Sunshine Becker
Encyclopedia
Sunshine Becker is an American singer, who currently performs 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.
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.
. Although she did not participate in her high school choir, she was a member of the jazz band in which she did some singing. She also routinely sang songs at home with her dad, frequently transforming poems that she wrote into vocal numbers. As a junior, Sunshine joined the school's highly-regarded speech team, in which she became proficient in impromptu public speaking. During her time in high school, she also became increasingly cognizant of the uplifting effect that singing had on people's moods, which further attracted her to the vocal medium. Pursuing her interest in singing, she secured the lead role in her high school's production of the Tony Award nominated Broadway musical, "Baby"
. Following high school, Sunshine attended California State University
in Hayward, CA from 1990–1992, where she majored in Expressive Arts, and where she had two vocal instructors. Disillusioned, however, with the highly regimented and somewhat restrictive vocal approach imposed by her instructors, who discouraged the use of free expression and improvisation that she craved, Sunshine ultimately left Cal State to explore other opportunities. Fortuitously, she moved into a house in San Francisco with several other aspiring musicians, including Jeff Pehrson
of the bands Passenger, Box Set, and The Fall Risk (and who also currently sings backing vocals for Furthur), as well as 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 with 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.
In late 2009, Furthur decided to add backing vocals to their newly formed band. Zoe Ellis, a well-known Bay Area vocalist who has been a member of SoVoSó since 2005, was initially approached by the band, as she had previously been a backing vocalist for Phil Lesh and Friends
, having performed on the 1999 album, Love Will See You Through
. Zoe, who is the sister of Dave Ellis, former saxophonist for Bob Weir
's RatDog
, accepted the offer to join Furthur. However, her friend and former singing partner, Caitlin Cornwell, who was also approached by Furthur (and who also provided backing vocals for Phil and Friends and who is a former member of SoVoSó), was not able to commit. As an alternative choice, Zoe recommended Sunshine, her friend and singing partner from SoVoSó (and a longtime fan of the Grateful Dead), who readily accepted. Sunshine's and Zoe's audition with Furthur occurred at the Philharmonia benefit concert in San Francisco on December 20, 2009. The backup vocalists' debut Furthur show was on December 30, 2009 (although they also performed at the live rehearsal sessions at the Mill Valley Masonic Center on December 27 and 28). Zoe toured with Furthur until March 12, 2010; Jeff Pehrson subsequently joined Furthur as a backing vocalist on May 24, 2010.
On November 21, 2008, December 26, 2009, and January 28, 2011, Sunshine sang the national anthem before the Oakland Golden State Warriors
basketball games, and on April 6, 2010, before the Oakland Athletics
baseball game. She is scheduled to appear on December 3, 2011 at Run for the Roses: A One-of-a-Kind Musical Evening, a Rex Foundation benefit show, where she, along with John Kadlecik
, Melvin Seals
, Greg Anton and Robin Sylvester
, will perform a Jerry Garcia Band
tribute set.
in Mountain View, CA
. She first met her future husband, bass player-turned-executive salesman Bill Becker (who played in Passenger), that same year, and then reconnected with him in 1999. They married in September 29, 2001 and had a son, Geddy Becker (named after Rush
bass player, Geddy Lee
), on June 8, 2009. When not singing, touring, and teaching, Sunshine spends her time writing her own songs, exploring the outdoors, experiencing live music, and enjoying her family at home in the Bay Area.
Furthur (band)
Furthur is a rock band founded in 2009 by former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. The original lineup also included John Kadlecik of the Dark Star Orchestra on lead guitar, Jeff Chimenti of RatDog on keyboards, Jay Lane of RatDog on percussion, and Joe Russo of the Benevento/Russo Duo...
. Despite her maiden name, Garcia, she is not related to Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
, an incorrect assumption made by some because of her involvement with Furthur, a post-Garcia incarnation of the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. Similarly, despite her first name, Sunshine, she is not to be confused with Sunshine Kesey, daughter of Ken Kesey
Ken Kesey
Kenneth Elton "Ken" Kesey was an American author, best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and as a counter-cultural figure who considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a...
and Carolyn Adams (aka Mountain Girl or MG), Jerry Garcia's second wife.
Early life
Sunshine was born in Oakland, CA to Gabriel Garcia and Juddee Kawaiola (née Watrous). Her father, who is of Hispanic descent, is from New Mexico and is a talented musician, playing primarily tenor saxophone, but also well-versed in 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 BayEast Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
area in Oakland, CA and Hayward, CA and attended James Logan High School
James Logan High School
James Logan High School is a public secondary school in Union City, California, United States. The school is administrated by the New Haven Unified School District and has an enrollment of more than 4000 students.-Demographics:...
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
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
in the 1950s and 1960s.
Musical career
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 BowlFiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
. Although she did not participate in her high school choir, she was a member of the jazz band in which she did some singing. She also routinely sang songs at home with her dad, frequently transforming poems that she wrote into vocal numbers. As a junior, Sunshine joined the school's highly-regarded speech team, in which she became proficient in impromptu public speaking. During her time in high school, she also became increasingly cognizant of the uplifting effect that singing had on people's moods, which further attracted her to the vocal medium. Pursuing her interest in singing, she secured the lead role in her high school's production of the Tony Award nominated Broadway musical, "Baby"
Baby (musical)
Baby is a musical with a book by Sybille Pearson, based on a story developed with Susan Yankowitz, music by David Shire, and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.. It concerns the reactions of three couples each expecting a child. The musical first ran on Broadway from 1983 to 1984.-Synopsis:Three...
