Avery Wilson

A contemporary R&B vocalist and tunesmith, Avery Wilson secured a deal with major-label RCA after early backing from hitmaking songwriter and producer Sean Garrett plus national exposure on the vocal contest The Voice. His debut official single, the 2015 release “If I Have To,” landed at number 18 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart, and he issued further RCA singles before issuing the independent five-track EP FYI in 2018.

Born in Hamden, Connecticut, Wilson first took the stage at open-mike nights arranged by his father and, several years afterward, shared first place in a New York talent showcase aimed at teenagers. A demo called “Ringtone” that his father sent to area and regional stations earned modest airplay and introduced him to Sean Garrett, the writer-producer known for work with Usher, Ciara, and Beyoncé. In 2012 Wilson independently dropped his first album, On Top of the World, then expanded his reach that same year by joining the third season of The Voice. Before his elimination in the knockout round he performed “Without You” (David Guetta and Usher), “Titanium” (David Guetta and Sia), and “Yeah 3x” (Chris Brown), performances that directly prompted the RCA contract.

Crafted with Garrett, Rodney Jerkins, and Kirby Lauryen, the dramatic ballad “If I Have To” appeared in May 2015. Several months later he released “Change My Mind,” which featured Migos. After delivering a Garrett-produced reading of Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” in 2017, Wilson stepped away from the major-label system to launch FYI.