has been an occasional guest host on NPR's Tell Me More, and a guest host in the absence of Neal Conan on Talk of the Nation.

Journalism awards

Headlee has won awards from the Michigan AP,^[10] The Michigan Association of Broadcasters, and the Metro Detroit Society of Professional Journalists.^[11] Headlee serves as a mentor and managing editor for NPR’s Next Generation Project, which is aimed at training young broadcast journalists. While living in Arizona, she was a member of the Artist’s Roster for the Arizona Commission on the Arts. In 2011 she was named a Getty Arts Journalism Fellow by USC's Annenberg School of Journalism.^[12]

Musical education and career

A classically trained soprano, Headlee graduated from the Idyllwild Arts Academy (part of the Idyllwild Arts Foundation) in 1987 and received a B.A. in Vocal Performance at Northern Arizona University in 1993, graduating with honors.^[13] Headlee received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan in 1998, studying with Freda Herseth, Leslie Guinn, and George Shirley, and has studied song interpretation with Martin Katz. Headlee has performed at the National Gallery of Art,^[14] Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, the Distinguished Artist Series at the Church of the Red Rocks, Colorado College,^[15] the Detroit Institute of Arts, Yavapai College, Wagner College^[16] and Wayne State University, among other venues. She also performed with such companies as the Michigan Opera Theater, the Sedona Repertory Company, the Harlequin Players (in Olympia, Washington), the Sedona Arts Center, and the Great Lakes Lyric Opera.^[17]

William Grant Still

Headlee is the granddaughter of composer William Grant Still. Known as "The Dean" of African-American composers, Still was the first African-American conductor to conduct a major American orchestra and have one of his own compositions performed by a prestigious orchestra. Still was also the first African-American composer to have one of his operas performed by a major opera company. Headlee frequently performs Still’s music in concerts and recitals and sang Still’s composition “Levee Land”^[18] on the CD^[19] produced by the Northern Arizona University Wind Symphony. She has given many lectures about Still's music at high schools^[20] and universities and was the editor of the second edition of the book, William Grant Still and the Fusion of Cultures in American Music for which she compiled the first complete thematic catalog of Still’s works.

Personal life

Headlee has one child, Grant Headlee.

External links

• "The Takeaway on PRI
• "Public Radio International" bio
• Celeste Headlee on Twitter
• "New York Women in Communications" bio
• "The Civil War: Celeste Headlee's Story" radio broadcast.

References