Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunny Wilkinson.
Hi Sunny, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am the daughter of a Methodist minister. I started singing as soon as I could walk. It was a natural that I sang in choirs all my life. After high school I joined a rock/folk band (Pastry) and sang in clubs. In college I sang with a Blood, Sweat, and Tears style band called Goldmyne. I also played trombone and sang with the Arizona State Jazz Band These experiences paved the way for me moving to Los Angeles and embarking on my professional career. For 15 years I ate, slept and breathed music, singing in clubs, doing casuals (private parties) and lots of session work. I am still (40 years later) getting residuals for my singing work on the syndicated show “Saved By the Bell.” I was also a “Solid Gold’ singer. Styx Hooper ( the drummer for the “Jazz Crusaders” and president of NARAS (Grammys) produced my first CD in 1989. It was a Japanese release and went to number 5 on the Japanese charts (not sure about the number, could have been 7) My other CDs can be found on my website: sunnywilkinson.com. Each of the recordings has a story as they were each labors of love.My latest CD “Into the Light” went to number 25 on the charts. It features my Michigan band who has been playing with me for over 20 years. With a lot of originals and special arrangements, the general theme is the importance of family and community.At 73, I still am singing concerts and teaching select students. It is always a joy and a challenge to prepare for a concert and bring an audience together in music.
For 12 years I have been honing my skills as a potter and am now a member of the Greater Lansing Potters’ Guild. I continue to work at refining my skills and love to get into the creative zone playing in clay.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, being human isn’t easy. “We are complicated beings bumping into each other a thousand times a day. “I’m not sure who said that, but it is so true. There are always difficulties and challenges with any project or human interaction. I have been a jazz musician and educator for 50 years. My great joy has been mentoring and guiding young people into the soul of the music and watching them emerge as people and artists. Nothing in the music is easy. It must be practiced and lived and breathed, and then studied some more. It is a journey. The more you practice and work the music, the deeper your skill level, and the easier and smoother it gets. I’m 73 years old and I still find great pleasure in going to the piano and delving deep into a new tune.
The more I prepare, the easier and smoother the journey. For example, when I do a concert, I prepare the charts for my band well in advance, practice the songs until they are ingrained on my brain, and work with my pianist to sort out any potential trouble spots. By the time our rehearsals and concerts come around, it is smooth and easy. Most of all, it paves the way for the spirit of fun and play in the music. That’s what the audience comes to see, an adventure. They want to be pulled into the joy of music making.
I think the biggest struggle along the way is self confidence. It is so easy to allow insecurity to creep in and color your interactions with musicians and audiences. It took me decades to be bold and confident on stage.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I developed the Vocal Jazz Program at Michigan State University and taught there almost 20 years. Working with young people and helping them develop into artists and great human beings has been important in my life.Now I am an artist in residence at the University of Michigan, giving masterclasses three times a semester and I continue to marvel at the young talent in our world. I am also a member of the Greater Lansing Potters’ Guild and am enthralled with making pottery.
In the early 1990s I started a mentoring project for young women in jazz called “Sisters In Jazz.” We paired young women jazz musicians with older professionals and had them spend a year in a mentorship, giving professional advice on how to dress, how to address an audience, how to communicate musical ideas, etc. At the end of the year, the mentors and mentees performed a concert at the Michigan Jazz Festival. The program had such success, that it was taken international through the International Association of Jazz Education. Young women jazz musicians from around the world auditioned to be a part of the Sisters in Jazz Group at the IAJE convention. The chosen musicians were mentored by a famous woman professional jazz musician and at the end of the convention, they performed a concert. Many of our young musicians now have rich performing, recording and touring careers. I am immensely proud of this accomplishment. Sisters in Jazz is alive and well through the Jazz Education Network. I’m thrilled that Sisters in Jazz is still encouraging young women in jazz.
How do you define success?
Intending to do something and doing it. That is success. As I get older, success in life and projects has more to do with joy and a sense of fulfillment and happiness.The older I get, the more I try to be present to the moments in my life and enjoy the little things. I love being in nature, watching the deer and wild turkey outside my window. Creating pottery and making music makes me happy. Entertaining and cooking for friends brings me joy. Happiness is a state of being. So in the end, it is not really about doing, it is about being.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sunnywilkinson.com/
- Facebook: Sunny Wilkinson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sunnywilkinson5113/playlists
