Bio

Who Is RHEASunshine?

                                                        Rhea Scruggs is a young lady with talents that reach to dimensions that many may not believe. She was born in Detroit, MI and raised in Huntsville, AL.  She came to be the woman known as  RheaSunshine in January of 2001,when she competed in her very first slam.  It is at that time that she won her first slam and was forever attached to the world of spokenword and performance poetry.  Many victories would follow but Rhea’s dream of sharing her poetry and energy with the world would just be beginning.   It is important to her that the world realizes the power of words and that she can impact the lives of young people around the world.  In December 2001, Rhea graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a degree in Engineering Science with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering.  Since that time, she has participated in the Knoxville Poetry Slam as both a poet and the current slammaster.  To follow is the biography and performance resume of a young lady that is destined to change the world with her mind, her soul,and her spirituality.

RheaSunshine is a performance poet and lyricist in the Knoxville area.  She has travelled as far as Ohio State University to share her poetry and her soul.  Her poetry will captivate you with its connection to real life and direction of spirituality.  To see a performance by RheaSunshine is something like never before.  Her words will encourage, convict, and motivate the young as well as the old.  Intelligence and knowledge are two things that she possesses and shares through her words.  As a Christian, Rhea seeks to share with the world the heart of God through her poetry, but she also seeks to open the eyes of the world that there is a need for the LORD in life of every person.  The poetry shared on “Lyrical Abacus”  the first of RheaSunshine’s CD’s and chapbooks is poetry about the spirit and soul, body and mind.  She shares out of her heart poems that include dedications and heartfelt memories, as well as, poetry that she hopes will bring about change in our nation and the music produced in the Hip-Hop industry. With the same power as the goddess Rhea in greek mythology, RheaSunshine goes forth with boldness and confidence to break down stereotypes and strike revolution in the hearts of people.

Performance Resume

 

2001 – 2002          Knoxville Slam Champion

Spring 2002          OSU, Moritz College of Law (Columbus, OH)

                             McMinn County High School

                             Alpha Phi Alpha Miss Black ‘n’ Gold Pageant

                             University of Tennessee, Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

Fall 2002               Bearden High School

2003 – Present       Knoxville Slammaster

Spring 2003           Bearden High School

                             Austin East High School          

Summer 2003        Barnes and Nobles Bookstore (Jonesboro, GA)

Fall 2003               Knoxville Poetry Slam Feature

Spring 2004          Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

                             Knoxville Ebony Network 2nd Friday

Summer 2004        Kuumba Festival

                             LoveNoise (Nashville, TN)

                             Release of Lyrical Abacus CD