She’s a powerful singer, a gifted songwriter, a tireless ministry partner, and an inspiring advocate for the marginalized, but growing up in a broken home in Columbus, Ohio, Shuree’s future was anything but secure. Her young life was marked by domestic violence and addiction among her family members, which led to hardship around every corner and culminated in the loss of her younger sister to a drug overdose.
Despite the chaos and challenges, Shuree grew up in a Christian home – kind of. She was four years old when a family from up the hill came knocking at her doorway. Her parents accepted Christ and began going to church. Though her family’s time in the church brought some peace to their home, it was short-lived, as the potency of addiction soon overwhelmed her family members once again. This led to a defining spiritual moment for Shuree. She had to decide for herself what she believed. In the end, God was real to her and the teachings of her church were powerful. At that young age, Shuree made the choice to return to church without her parents.
While that local congregation was a refuge and inspiration, so was music. She grew up admiring artists like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, and young Shuree constantly wrote songs of her own. It was a natural talent that hadn’t been nurtured, but was beginning to come out on it’s own. Talent shows and singing in church later confirmed that she loved to perform. However, more than just being on stage, it was connecting with people and evoking a response that grasped Shuree.
Unsure of how performing would fit into her future, at 17 Shuree heard a man play “Amazing Grace” on the saxophone and she knew she was being called. God’s plans for her became clear, and she knew that it was for Him that she needed to use her gifts and talents. Knowing that she needed a change, Shuree escaped the family drama by attending college in Nyack, New York, where she studied music business and began preparing for a career that fit within that spiritual calling.
Though she knew that she had talent in the musical realm, Shuree’s vision expanded beyond music from the start. Just writing songs wasn’t enough; she felt called to write songs that made a difference, and she embarked on a mission to produce real change through music. She too had discovered that she had become a moving speaker. The mission of “One Girl Can Change the World” was born shortly thereafter. Shuree released her first album by the same name and set out to make a palpable difference in peoples’ lives, particularly in the hearts and minds of young girls through highly engaging music that could compete with any artist out there. Through her ability to connect with people on a speaking level, she desired to save young people from the experiences that she had growing up. She wanted to be a guiding light for positivity and empower even small children to create a difference, first in their own lives, and then hopefully in the lives of others. Shuree wanted to “Be the Change.”
The “One Girl Can Change The World” album, the focused launch of Shuree’s mission, was accepted with open arms and to great celebration. Shuree travelled from city to city for the next two years, spreading her word of change through powerful speaking, via music that made people dance, sing, and realize that with His help, we can be powerful and make a difference.
The music itself was so popular that a remix EP followed. Soon after, her infectious pop grooves with a message caught the attention of BEC Recordings, and she spent the last year writing for her BEC debut EP, “Be The Change.” BEC also helped her assemble a stellar production team that includes Oh, Hush! (Cee Lo Green, Jason Derulo, Jennifer Lopez), AJ Pruis (Midnight Alive), Sean Bowe (Cobra Starship), and Matt Arcaini (Shine Bright Baby, Among the Thirsty).
Shuree recently released her independent musical film debut “FREEDOM.” She seeks to educate her audience on the issues of marginalization, racial in-equality and justice in America.
The film features two new singles from Shuree, “Freedom” which pays homage to MLK and “Troubled” tackles the depression and trauma hatred can bring about. She hopes to root on a new generation to raise up in unity.
Shuree hopes to help many be freed from opression, then they can set others free by sharing thier story.
Shuree wants to discover your story!
Hit her up on Instagram & YouTube @Shureemusic
