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SUZANNE

de PASSE

Co-Chairman,

de Passe  Jones Entertainment Group

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COMPANY AWARDS:

  • 2 Emmy Awards

  • 30 Emmy Nominations

  • 1 Golden Globe

  • 1 Oscar Nomination

  • 5 NAACP Image Awards

  • 3 Peabody Awards

   

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Suzanne is directly responsible for over $2 billion in entertainment revenue.

Discovered Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five, Lionel Richie and the Commodores, Rick James, Debarge, Tina Marie, and signed them to Motown Records. 

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Founded de Passe Jones Entertainment an Emmy Award-winning television content and production company.

Former President of Motown Productions. Discovered Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, Lionel Richie and the Commodores, Rick James, Debarge, and many other successful recording artists and signed them to Motown Records when she oversaw the company’s records division for Berry Gordy. Produced the Golden Globe-winning mini-series Lonesome Dove starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. Suzanne has received over 100 awards and honors for her success in the entertainment business.

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TELEVISION:

  • Executive Producer: THE MARVIN GAYE STORY, the upcoming motion picture with Madison Jones and Andre "Dr. Dre" Young and director, Alan Hughes.

  • Executive Producer: FANG, written by Madison Jones and directed by Jon East (Downton Abbey, Killing Eve, Netflix Lost in Space, The Last Kingdom, Cursed., with Executive Producers: Tony Mark (The Hurt Locker, Robert Rodriguez Films Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) David Ortiz (Former head of Warner Games, developed Batman and Lord of the Rings video games.), Christopher Judge (Playstation Studios' GOD OF WAR)

  • Producer SONGBIRD: The Miriam Makeba Story (the South African singer and freedom fighter) NETFLIX, starring Kerry Washington (ABC's "Scandal") in the leading role, with Producers Madison Jones, Willette Klausner, David Franco, and Marc LeChat, Miriam's publicist.

  • Executive Producer: THE ASSASSINATION OF MARILYN MONROE, with Madison Jones and Ron Bass (Oscar for writing Rain Man) and Dan Gordon (Wyatt Earp, Passenger 57)

  • Executive Producer: The Annual ABFF AWARDS on BET with American Black Film Festival Founder Jeff Friday. The definitive award show honoring African American talent in Hollywood. Honorees include: Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, Terrance Howard,    Ryan Cooler (Director, Marvel Comics BLACK PANTHER)

  • Executive Producer: MICHAEL JACKSON: SEARCHING FOR NEVERLAND for Lifetime A&E Networks

  • Executive Producer: THE EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE STORY based on Maurice White's Book and being produced in association with Verdine White and Holly Davis Carter 

  • Executive Producer: Star Jones' DAYTIME DIVAS, starring Vanessa Williams, VH1

  • Executive Producer: THE REDD FOXX STORY

  • Executive Producer: THE BLACK HOLLYWOOD AWARDS with Suzanne de Passe, Host: Tyler Perry

  • Executive Producer: FRONTIER, Mini-Series on the founding and history of Australia with Producer Paul Currie, Mel Gibson's HACKSAW RIDGE

  • Executive Producer: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S 2009 COMMANDER IN CHIEF'S INAUGURAL BALL/ Nation's Capital

  • Executive Producer: SISTER, SISTER: Half-hour sitcom – 122 episodes completed/WB

  • Executive Producer: SMART GUY: Half-hour sitcom – 51 episodes completed/ WB

  • Executive Producer: ON OUR OWN: Half-hour sitcom – 19 episodes completed/ ABC,

  • Executive Producer: THE MOTOWN REVUE starring SMOKEY ROBINSON: Six one-hour episodes/ NBC

  • Executive Producer: THE TEMPTATIONS, NBC, four hours.NAACP Image Award Winner for Best Miniseries. (Nominated for six Emmy Awards, including Best Mini-Series, and won an Emmy for Best Director.)  Also nominated for a Golden Globe and won the Producers Guild Award; Directors Guild Award; and Prism Award.

  • Executive Producer: DEAD MAN’S WALK/ ABC, 5 hours.

  • Executive Producer: BUFFALO GIRLS/ CBS, 4 hours.  Nominated for eleven Emmy Awards, including Best Miniseries and Best Actress.

  • Executive Producer: STREETS OF LAREDO/ CBS, 5 hours.

  • Executive Producer: RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE/ CBS, 4 hours.

  • Executive Producer: THE JACKSONS: An American Dream, ABC, five hours. Nominated for multiple Emmy Awards, including Best Miniseries.

  • Executive Producer: LONESOME DOVE/ CBS, 8 hours. Emmy, Golden Globe, Peabody Award-winning miniseries.  Named “Outstanding Program of the Year” by Television Critics Association, Best Miniseries in TV Guide Annual Readers Choice Awards, D.W. Griffith Award by National Board of Review.  Among other honors, the success of this landmark western resulted in de Passe’s induction into the Cowboy Hall of Fame.  “Lonesome Dove” was based on Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

  • Executive Producer: SMALL SACRIFICES/ABC.  Nominated for 3 Emmy Awards, including Best Miniseries and 2 Golden Globe Awards.  Winner of the Peabody Award.  Based on Ann Rule’s best-selling book.

  • Executive Producer: THE LORETTA CLAIBORNE STORY – 2-hour. Disney/ABC

  • Executive Producer: SOMEONE ELSE’S CHILD – 2-hour/ABC

  • Executive Producer: THE LAST ELECTRIC KNIGHT – (aka SIDEKICKS) – 2-hour/ ABC

  • Executive Producer: BRIDESMAIDS – 2-hour/ CBS

  • Executive Producer: HAPPY ENDINGS – 2-hour/ CBS

  • Executive Producer: ZENON: ZEE THREE – 2-hour/ The Disney Channel.

