AverySunshine explained

AverySunshine
Birth Name:Denise Nicole White
Birth Date:1975 5, mf=yes
Birth Place:Chester, Pennsylvania
Genre:R&B, soul
Occupations:Singer, songwriter
Instruments:Piano, vocals
Years Active:1993–present
Label:BigShine, Shanachie

Denise Nicole White (born May 22, 1975),[1] known professionally as AverySunshine,[2] is an American singer, songwriter and pianist.[3]

Early life and education

White was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, to Ruth Eleanor White and Irving Cyril White. She began playing piano at 8, after she saw a classmate perform, and learned to read hymns before beginning to study classical music at 11. At 13, she expanded her repertoire to include jazz and had her first recital.[4] Three years later, her aunt, a church choir director, asked Sunshine to fill in for her during a Sunday service at a Catholic church; she was subsequently hired by churches of all denominations, including the AME Church, where she performed with the award-winning Wilmington/Chester Mass Choir.[5] [6]

White, who sang in her high school choir, graduated from the Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 1993. She attended Spelman College in Atlanta,[7] and although she enrolled as a piano major, she changed course after she became disillusioned with the music program. Sunshine graduated with a degree in philosophy in 1998.[8]

Career

In college, White met Maia Nkenge Wilson, a vocal major, and together they formed a gospel and R&B singing duo, DaisyRew.[9] In addition to performing in Africa, DaisyRew performed at churches in the area and at clubs, including the Apache Café, which was noted for launching the careers of several prominent artists, including India.Arie. Wilson was cast in a Broadway role following college, and Sunshine was hired as the Minister of Music at the St. Paul AME Church in Atlanta. DaisyRew continued to perform when Wilson, on breaks from her theatrical career in New York, returned to Atlanta.[10]

While working at the St. Paul AME Church, White met Dana Johnson, a guitarist, producer and songwriter who had previously worked with India.Arie.[11] White, Johnson and Wilson began working together in 2003 with Johnson writing and producing the music, in addition to managing DaisyRew's career.[12] Soon after, Wilson was again cast in a Broadway production and she left for New York. White then adopted the name AverySunshine. Her stage name is derived from the characters Shug Avery from The Color Purple and Sunshine from Harlem Nights.

In 2005, White and Johnson recorded "Stalker", a neo soul song, which a friend, Chris Brann, set to a house beat. The track became a dance hit on a Japanese record label, which led to a series of live dates in Japan.[13]

White and Johnson began work on what became AverySunshine's self-titled first album, released in 2010 on their own label, BigShine. Recorded mainly at White's home with ProTools, the record included guest appearances by the pianist Takana Miyamoto, the vibraphone player Roy Ayers and Christian McBride.[14] [15] The record was praised by the media, with USA Today calling it "refreshingly original"[16] and The Washington Post describing it as "a radiant brand of soul".[17] White — a single mother of two – focused on AverySunshine, but also accepted jobs as a keyboard player with artists including Tyler Perry and Jennifer Holliday and worked as a choral director for Atlanta performances by artists such as Michael Bublé, Anthony Hamilton and David Foster.[18] From 2010 until late 2013, AverySunshine toured consistently, and developed a following throughout the United States,[19] the UK,[20] Europe and Africa.[21] They began recording a second album, The Sunroom, in November 2013, which was released in May 2014 through a partnership with Shanachie Records.[22] In 2017, she released her third album, Twenty Sixty Four.

Personal life

White lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Divorced in 2008, she is the mother of two children, a daughter, Drew, and a son, Evan. On April 3, 2016, White married her guitarist Dana Johnson.[23]

