Gospel singer aims for the mass market

Bermudian singer Antonia Simons will release her first single on iTunes next Tuesday.

Praise You launches on September 24 and will also be available on various digital music sites Spotify, Sony Music Unlimited, and  Amazon On Demand.

Simons, known as Antonia Shaunee on stage said: Praise You was birthed out of my reflection of how God brought me from very painful moments in my life, to where I am today.

“There have been times where I felt like I had no direction, and everything that I thought would lead me to my purpose was failing, but thankfully I don’t look like what I’ve been through and I owe God all of the praise for that.”

The 29-year-old has been singing since the age of four in the church choir and began to train at the age of seven with Danny Hill.

Plethora of stages

“I have over 15 years of experience singing in numerous groups, choirs, and as a soloist across a plethora of stages.

“I’ve done everything from funerals and weddings to stage plays with Robin Givens and background vocals for major artists.

“Now I am an independent gospel artist working towards mass market
distribution.”

Speaking on the single, the 29-year-old said: “My new single Praise You is actually my first mass musical release that will hit digital stores on September 24th.

“It’s a contemporary gospel track that some would say is very out of the box for me, because I’m known for ballads, but I think that my listeners will be pleasantly surprised.”

Simons is currently working on her first gospel album.

“I do not have a release date as of yet, but I will be releasing at least two more singles between now and January”, she added.

Simons spoke of her Bermudian influences that helped shape her as a singer.

“Although I’ve lived in the US for 11 years now, Bermuda will always be my home.

“It’s the place where music was cultivated in me through my family -my grandfather, Shirley Franks and my Aunt Grace-Ann who are both singers — my first musical mentors Danny Hill and Owen Simons who played a big roll in helping to set the foundation for my love for music and the excellence that must be implemented in order to be successful in this industry, my music business mentor Leroy Simmons who began showing me the ropes of the industry from when I was a teen, sister Kristy Burgess who taught me the importance of never giving up on my purpose even if it seemed that all odds were stacked against me, and of course my parents Anthony and Vickie Simons who invested a lot of time, money, and support into making sure that I was given every opportunity to follow my dreams.

“I will forever be grateful to my supporters, the people who have watched me grow up singing, and I want them to know that I’m still at it in a major way.”

In addition to promoting her new single, Simons has been busy in Alabama where she currently lives.

“At this present time, I serve on the praise and worship team for two churches in my local area and I perform at
local events.

“However, most of my time is being spent in the studio creating songs for the album, and preparing for a European tour that I have coming up in December with a group of talented singers and musicians.

“Other than that I’ve been really focused on advancing a company that I started in 2012 called “The Artist’s Group” which specializes in Artist Development and Management.”

She continued: “It has always been my goal to nurture other artists and help them navigate through the entertainment industry successfully and maximize their expertise to be more than entertainers, to be entrepreneurs.

“After graduating with my Masters in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University, I was able to use my business knowledge and my first hand experience as an artist to do that.”

For bookings or to contact Simons, email [email protected]. Her website is www.antoniashaunee.com.