EmiSunshine

EmiSunshine is an acclaimed singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist musician, who specializes in country and Americana music. She is known for writing and performing songs about subjects that would typically be considered unusual, for a teenager, such as murder, domestic violence, poverty, dysfunctional families and more. One of her songs, "90 Miles," is about autism. Born Emilie Sunshine Hamilton on June 8, 2004, in Maryville, Tennessee, Emi began writing songs with her mother, Alisha Hamilton, at the age of five. She began singing in public at age six, when her aunt entered her in a local singing competition, which she later won, at the age of seven. Emi formed a family band at age seven, which she initially named The Pig Band, in honor of her pet pig. Later, she renamed the band EmiSunshine and the Perfect Joy Revival, in recognition of her grandmother's and great grandmother's singing group. Emi began performing at churches, homecomings and festivals. In less than one year, she changed the name of her band, again, to EmiSunshine and The Rain. YouTube videos of Emi's performances began going viral, and when she was nine years old, she was invited to appear on "The Today Show," where she performed the classic song "Blue Yodel No. 9" by Jimmie Rodgers. When she was 13, she was featured in "The King," a documentary film about Elvis Presley, for which she wrote and performed two songs. The movie's soundtrack was later nominated for a Grammy. EmiSunshine has released several albums. Her latest, "Family Wars," was released on October 18, 2019 to critical acclaim, with the magazine No Depression calling Emi "a strong creative force... someone bold and talented enough to tackle today's issues while honoring yesterday's folk traditions." In December, 2019, EmiSunshine was presented with The ASCAP Foundation Desmond Child Anthem Award, which singles out one young artist annually for musical excellence.