Sunny Ozell

Early life

Ozell grew up in Reno, Nevada, in a musical household and began her classical training at an early age. Her parents did not play or perform themselves, but they had a passion for music and took music education seriously, getting Ozell to play the violin from the age of just four years old. She also started vocal training at the age of 11 years and soon after realised that music was the career path she wanted to pursue. From 13, she started working with an opera coach.

At university in Boulder, Colorado, she majored in English Literature and sang in blues bands and soul-funk bands in her spare time throughout college. After graduating, she started performing in clubs around New York and became a part of the city’s musical community with her blend of jazz, blues and American roots music, performing both original material and interpretations of works by other renowned blues, soul and country songwriters.

Music career

Although Ozell’s career is well established, she considers the latest release Take It with Me (which mainly consists of Ozell’s own interpretations of the works from artists such as Howard Jones, Hank Williams, Randy Newman, T Bone Burnett and Tom Waits) to be her debut album. Both on this record and live, the Sunny Ozell ‘experience’ benefits from renowned musicians including guitarist Aaron Lee Tasjan (Semi Precious Weapons, Drivin N Cryin), bassist Andy Hess (The Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule, Uberjam), keyboard player Andrew Sherman (George Duke, Mariah Carey), pedal steel player Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams & The Cardinals), backing singer Nicki Richards (Madonna) and drummer Ethan Eubanks (Teddy Thompson, Crash Test Dummies, Joseph Arthur). Ozell performs frequently at Rockwood Music Hall and The Living Room in New York and has collaborated with musicians such as Jim Campilongo and Adam Levy of Norah Jones’ backing band, and Krystle Warren.

Ozell has already started work on the follow up album to Take It with Me and has begun preliminary recording sessions. The focus for her sophomore set will be on original material.

Musical style and influence

Ozell cites the likes of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings as influences, for their "simplicity and their total lack of pretention", but also American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, in particular her 1993 album Blue Light ‘til Dawn. She is also inspired by soul music that is not limited in any way to the traditional definition of the genre (i.e. Motown or Stax Records).

Personal life

Ozell is married to English actor Patrick Stewart. They met in 2008 at Franny’s restaurant in New York where Ozell was working as a waitress while Stewart was performing in Macbeth at the nearby Brooklyn Academy of Music.

In March 2013, it was reported that Stewart and Ozell were engaged and they married on September 7, 2013 beside Lake Tahoe in Nevada with actor Ian McKellen officiating the wedding ceremony. From this marriage she acquired two stepchildren, Daniel and Sophia.