A native Bostonian, Cassandre McKinley started a career in film and television upon entering her freshman year of high school. By 16, she had already signed with a New York talent agent, begun taking weekly private voice instruction, and attended a long series of intensive music programs that specialized in vocal performance. After high school, she attended the Boston Conservatory, majoring in musical theater and voice. She has now had an accomplished career spread over three decades as a professional singer, dancer, actress, voiceover artist, and print model.

McKinley is best known for her powerhouse voice, stylistic versatility, and ability to cross genres effortlessly. Renowned for her spirited, emotional performances, she has a presence on stage that is exuberant and passionate, yet warm and disarming. She has shared the stage and recorded with greats such as Dick Johnson, James Cotton, Clay Obsorne, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, and J. Geils, among others. She has toured nationally and internationally, and her music can be heard on more than 500 radio stations and cable and internet music outlets.

After the release of several well-received, straight-ahead jazz albums, McKinley released a soul-inspired jazz cover album in remembrance of Marvin Gaye. It generated local buzz and attracted the attention of MAXJAZZ, a St. Louis, Missouri, label that signed McKinley and rereleased (and retitled) the album Til Tomorrow: Remembering Marvin Gaye. The work was hailed by JazzTimes magazine as “a rich, sensual salute,” and the album's steady success in straight-ahead and crossover markets, both nationally and internationally, cemented her career as a prominent artist.