Whitney Shay has won four San Diego Music Awards, including 'Best Artist of the Year' in 2019.
16 Facts About Whitney Shay
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Whitney Shay has cited Etta James as her biggest influence, although particularly admired the 1950s singers such as Big Mama Thornton, Big Maybelle, Ruth Brown, LaVerne Baker and Helen Humes.
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Whitney Shay's songs have been used on television and in film, including the syndicated NBC TV show, Timeless, and on cable networks such as HBO, Bravo, and BET, plus in Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral.
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Whitney Shay grew up near Alpine, California, on her parents ranch, surrounded by Clydesdale horses.
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Whitney Shay was mainly raised by her mother and grandmother; her stepfather assisted Whitney Shay in this regard in her teenage years.
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Whitney Shay's family relocated to the Japatul Valley near Jamul, California, while Shay was in high school.
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In college, Whitney Shay studied theater, being particularly interested in dance in a theater setting, and to his day still has ambitions to act as well as sing.
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In 2009, Whitney Shay moved away from theatrical production ambitions to front her own band and develop her stage craft.
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Whitney Shay grew to admire the 1950s singers such as Big Mama Thornton, Big Maybelle, Ruth Brown, LaVerne Baker and Helen Humes.
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In 2012, Whitney Shay was offered the opportunity to record her debut album with record producer Archie Thompson, at Stat Records Studio.
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Whitney Shay signed a single-album contract with the Little Village Foundation, who issued her second album, A Woman Rules the World.
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Whitney Shay was a 2019 Blues Music Award nominee, and collected the Best Blues Album and Artist of the Year titles at the 2019 San Diego Music Awards.
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In 2019, Whitney Shay signed a new recording contract with the German record label, Ruf Records.
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Apart from ten original songs, Whitney Shay included her versions of "Tell The Truth", written by the 5 Royales member, Lowman Pauling, and "I Never Meant to Love Him", penned by Ronald Clyde Carlson and Terri McFaddin, and originally recorded by Etta James.
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Whitney Shay was due to support her album on Ruf's annual Blues Caravan tour with Ryan Perry and Jeremiah Johnson, before the COVID-19 pandemic scuppered everyone's plans.
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Whitney Shay's songs have been used on television and in film, including the syndicated NBC TV show, Timeless, and on cable networks such as HBO, Bravo, and BET, plus in Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral.