Charlotte, NC native Sunshine Anderson was discovered while waiting in line at North Carolina Central University, where she earned a B.S. in criminal justice. A friend of producer Soulife A&R Vice President Mike City heard Anderson humming and introduced her to City. After college, she moved to Washington, D.C., then to Los Angeles, working with City on her debut album and finding a manager in critically acclaimed singer Macy Gray. Anderson’s first album Your Woman, propelled by the single ‘Heard It All Before,’ reached number two on Billboard’s R&B albums chart and went gold, selling over 800,000 copies.
Sunshine at Midnight, released on Mathew Knowles’ Music World label, featuring assistance from Raphael Saadiq and City, was released nearly six years later. Her third album, The Sun Shines Again (2010), except one track, was produced entirely by City.