  • Executive Producer: ZENON: THE ZEQUEL – 2-hour/ The Disney Channel. When it aired, the movie had the highest-ever rating for a Disney Channel original movie.

  • Executive Producer: CHEATERS – 2-hour/HBO Films

  • Executive Producer: ZENON, GIRL OF THE 21ST CENTURY – 2 hour/The Disney Channel

  • Executive Producer: 70TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE TO THE APOLLO THEATER: 2-hour/NBC

  • Executive Producer: MOTOWN 40: THE MUSIC IS FOREVER, 4 hour documentary/ ABC.

  • Executive Producer: MOTOWN 30: WHAT’S GOIN’ ON, 2-hour/CBS, Emmy Award Nominee

  • Executive Producer: MOTOWN MERRI X-MAS, 1 hour/ ABC

  • Executive Producer: MOTOWN RETURNS TO THE APOLLO, 3-hour/NBC. Emmy Award winner for best variety Program. NAACP Image Award winner.

  • Executive Producer: MOTOWN 25: YESTERDAY, TODAY, FOREVER, 2-hour, 1983, NBC, Motown Productions, Emmy Award winner for best variety program. Winner of NAACP Image Award and Peabody Award.   Executive Producer & Writer.

  • Executive Producer: MOTOWN ON SHOWTIME

  • – Smokey Robinson – One-hour/Showtime

  • – Comedy on Campus – One-hour/Showtime

  • – Michael Jackson – One-hour/Showtime

  • – Marvin Gaye One-hour/Showtime

  • – Temptations and Four Tops – One-hour/Showtime

  • Executive Producer: ZANE’S SEX CHRONICLES: – Series/ HBO-Cinemax – 13 Episodes.

  • Showtime at The Apollo: 130 one-hour episodes completed, variety program format. Syndicated through Warner Brothers/Telepictures.

  • Lonesome Dove, The Outlaw Years: 44 one-hour episodes completed

  • Night Life: (195) half-hour episodes, talk show.

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AWARD PROGRAMS:

2006 Black Movie Awards: A Celebration of Black Cinema: Past, Present, & Future. A 90-minute special which aired nationally on Turner Network Television (TNT) Hosted by Tyler Perry
Black Movie Awards: A Celebration of Black Cinema: Past, Present, & Future. A 90-minute special which aired nationally on Turner Network Television (TNT)
Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer
34th NAACP Image Awards, 2-hour special/FOX,
Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer.
2003 Essence Awards, 2-hour special/ FOX
Winner of the 2004 NAACP Image Award for Best Variety Music Program.
Hosted by Steve Harvey.
2002 Essence Awards, 2-hour special/FOX
Hosted by Steve Harvey
33rd NAACP Image Awards, 2-hour special/FOX
Hosted by Chris Tucker
32nd NAACP Image Awards, 2-hour special/FOX
Hosted by Chris Tucker

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WRITER:

The recipient of an Academy Award nomination for co-writing the screenplay “LADY SINGS THE BLUES,” de Passe won 2 Emmy Awards and NAACP Image Awards as Executive Producer of “MOTOWN 25: YESTERDAY, TODAY, FOREVER” and “MOTOWN RETURNS TO THE APOLLO.”

 

SPECIAL RECOGNITION:

Ms. de Passe is currently featured in HBO’s, THE BLACK LIST: Vol. 2. This is the second installment of the documentary including other prominent African Americans such as filmmaker Tyler Perry, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and Pastor T.D. Jakes.

Ms. de Passe has also received countless awards for her contributions to the television, movie and music industries including:

Essence: Hollywood Women of Power Visionary Award
Savannah Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award
Black Enterprise Top 50 Hollywood Power Brokers
The AWRT (American Women in Radio and Television) Silver Satellite Award
Revlon Business Woman of the Year Award
Inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame
Essence Award
Women in Film Crystal Award

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COMMUNITY HONORS:

Center for The Advancement of Women: Changing the Landscape for Women Honoree
Jackie Robinson Foundation Trailblazer Award

Ebony Magazine selected de Passe for its highest honor, presenting her with the Madame C. J. Walker Award

Whitney M. Young Award; Los Angeles Urban League’s highest accolade.  (In keeping with tradition, de Passe presented the award to Magic Johnson.)

Additionally, she has appeared as a speaker before numerous businesses and industry trade groups, including:
Miller Brewing Company; Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association; Burger King Franchise Owners Association Chicago Minority Business Development Council.

 

The subject of 2 Harvard Business School case studies: “Suzanne de Passe and Motown Productions” and “de Passe Entertainment, Ms. de Passe has lectured at the Harvard Business School on several occasions.  de Passe was named Time Warner Visiting Professor to the Department of Radio, Television and Film at Howard University’s John H. Johnson School of Communications. A post she held for the requisite 3 years.  During Howard University’s 138th Charter Day celebration

Ms. de Passe received an honorary doctorate degree of Doctor of Humanities.

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BOARDS, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Member
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Honorary Member
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Member
American Film Institute, Trustee
American Society of Composers and Publishers, Member
Caucus of Writers, Producers and Directors, Executive Committee
Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Board Member
Humanities Prize, Board Member
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Former Board Member
Los Angeles Opera, Board Member
National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, Member
National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, Member
New York City Ballet, Former Board Member
Producers Guild of America, Member
Writers Guild of America, Member

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