Good Morning POU!
Avery Sunshine sings for the grown folks. Her music is soul food with top shelf liquor.
Denise Nicole White is her actual name (something I didn’t know!), originally from Pennsylvania, she graduated from Spelman College in 1998 with a degree in Philosophy.
Ugly Part Of Me (Video is hilarious)
In college, White met Maia Nkenge Wilson, a vocal major, and together they formed a gospel and r&b singing duo, DaisyRew. In addition to performing in Africa, DaisyRew played 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, would return to Atlanta. While working at the St. Paul AME Church, White met Dana Johnson, a guitarist, producer and songwriter who had previously worked with India.Arie. White, Johnson and Wilson began working together in 2003 with Johnson writing and producing the music, in addition to managing DaisyRew’s career. Soon after, Wilson was again cast in a Broadway production, and she left for New York. White then adopted the name AverySunshine.
Sweet Afternoon
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.
Call My Name
White and Johnson began work on what would become AverySunshine’s self-titled debut album, released in 2010 on their own label, BigShine. Recorded mainly at White’s home with ProTools, the record included guest appearances from pianist Takana Miyamoto, vibraphone player Roy Ayers and Christian McBride. The record was praised by the media, with USA Today calling it “refreshingly original” and The Washington Post describing it as “a radiant brand of soul.” White—a single mother of two – focused on AverySunshine, but also accepted jobs as a keyboardist with artists including Tyler Perry and Jennifer Holiday and served as a choral director for Atlanta performances by artists such as Michael Bublé, Anthony Hamilton, and David Foster. From 2010 until late 2013, AverySunshine toured consistently, and developed a following throughout the United States, the UK, Europe, and Africa. They began recording a second album, The Sunroom, in November 2013, which was released in May 2014 through a partnership with Shanachie Records.
White lives in Atlanta, GA. 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.
Come Do Nothing