Sunny Sweeney

Sunny Sweeney

Headshot of Sunny Sweeney at 2010 photoshoot
Background information
Birth name Sunny Michaela Sweeney
Born (1976-12-07) December 7, 1976 [1]
Houston, Texas, United States
Genres Country
Occupation(s) Musician, Songwriter
Instruments Vocals, rhythm guitar
Years active 2004–present
Labels Big Machine, Republic Nashville, Thirty Tigers

Sunny Michaela Sweeney (born December 7, 1976) is an American country music artist. She is signed to the Thirty Tigers label. She was formerly with the Republic Nashville label and Big Machine Records. Her debut album, Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame, was independently issued in 2006 and then regionally released in 2007. It produced three regional (Texas, Oklahoma) singles in "If I Could", "Ten Years Pass" and "East Texas Pines", and these songs charted on the Texas Music Chart. In June 2010, the lead-off to her second studio album, "From a Table Away," became her first single to chart.

Biography

Sunny Sweeney performing.

Sunny Sweeney was born in Houston, Texas. Initially, Sweeney lived in Austin, TX and went to Southwest Texas State University. She moved to New York City to take a break from school. Once ready to face school again, she returned to Texas and got a degree in Public Relations from SWT.[2][3]

After college, she started a band and played local bars in Austin and began to branch out and play around Texas. She put out her first album with the production help of Tommy Detamore in March 2006. After gaining a following on the club circuit in her native Texas, Sweeney signed to the independent Big Machine Records label.[4] She also toured throughout Europe in 2007.[2] Her debut album, Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame, was initially self-released in March 2006, and was reissued in March 2007 on Big Machine.[5] The album was pushed to the Texas Music Chart and produced three regional singles in the songs, "If I Could," "Ten Years Pass" and "East Texas Pines".

In 2009, Sweeney was signed as the first artist to Republic Nashville, a newly founded joint venture between Big Machine and Universal Republic Records.[6] Her first single for the label is "From a Table Away," which was released on June 28, 2010. It became her first chart single when it debuted at No. 58 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of June 26, 2010. In March 2011, the song entered the Top 10 of the chart.

Republic Nashville released Sweeney's second studio album, Concrete on August 23, 2011.[7] The album was produced by Brett Beavers consists of ten tracks, including one co-written with Radney Foster and Jay Clementi.[8] "Staying's Worse Than Leaving" and "Drink Myself Single" were released as the album's second and third singles, respectively, and both were minor Top 40 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart. Sweeney and Big Machine parted ways in 2012.

In 2013, Sweeney signed a recording contract with the Thirty Tigers record label. Her debut label single entitled "Bad Girl Phase" was released in June 2014. Through the fan-sponsored PledgeMusic program, Sweeney issued her third studio record, Provoked, on August 5, 2014.[9] "My Bed," a duet with Will Hoge, was released in early 2015 as the album's second single.

Dreamer: A Tribute to Kent Finlay, released in early 2016 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Sweeney and Randy Rogers' duet "Between You and Me."[10]

Personal life

Sunny wed her longtime boyfriend, Jeff Hellmer, on November 11, 2011, in a Las Vegas wedding ceremony that included family and close friends.[11]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions Sales
US Country US US Indie
Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame — — —
Concrete 7 21 —
Provoked
  • Release date: August 5, 2014
  • Label: Aunt Daddy Records
  • Format: CD, music download
 20 165 25
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Extended plays

Title Details Peak chart
positions
US Country US
Heat
Sunny Sweeney — EP
  • Release date: January 18, 2011
  • Label: Republic Nashville
  • Formats: music download
 41 12

Singles

Year Single Peak chart
positions		 Album
US Country US
2007 "If I Could" — — Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame
2008 "Ten Years Pass" — —
"East Texas Pines" — —
2010 "From a Table Away" 10 71 Concrete
2011 "Staying's Worse Than Leaving" 38 —
"Drink Myself Single" 36 —
2014 "Bad Girl Phase" — — Provoked
2015 "My Bed" (duet with Will Hoge) — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Video Director
2007 "If I Could" Todd Cassetty
2010 "From a Table Away" David McClister
2011 "Staying's Worse Than Leaving" Roman White
2015 "My Bed" (with Will Hoge)[14] Michael Ponce

Awards and Nominations

Year Association Category Result
2013 ACM Awards Top New Female Artist Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "Sunny Sweeney Biography". Full Issue. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Sunny Sweeney biography". Country Music Television. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  3. ↑ "New Artist Spotlight: Sunny Sweeney". Great American Country. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  4. ↑ Reges, Margaret. "Sunny Sweeney biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  5. ↑ "Sunny Sweeney signs with Big Machine". Country Standard Time. 2006-11-16. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
  6. ↑ "New Nashville label starts with Sunny Sweeney aboard". Country Standard Time. 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  7. ↑ Shelburne, Craig. "Summer Preview: 12 New Country Albums". CMT. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  8. ↑ Stark, Phyllis. "Sunny Sweeney: One To Watch In 2011". MSN. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "Sunny Sweeney "Bad Girl Phase" - Single Review". For the Country Record. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help);
  10. ↑ "Various Artists: Dreamer: A Tribute to Kent Finlay". AllMusic.
  11. ↑ Chuck Dauphin (November 14, 2011). "Sunny Sweeney Marries Longtime Boyfriend". Billboard.
  12. ↑ "The Country Boys Continue to Dominate the Charts". Roughstock. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  13. ↑ Matt Bjorke (August 20, 2014). "Country Album Sales Report – August 20, 2014". Roughstock.
  14. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Sunny Sweeney : My Bed (featuring Will Hoge)". Country Music Television. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
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