Biography:

Many may not have been familiar with the name Shari Addison a few short months ago. But since that time, she’s captured the hearts of millions as they cried, cheered and sung along with her on BET’s Sunday Best. The first runner-up on the premiere broadcast of the program, a gospel version of “American Idol,” Addison wowed audiences week after week with her powerful, gut-wrenching performances while winning countless fans along the way. The Chicago native is now ready to amaze audiences once again with her debut CD, SHARI ADDISON, hitting record store shelves on November 11, 2008.

For Shari, recording her debut release was a dream come true. But for her first CD to include some of the heaviest hitters in gospel music was “all in God’s timing.” “I am so grateful that God gave me ‘A’ players, anointed producers, for this CD,” says the singer. Percy Bady, Kevin Bond, Donald Lawrence and Daniel Weatherspoon, all giants in gospel music, lend their songwriting pens and production talents to the project. “Shari Addison is a name that the national and international community of believers will come to recognize and enjoy for years to come! The raw power of her voice, coupled with the weight of her testimony, will leave an indelible impression on all who are blessed to experience the depth of her anointing,” says GRAMMY Award winning producer Kevin Bond, who wrote the first single “No Battle, No Blessing.” “I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to work on her first solo effort.”

“I am so excited about this project. I honestly believe that this CD is so relevant; it’s a project that will meet people wherever they are,” says Shari. “All of the songs are me, but it’s a multi-faceted me and exposes many different layers of my faith. It’s uplifting and encouraging and I believe that no matter what’s going on during your day, there’s something that will minister to you,” she explains. Shari blends traditional, contemporary, urban and inspirational gospel on a solid 10-track release. Each and every song is sung with a fervor that can only be delivered from a person who knows what they’re singing about, and Addison gives one great delivery after another. Providing a dose of true inspiration, Addison speaks life to the listener on the heartening “It’s Your Time.”

Produced by Percy Bady, this flawless track was written by Clarence Singleton and is certain to leave the listener empowered and anticipating victory. With an urban vibe and sparse instrumentation, Shari sings about God doing whatever He needs to on “Whateva.” Shari says, “To me, it’s just such a funky song. Sometimes Christians need to hear something with a beat, but still with a Godly message.” Bady provides yet another gem with the pensive “You Know My Heart.” With a rare transparency – and a sweet acapella opening – the song is golden. Traditional is the word on the up-tempo “Please Make Me Better Lord.” Dusting off a James Cleveland classic, Shari’s pipes are on display as she gives a riveting performance on this commanding track. She turns up the octane during the vamp of this “get-out-of-your-pew” jam. “‘Please Make Me Better Lord’ is a standard that has new life breathed into it; a 4-plus minute rollercoaster ride that will have listeners saying, ‘Wow’!” Shari ministers beautifully on the first single, “No Blessing, No Battle,” and then adds another dose of funk on the groove-laden “I Praise You.”

An exquisite song stylist, Shari takes her time with the beautiful ballad, “He Does All Things Well,” which she co-wrote with Bady. The song is a wonderful display of her incredible skill for interpretation as well as her notable vocal range. It is also a personal testimony for the singer, expressing gratitude from the perspective of someone who has gone through and come through. Though she is adept at weaving her powerhouse vocals around almost any church song, Shari shines on the “good ‘ole time, shoutin’ shoes” songs. One such song is “Can’t Make It Without Him,” where her pastor, Christopher T. Harris, Sr. of Chicago’s Bright Star Church of God in Christ (where Shari is minister and psalmist), adds his own special flair. Shari Addison honed her chops in church. She began singing at the tender age of three, assisted by her mother Mary J. Jenkins – minister of music for Calvary Baptist Church in Chicago.

Although Shari’s ambition was to only sing in the background, something she attributes to “running from the call,” Addison says that she always found herself in the foreground. An accomplished vocalist and theatre actress, Shari Addison is no stranger to the stage. She’s performed at Carnegie Hall and in South Africa, Russia and Brazil. But it was an encounter at an audition with BET that put her on the path to fame. Hosted by gospel icon Kirk Franklin, with guest judges Mary Mary and BeBe Winans, the show’s participants were chosen at nationwide auditions as the network searched for the best undiscovered talent in America. BET’s first gospel talent competition, an apparent hit with audiences, garnered the highest ratings for a gospel show in its history with a voting audience of more than 1.5 million viewers. “I had entered other competitions before and had won,” says Shari. “But something happened when I watched gospel award shows. I would cry because I knew in my belly that’s what God wanted me to do.

On one Sunday morning, I was watching Bobby Jones Gospel and a thought came to me, ‘Lord, when are they going to have something like American Idol for people who just want to sing gospel music?’” Well, apparently, God heard her prayer. Only a few seconds after Shari’s thought, she heard blaring from the TV, “So you think you can sing gospel?” It “just so happened” to be an advertisement for auditions for BET’s upcoming show, Sunday Best. After a series of auditions and shows, she won second place along with a Zomba Gospel recording contract. And the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, doors have literally flung open for Addison with appearances on both BET’s Celebration of Gospel and Bobby Jones Gospel; as well as the Bobby Jones Gospel Industry Retreat, Trinity Broadcast Network’s Praise The Lord and the Chicago Gospel Fest. She’s been blessed to sing with Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Dottie Peoples, Martha Munizzi, BeBe Winans, Mary Mary, Michael McDonald, Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp and Stephanie Mills.

The married mother of four has already made waves in the gospel music industry with her memorable musical presentations and a highly-anticipated debut. But for her, it’s about so much more; she has a mission in mind. “I have music that’s for the church goers, but at the same time, I have music that’s for those who weren’t born and bred in the church. And the thing that I am thrilled about is that I didn’t have to compromise myself in any way to do it,” says Shari. “Through this project, I want people’s faith to be restored. I want to let them know that dreams have no expiration date. But most of all, I’m encouraging them to hold on until God brings them through.” 0908