Author: Deveron Patterson
Published: October 20, 2005
Tool: [ email ]
Hello Sunny, how are you? I’m doing great!
We want you to know that we love your record! Aww, I’m blushing… MORE OF YOU has got to be the best record I've heard in a long time!..personally! Well thank you so much!
What city are you from?
I was born in Berkeley, CA, but I was raised in Washington, DC.
Tell us about how you got started in the music biz?
Honestly, I don’t remember ever not singing in church. But I think the first thing I ever did professionally was a play at the Kennedy Center when I was 7 or 8. That same year (I think), my sister and I won Amateur of the Year at the Apollo—basically we just kept winning all year, and then we won the grand prize at the end of the year. I guess that was the beginning of my being in the music biz.
Name some of the artists you've worked with in the past.
I wrote a song called “Good Lovin” for Patti LaBelle, and a song called “Only Thing Missin” for Aretha Franklin, which actually ended up being the first single on her “So Damn Happy” album. I got to sing background on both of those songs. I’ve sung background for a bunch of people, which is always pretty fun—of course my godparents (Walter and Tramaine Hawkins) and Aretha and Patti, but also Chaka Khan, Ashanti, Ray Charles, Luther, Liza Minelli, Shaggy—I can’t remember everybody offhand, but it’s been a wide range of people and a bunch of different types of music. Plus I did RENT on Broadway with Joey Fatone (from NSYNC)…
What is the story behind the MORE OF YOU record in how it came to be?
My husband Jamie and I had always created music separately, and had toyed with the idea of coming together musically. So one day, we decided to sit down and make a beat together. The very beginning of “You’re Everything” is what we came up with. So he did his thing with the track, I did my thing with the lyrics and melody, and the rest is history. When we played the song for our friends, they’d always say “you guys just need to do a whole album.” And I couldn’t think of anyone that I could see recording “You’re Everything,” so we just kept writing. Before we knew it, we had a whole album’s worth of material.
In particular, what's the story behind the track
What A Man, that song came about after we saw “The Passion of the Christ.” That movie was so powerful and so intense that I dreamed about it. When I woke up, I had the idea for “What A Man.” I told Jamie about it and gave him an idea of the feel, style, and tempo I had in mind for the song. He went into his studio and came up with a track that fit perfectly with the vibe I was going for. I took the track into my studio, and the lyrics and melody just flowed. The whole writing process (track and song) probably took us about an hour tops. It literally just flowed for both of us.
Is it safe to say that this record is a more personal testament?
It’s definitely based on my experience of God and my relationship with Him. I can only tell my story, you know. This album is different from other albums about God, because it’s mostly love songs to Him. I think there are only like 2 songs where I’m not talking directly to God (“Daddy’s Got You Now” and “Love Me Too”). So it’s just me pouring my heart out to my Father, you know. It’s deeply personal.
With being an artist particularly in gospel, do you feel limited in your expression or do you feel that an artist should be allowed to talk about anything in relating to music?
I feel like God knew what He was doing when He made us human. For me to pretend to be anything but a whole human being is for me to deny a part of God’s creation. So I definitely believe in expressing myself as a human being. I do, however, feel a need to be responsible and not lyrically assault anyone else or misrepresent my relationship with God. But I can’t judge any other artist or songwriter. That’s not my job. There’s a whole book of the Bible where Solomon basically expresses his intense passion, love, and sexual desire for one of his wives. So I think Song of Solomon is God’s answer to the “secular versus sacred” question. Love is good! And David wrote a lot of Psalms about his weakness and his pain, but he always articulated God’s ability to fix it all. I think that my responsibility is to let it be known that Jesus is the Lord of my life, so that there’s always some light in whatever I’m talking about. I feel like if I have a bad experience or some negative emotions, writing is therapeutic. It helped David. But based on the Word of God—my final authority, whether or not every song I write is sacred is not at all an issue to my Heavenly Father.
With artists like Yolanda Adams, Martha Munizzi, and a host of others, your music is a bit different from theirs, if so, was that intentional or that's just who Sunny is?
Oh, I love Yolanda Adams and Martha Munizzi. I love their music, and I love their ministries. They’re doing what God gave them to do, and I’m doing what He gave me to do. I’m definitely not trying to be “the anti-Yolanda” or anything. I respect her so much—I grew up trying to sing her songs just like her. And on our praise and worship team at church, we do a bunch of Martha Munizzi stuff. It’s just that when God starts to use you, what comes out is unique to you. So I guess the short answer is, that’s just who Sunny is.
There are a lot of great artists from gospel to secular like Mary Mary, Tonex, Smokie, Beyonce, and Usher...Who would you say you pattern yourself after musically?
Oh I don’t know. I feel like I learn something every time I hear someone new. She doesn’t know it, but Melonie Daniels has been my vocal coach for the last couple of years. I don’t know if anyone on Earth can sing like that woman!! If they can, I’ve never heard them. But I find my own voice a little bit more every time I open up my mouth to use it. I learn a little more about new possibilities in writing or production every time I pop in some Tweet, some Stevie Wonder, some Andre 3000, or some new thing I might discover. I like a lot of people. Aretha is a definite favorite too. “Pattern” is such a strong word, though. I learned a minute ago that I’ll never fully succeed at emulating anyone else. It’s a losing battle that I’ve stopped trying to fight.