. Following high school, Sunshine attended California State University
California State University, East Bay
California State University, East Bay is a public university located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The university, as part of the 23-campus California State University system, offers over 100 areas of study...
in Hayward, CA from 1990–1992, where she majored in Expressive Arts, and where she had two vocal instructors. Disillusioned, however, with the highly regimented and somewhat restrictive vocal approach imposed by her instructors, who discouraged the use of free expression and improvisation that she craved, Sunshine ultimately left Cal State to explore other opportunities. Fortuitously, she moved into a house in San Francisco with several other aspiring musicians, including Jeff Pehrson
Jeff Pehrson
Jeff Pehrson is an American singer-songwriter who performs backing vocals for Furthur, a band that includes two former members of the Grateful Dead.-Musical career:...
of the bands Passenger, Box Set, and The Fall Risk (and who also currently sings backing vocals for Furthur), as well as 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
Ziggy Modeliste
Joseph Modeliste is an American drummer best known as a founding member of the funk group The Meters. Considered to be one of the most innovative, and highly acclaimed drummers ever to hail from New Orleans, Louisiana, Modeliste is a pioneer of second-line funk...
, 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
Bobby McFerrin
Robert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is an American vocalist and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy". He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:...
's vocal ensemble, Voicestra. She remains very active with SoVoSó and continues to perform with 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.
In late 2009, Furthur decided to add backing vocals to their newly formed band. Zoe Ellis, a well-known Bay Area vocalist who has been a member of SoVoSó since 2005, was initially approached by the band, as she had previously been a backing vocalist for Phil Lesh and Friends
Phil Lesh and Friends
Phil Lesh and Friends is an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, former bassist of the Grateful Dead.Phil & Friends is not a traditional group in that several different lineups of musicians have played under the name, including groups featuring members of Phish, Little Feat, and the Zen...
, having performed on the 1999 album, Love Will See You Through
Love Will See You Through
Love Will See You Through is the first album by the rock group Phil Lesh and Friends. It is also known as Highlights Volume One. It was recorded live in 1999 and released later that year....
. Zoe, who is the sister of Dave Ellis, former saxophonist for Bob Weir
Bob Weir
Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
's RatDog
Ratdog
RatDog , is an American rock band. The group began as a side project for Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir and bassist Rob Wasserman. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in December 1995, following the death of Jerry Garcia on August 9, 1995, RatDog became Bob Weir's primary band...
, accepted the offer to join Furthur. However, her friend and former singing partner, Caitlin Cornwell, who was also approached by Furthur (and who also provided backing vocals for Phil and Friends and who is a former member of SoVoSó), was not able to commit. As an alternative choice, Zoe recommended Sunshine, her friend and singing partner from SoVoSó (and a longtime fan of the Grateful Dead), who readily accepted. Sunshine's and Zoe's audition with Furthur occurred at the Philharmonia benefit concert in San Francisco on December 20, 2009. The backup vocalists' debut Furthur show was on December 30, 2009 (although they also performed at the live rehearsal sessions at the Mill Valley Masonic Center on December 27 and 28). Zoe toured with Furthur until March 12, 2010; Jeff Pehrson subsequently joined Furthur as a backing vocalist on May 24, 2010.
On November 21, 2008, December 26, 2009, and January 28, 2011, Sunshine sang the national anthem before the Oakland Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
basketball games, and on April 6, 2010, before the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
baseball game. She is scheduled to appear on December 3, 2011 at Run for the Roses: A One-of-a-Kind Musical Evening, a Rex Foundation benefit show, where she, along with John Kadlecik
John Kadlecik
John Kadlecik is an American guitarist best known for his ability to closely replicate the guitar and vocal parts of the late Jerry Garcia. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist for the Grateful Dead tribute band, Dark Star Orchestra, in 1997 and currently performs with original Dead members...
, Melvin Seals
Melvin Seals
Melvin Seals is an American musician, best known as a long time member of the Jerry Garcia Band.-Early life and career:...
, Greg Anton and Robin Sylvester
Robin Sylvester
Robin Sylvester is a London born musician, living in San Francisco, who is best known for his ongoing work with RatDog. Although primarily a bass player, he plays several instruments, including the guitar and keyboards, and has done extensive arranging....
, will perform a Jerry Garcia Band
Jerry Garcia Band
The Jerry Garcia Band was a San Francisco Bay Area rock band led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Garcia founded the band in 1975; it remained the most important of his various side-projects until his death in 1995...
tribute set.
Personal life
Sunshine attended her first Grateful Dead show on May 25, 1992 at Shoreline AmphitheatreShoreline Amphitheatre
Shoreline Amphitheatre is an outdoor amphitheater, in Mountain View, California, USA, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Inside the venue it has a capacity of 22,500, with 6,500 reserved seats and 16,000 general admission on the lawn...
in Mountain View, CA
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
. She first met her future husband, bass player-turned-executive salesman Bill Becker (who played in Passenger), that same year, and then reconnected with him in 1999. They married in September 29, 2001 and had a son, Geddy Becker (named after Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
bass player, Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee
Gary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
), on June 8, 2009. When not singing, touring, and teaching, Sunshine spends her time writing her own songs, exploring the outdoors, experiencing live music, and enjoying her family at home in the Bay Area.
SoVoSó
- "World Jazz A Cappella" (1997)
- "Truth & Other Stories" (1998)
- "Bridges" (2000)
- "Seasonings" (2002)
- "Crack The Nut!" (2004)
- "Then & Now" (2005)
- "Snowflakes" (2009)
SoVoSó
- 1997: National Champions, Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
- 1997: Winner, Studio Album of the Year - "World Jazz A Cappella", Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards
- 1999: Winner, Izzy, Outstanding Achievement In Music - "Mother May I" (for score, with Robert Moses' Kin Dance troupe", Isadora Duncan Dance Awards
- 1999: Nominee, Best Jazz Album - "Truth & Other Stories", Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards