Singer/songwriter Whitney Shay was born in La Mesa and is now based in San Diego. She fell in love with the theater when she was three years old and saw a Royal Shakespeare Company production of “The Wizard of Oz” in London. She liked it, but thought she was going to be on the stage rather than just watching the show. Her parents enrolled her in theater classes shortly after that trip.
Shay began singing in high school, finding that she gravitated toward the work of singers like Etta James, whom she cites as her primary influence. She admired 1950s singers such as LaVerne Baker and Helen Humes. Shay studied acting briefly, but concentrated on music, and formed her own band in 2009.
Shay recorded her debut album in 2012, covering R&B, blues, and soul songs, and has remained mostly in the blues genre since. A review says:
“Let’s just say she blew my socks off . . . Hurricane Shay left me breathless.”
Shay also won the title of “Artist of the Year” and “Best Blues Album” at the 2019 San Diego Music Awards.
The concert, which also features The Sleepwalkers, is set for July 16 at the Music Box, a live music venue on India Street. Flyer printing is often successfully used to call attention to events like this.