What is your take on today's Gospel Music as well as the music ministry and the music industry itself?
It’s cool. I like it. I think that the power of music is starting to be used to a fuller potential. I feel like more people are being reached by today’s Gospel music, because we’re realizing that the anointing comes from God—not from the organ or the tambourine. So as we’re getting the revelation that God created music, we’re starting to take back the whole sound spectrum for God’s glory. We’re seeing not only “Traditional” Gospel, and “Contemporary” Gospel, but Holy Hip-Hop, Gospel Soul, Gospel Jazz, Gospel Pop, shoot—Inspirational R&B! I think that’s great! We’re literally “going into all the world” with the message of Jesus Christ. Not everyone is going to be reached with the traditional sound of Gospel Music. So now there are musical avenues to get the message to everybody—while appealing to their varying musical tastes.
Who all worked on the record with you?
Besides the first intro-lude “Send Me I’ll Go,” which was written by me and our friend Michael Witwer, my husband Jamie and I wrote all of the songs. Jamie and I produced the album together, and Michael co-produced “Send Me I’ll Go” and “More of You” with us. We were blessed to have some help from our cousin Joel Smith. He played drums and bass on a couple of tracks, and Michael Witwer played guitars on a few tunes too, which was great. I did all the singing (except a sentence on “Jesus The Same”), and Jamie played everything those other big talent-balls didn’t play!
What and who inspires you the most?
I’m inspired by my godparents. They’ve been in ministry since before I was born, and they’ve never quit—even though they’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices. My godfather (and father-in-law) is Bishop Walter Hawkins. He is such an inspiration, because he preaches the Word so clearly—it’s so easy to understand. I’ve learned so much about God from him. Plus he’s always written these really personal songs about his experience with the Lord. He’s a wonderful musician, so they sound great, but the lyrics—“Knowing I’m not forsaken, I refuse to be shaken by tragedy. Whatever tomorrow’s theme, I can still sing cuz I know that He loves me…” I mean you can feel the passion in those songs. You can feel the pain. And godmommy Tramaine sings with so much conviction and anointing! When she’s tired, she sings anyway, and nobody can even tell. She always gives it her all. Her work ethic is amazing, and she has so much integrity. If I can learn anything about ministry and music, I can probably learn it from one of the two of them.
What has the response been like so far while working this current record?
So far, it’s been all love. We’ve done three sold-out shows at a really nice spot here in Oakland. We’ve done some stuff out of town too, and we have this email campaign going. I have a mailing list at my website www.sunnyhawkins.com and I keep people up with what I’m working on. The response has been AMAZING. Apparently the record is touching people’s lives, and people are being introduced to Jesus through the message. Others are recommitting their lives to the Lord. That’s what it’s all about, you know? I’m really happy that people are feeling the record.
How did you get the attention of Hidden Beach Records?
My managers hooked that up. I’m not really sure how. I think they heard one of my songs on the radio or something?? Don’t let me make anything up
Were you allowed to stay true to who you were as an artist signing with a company that's more of a Soul/R&B type label?..
Sometimes record execs tend to want to change an artist's sound and style after they're signed. Oh no! They didn’t try to change me. Hidden Beach already loved the album. The fit was great—they’re not a label that tries to make all of their artists have the same sound. They basically just wanted to help us get this music across to as many people as possible. And I’m not the first Christian artist on Hidden Beach—Bebe Winans is my label mate.
What's your favorite scripture, passage, or statement you live by?
“If I speak with tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am as sounding brass and clanging cymbals.” Basically, if I don’t walk in love, nothing else I do is right.
For other folk out there who may aspire to be a recording artist, what would you say to them?
If you’re sure that this is what you were meant to do, keep at it. If you’re not, pray about it and find out. There are so many challenges in the music industry that if you really aren’t sure that you were meant to be in it, you shouldn’t. And if you are, then get tight with Jesus, because it’s only Him that is going to keep you moving in the right direction. Be who God made you to be. Find your voice. Don’t imitate anybody else. The one you imitate will always be them better than you could ever be them. There’s only one you—if you aren’t you, then who’s gonna do what God has purposed especially for you to do? Just let God and your relationship with Him inform every aspect of your musical journey. Is that super deep? I don’t mean to be…
What do you want people to hear or know when they listen to your album?
I love the Lord, He loves me, and He loves you too—flaws and all. If you put a little time into getting to know Him, you’ll love Him too, because He, unlike you or I, is just perfect.
Is there anything else you'd like to say or any shout outs?
Yup, I wanna tell your readers to check out the website: www.SunnyHawkins.com . You can hear snippets from the album, see some pictures, and email me-- whatever you need. So check it out! Also, I wanna shout out my band—my cousin Jason Wright (drums), Pastor Elijah Green (bass), Steve Wireman (guitar), and my singers—Meesha Boyd, Roz Waller, Antoin Timmons, Tanisha Roberts Jackson, and Christian Scotsanini. My girlfriends Ebony Bostick and Tanya Leslie who help me soooo much in sooo many areas!! Kadada and Kaela, we can’t wait to have y’all on board! And thank you Deveron for wanting to know all this stuff about what I’m doing! Many blessings to you!! PeaceJ
It's been a pleasure, interviewing you!
Thanks again and May all your talents flourish in God!
