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.[1] In 2015, he released "If I Have To", the first single from his debut album, which reached the top twenty on the BillboardHot R&B Songs chart.[2] 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.[3]
Wilson never saw himself as a singer until his father overheard him singing and recognized the talent.[4] His father began holding open mic nights at one of the 14 area McDonald's that he oversaw as the director of operations.[5] The open mic nights were to help the local community have a safe place to have fun and also showcase his son's talent.[5] Wilson was 9 years old at the time and still returns to the location to help with the event.[5]
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.[5] Wilson was first discovered by Sean Garrett who began working with him.[7] He entered the Next Teen Superstar competition in New York in 2011 and was the co-winner of the competition.[8] In 2012 he self-released On Top of the World.[9]
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.[10] Wilson was a favorite to win the competition but was eliminated on October 29, 2012, after his performance of "Yeah 3x".[11] His elimination was called a major upset by numerous publications, and he later signed with Clive Davis and RCA Records.[12] He returned to The Voice Season 8 in 2015 to sing If I Have To, the first single from his debut album.[2] Wilson later announced that he would perform at the BET Awards in 2015 on June 28, 2015.[13]
On October 29, 2018, Avery released his new 5-song project called FYI onto mainstream.[14] The song "Dollar Bill" was released as his first single.[15] 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.[16][17]
In 2024, Avery became a cast member of the Broadway show The Wiz as the Scarecrow.[18][19]
Personal life
Wilson came out as bisexual in a tweet on his 25th birthday on July 18, 2020.[20]
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