New Orleans-born R&B singer Lucky Daye is a survivor. Until he was 8, the artist born David Brown attended a now-defunct church where children were beaten for not finishing meals and members were forbidden to listen to secular music. Still, Daye sang gospel and nursery rhymes until he was singing for lunch money in high school. At 19, Daye, who was a fan of old-school soul, went on American Idol, sang a Sam Cooke song, and made it to the top 20. Just as things were looking up, Hurricane Katrina hit, sending Daye and his family to Texas. Determined to make it as a singer, Daye eventually landed in L.A., where he wrote songs for artists such as Boyz II Men and Mary J Blige, while dropping singles and EPs filled with seductive, impassioned melisma along the way. By 2019, his debut album, Painted, received four Grammy nominations—including Best R&B Album. Life has been on the up and up ever since. Last year, Daye released A Table for 2, an EP of heartbreak and romance duets. A new album is scheduled this year. April 16 at Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. $125–$317.50.
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