Awards

Discography

Albums

Singles

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brown. Tony. Happy Birthday Shirley Murdock, Donell Jones, Johnny Gill, Leela James, Vivian Green, and Avery Sunshine!. wdasfm.iheart.com. iHeartMedia, Inc.. April 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160513050809/http://wdasfm.iheart.com/onair/tony-brown-the-quiet-storm-4353/happy-birthday-shirley-murdock-donell-jones-13614485/. May 13, 2016. dead.
  2. Web site: Nero. Mark Edward. Avery Sunshine Biography. about.com. About Entertainment. April 10, 2016. April 25, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160425035828/http://randb.about.com/od/classicartistsaz/p/Avery-Sunshine.htm. dead.
  3. Web site: Grimes. William. Get. Arts. Fast.. https://web.archive.org/web/20140410134919/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/arts/music/get-arts-fast.html?_r=0. April 10, 2014. New York Times. March 21, 2014. dead.
  4. Web site: Stanton. Monica. R&B Vocalist Avery Sunshine: Everybody Loves the Sunshine. Agenda. March 18, 2014.
    - Web site: Valeris. Monique. 5 Questions with R&B Singer Avery*Sunshine. Essence. March 17, 2014.
  5. Web site: Lewis. Pete. AVERY SUNSHINE: SUNNY DELIGHT!. Blues and Soul. March 17, 2014.
  6. Web site: Hill. Chanel. Successful Chester singer Sunshine comes home. https://archive.today/20140317212359/http://www.phillytrib.com/delawaremetroarticles/successful-chester-singer-sunshine-comes-home.html. dead. March 17, 2014. Philadelphia Tribune. March 17, 2014.
  7. Web site: Scott. Rose. Music is Life, Avery Sunshine Sings It Her Way. NPR (WABE). March 18, 2014.
  8. Web site: How Sweet the Sound: Spelman's Musical Superstars. Spelman College. Inside Spelman. March 17, 2014.
    - Web site: Hunter. Samantha. Avery Sunshine On Working With Tyler Perry, Being An Indie Artist, And Being Happy Where You Are. VH1. March 17, 2014.
  9. Web site: Nero. Mark Edward. Who is Avery*Sunshine?. About.com. March 18, 2014. March 31, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331101350/http://randb.about.com/od/classicartistsaz/p/Avery-Sunshine.htm. dead.
  10. Web site: Gayle. Darryl. Successful Chester singer Sunshine comes home. https://archive.today/20140317212416/https://www.phillytrib.com/the-learning-key/tag/Avery%20Sunshine.html. dead. March 17, 2014. Philadelphia Tribune. March 17, 2014.
  11. Web site: Jazzanooga 2014: Gregory Porter and Avery*Sunshine. Chattanooga Onstage. March 18, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331101621/http://chattanoogaonstage.com/events/jazzanooga-2014-gregory-porter/. March 31, 2014. dead.
  12. Rys. Dan. Avery*Sunshine Builds Her Social Network Base Onstage and Off. Billboard. March 17, 2014.
  13. Web site: Emerson. Bo. Avery Sunshine brings warmth in new CD. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331104102/http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/entertainment/music/avery-sunshine-brings-warmth-in-new-cd/nQ4jX/. March 31, 2014. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 17, 2014. dead.
  14. Web site: BET Sound Off Staff . SoundOff Spotlight: Avery Sunshine . https://web.archive.org/web/20110704230714/http://blogs.bet.com/music/sound-off/soundoff-spotlight-avery-sunshine/ . July 4, 2011 . March 17, 2014 . dead .
  15. Web site: Nathan. David. AVERY SUNSHINE 2010 SOULMUSIC.COM INTERVIEW. Soul Music. March 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331100656/http://www.soulmusic.com/index.asp?S=1&T=38&ART=193. March 31, 2014. dead.
  16. Web site: Laykin. Cerraeh. The Playlist. USA Today. March 17, 2014.
  17. News: Malitz . David . Nightlife Agenda . Washington Post . March 17, 2014 .
    - Web site: Gipson . L. Michael . Avery*Sunshine Review . Soul Tracks . July 20, 2010 . March 18, 2014 .
    - Web site: E Christopher J . Avery*Sunshine Brightens Us With EP and Album . Soulified . March 18, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120320122402/http://www.soulified.com/2010/03/averysunshine-brightens-us-with-ep-and-album/ . March 20, 2012 .
  18. Web site: Garnes. Edward. Avery Sunshine: Heaven only knows. Creative Loafing. March 17, 2014.
    - Web site: ChirlGirl. On Air @ChirlGirl : Who Is AVERY SUNSHINE. https://archive.today/20140331222214/http://v1019.cbslocal.com/2012/11/09/chirlgirl-who-is-avery-sunshine/. March 31, 2014. V101.9 (CBS local). March 18, 2014. dead.
  19. Web site: Johnson. Chevel. AVERY*SUNSHINE SET FOR ESSENCE FESTIVAL DEBUT. Associated Press. March 18, 2014.
  20. Web site: Patterson. Joseph. AVERY SUNSHINE & ANTHONY DAVID: THE INTERVIEW!. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331100555/http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/urban/245933-avery-sunshine-anthony-david-the-interview. March 31, 2014. MTV (UK). March 18, 2014. dead.
  21. Web site: Bernard. Adam. Sound Check: Avery*Sunshine – Real Life. Soul Train. March 17, 2014.
  22. Web site: Williams. Stereo. Avery Sunshine: Singer-keyboardist radiates with a presence as warm as her name. Rolling Out. August 14, 2013 . March 17, 2014.
    - Web site: Miers. Jeff. Avery*Sunshine brings positive vibrations to the Tralf Music Hall on Saturday. Buffalo News. March 18, 2014.
  23. Web site: McGloster. Niki. Vixen Initiation: Avery Sunshine Discusses The Downside Of Rising Artistry And The Double-Edged Sword Of Soul. https://archive.today/20140331222209/http://www.vibe.com/article/vixen-initiation-avery-sunshine-discusses-downside-rising-artistry-and-double-edged-sword. dead. March 31, 2014. Vibe. March 18, 2014.
  24. Web site: Barbour. Shannon. Don't be fooled by Avery*Sunshine's name, she's more than a cheery girl. https://archive.today/20140331222251/http://clatl.com/cribnotes/archives/2011/04/08/dont-let-averysunshines-name-fool-you-shes-more-than-a-cheerful-church-girl. dead. March 31, 2014. Creative Loafing ATL. April 8, 2011. March 18, 2014.
  25. Web site: Avery Sunshine. All Music Guide. March 18, 2014.
  26. Web site: Augustin. Camille. New Music: Avery Sunshine 'Call My Name'. Vibe. July 5, 2014. April 25, 2014.

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