Sunshine Becker
| Sunshine Becker | |
|---|---|
Sunshine Becker 7/23/2011 @ Mann Center (Philadelphia) with Furthur
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sunshine Flower Garcia |
| Also known as | Sunshine (Garcia) Becker |
| Born |
July 1, 1972 Oakland, California |
| Genres | Rock, Psychedelic rock, Jazz, Gospel, World, R & B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Associated acts |
Furthur (2009-2014) SoVoSó (1995-present) Passenger (1992-present) The Everyone Orchestra (2012-present) Jay's Happy Sunshine Burger Joint (2013-present) |
| Website | furthur.net |
Sunshine Becker (born Sunshine Flower Garcia on July 1, 1972) is an American singer who performed backing vocals for the band Furthur. Despite her maiden name, Garcia, she is not related to Jerry Garcia, an incorrect assumption made by some because of her involvement with Furthur, a post-Garcia incarnation of the Grateful Dead. Similarly, despite her first name, Sunshine, she is not to be confused with Sunshine Kesey, daughter of Ken Kesey and Carolyn Adams (aka Mountain Girl or MG), Jerry Garcia's second wife.
Sunshine was born in Oakland, California, to Gabriel Garcia and Juddee Kawaiola (née Watrous). Her father, who is of Hispanic descent, is from New Mexico and is a musician, playing primarily tenor saxophone, but also double bass, piano, and drums. Her mother, who is of Dutch, French, and English descent, is from San Francisco, and studied theater in college. Sunshine's parents met and married in Oakland, CA. She has a brother, Sean Gabriel Garcia, who is 4 years older, and who selected the middle name, Flower, for her when she was born. She grew up in the East Bay area in Oakland, CA and Hayward, CA and attended James Logan High School in Union City, CA, where she graduated in 1990. Sunshine credits her father, who taught her how to play piano at age 6, with her earliest musical exposure, having had a profound influence on her ultimately pursuing a musical career. She was also directly influenced by her grandfather, Frank Garcia, who had an orchestra in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1950s and 1960s.
In the sixth grade, at 11 years of age, Sunshine learned to play the recorder and flute. As a freshman in high school, she joined the school's prestigious marching band, eventually becoming the flute/woodwind section leader and in 1988, they won a competition at the Fiesta Bowl. Following high school, Sunshine attended California State University in Hayward, CA from 1990 to 1992, majoring in Expressive Arts. Having left Cal State, she moved into a house in San Francisco with several other aspiring musicians, including Jeff Pehrson, Jim Brunberg (of Box Set) and Jay Shaffer (of Passenger). Over the next few years, Sunshine worked variously as a vocalist with Oakland Youth Chorus' touring a cappella ensemble Vocal Motion, jam bands Passenger and Box Set, the funky drummer Ziggy Modeliste, and as a studio session singer. She ultimately concentrated her efforts in 1995 with SoVoSó (meaning "from the SOul to the VOice to the SOng"), a highly acclaimed improvisational a cappella group which evolved from Bobby McFerrin's vocal ensemble, Voicestra. She remains very active with SoVoSó and continues to perform on occasion with Passenger. She also functions as an instructor for Young Performers International, a nonprofit children's performing arts company in San Francisco, leads ongoing workshops teaching the art-form of CircleSinging, and provides private vocal coaching.
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