Avery Wilson

Avery Wilson (born July 18, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actor. Wilson first gained notice as a contestant on season 3 of The Voice. In 2015, he released "If I Have To", the first single from his debut album, which reached the top twenty on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart. He later starred in the 2024 revival of The Wiz on Broadway as the Scarecrow, which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for its accompanying soundtrack.

Early life and education Wilson never saw himself as a singer until his father overheard him singing and recognized the talent. His father began holding open mic nights at one of the 14 area McDonald's that he oversaw as the director of operations. The open mic nights were to help the local community have a safe place to have fun and also showcase his son's talent.

Career One of Wilson's first singles, "Ringtone", was a demo that was sent to radio station WYBC-FM in New Haven, CT. The demo was sent in by his father and it received airplay, becoming a hit in the regional market of Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. He entered the Next Teen Superstar competition in New York in 2011 and was the co-winner of the competition. In 2012 he self-released On Top of the World.

Wilson appeared on season 3 of The Voice when he was 16 years old. He performed on team Cee Lo Green and made it to the knockouts. Wilson was a favorite to win the competition but was eliminated on October 29, 2012, after his performance of "Yeah 3x". His elimination was called a major upset by numerous publications, and he later signed with Clive Davis and RCA Records. He returned to The Voice Season 8 in 2015 to sing If I Have To, the first single from his debut album.

On October 29, 2018, Avery released his new 5-song project called FYI onto mainstream. The song "Dollar Bill" was released as his first single. The song expressed the meaning of "not putting up with bullshit." He released his second single, "Wass the Move", which had a hip-hop feel to it. Avery's other three tracks included "Do For You", "Use 2", and "Touch Down".

In 2019, Avery released a 4-song project called 8:34.

In 2024, Avery became a cast member of the Broadway show The Wiz as the Scarecrow.

Personal life Wilson came out as bisexual in a tweet on his 25th birthday on July 18, 2020.

Discography Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected details Title Album details On Top of the World Released: August 14, 2012 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays + List of extended plays, with selected details Title Extended play details FYI Released: October 26, 2018 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming 8:34 Released: June 20, 2019 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles