'The Four' winner Evvie McKinney ready for next chapter and gospel stardom

• Memphis native Evvie McKinney is an alumna of Stax Music Academy and Soulsville Charter School.
• McKinney was the winner on the first season of “The Four: Battle for Stardom."
• McKinney recently signed a deal with Motown’s Gospel label and Capitol’s CMG publishing company.

For Memphis music fans, the triumph of Evvie McKinney — the Bluff City native and Stax Music Academy alumna — on Fox's  talent competition “The Four: Battle for Stardom” was one of 2018’s feel-good stories. Two years after her unexpected win, McKinney is poised to make her mark as a spiritual singer, having recently signed a deal with Motown’s Gospel label and Capitol’s CMG publishing company. 

A devout Christian, the 21-year-old McKinney’s career has been a testament to the power of her faith. “Growing up I chose to follow my dreams,” says McKinney, “and by the grace of God, He’s been getting me ready this whole time.” 

McKinney — who is also a graduate of the Soulsville Charter School — began her career when she moved to New York in 2015. She went there with her brother Gedeon McKinney, a former "American Idol" contestant turned soul musician, who leads Gedeon Luke and the People. 

“Gedeon is my best friend, he took me under his wing, and showed me how to work on the road,” says McKinney, who toured extensively with her brother’s band. “He has taken me all over the world, we’ve performed in London, so many different cities across the U.S. Basically I toured to make my money.” 

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In 2017, McKinney was part of the “Take Me to the River Tour” — a Memphis music package, an offshoot of the similarly titled feature film documentary. She spent two months on the tour, but around the holidays McKinney was informed by the show’s music director that she wouldn’t be on the next run of dates, as the band was being cut down. 

“He basically fired me,” McKinney recalled. “My back was really up against the wall at that point. I didn’t have a college degree, I had never even had a regular job. All I had was music. But that’s when God stepped in, because that same night an executive producer from ‘The Four’ emailed me. I couldn’t believe it.” 

For McKinney an invitation to be part of the fledgling Fox musical talent show was a particular surprise. “Honestly, I had tried out for every singing show you can think of: ‘X-Factor,’ ‘American Idol,’ ‘The Voice.’ And I was doing the the same songs I did on ‘The Four’ and they always turned me away.” 

McKinney’s run on “The Four” in early 2018 saw her win over the judges — including P-Diddy, DJ Khaled and Meghan Trainor — and eventually claim the season’s title. As champion, McKinney landed a deal with Republic Records. “I released a single, ‘How Do You Feel,’ and I wrote a couple songs with Meghan Trainor. I played the iHeartRadio  Music Festival, the Teen Choice Awards. They were all amazing experiences.” 

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In early 2019, while she was still living in Los Angeles, and enjoying "The Four" success, the show was abruptly canceled after its second season. As a result, Republic Records released McKinney from her contract. At loose ends, she packed a U-Haul with her belongings and moved back to Memphis. 

By this point McKinney had secured representation in Maximum Artist Management, whose clients include multiple gospel Grammy nominees Natalie Grant and Tauren Wells. At her manager’s suggestion, last summer, she made the trek from Memphis to Nashville to meet with a group of Christian label and publishing executives. Soon after, McKinney came away with a new record contract from Motown’s Gospel imprint and a publishing deal with Capitol’s CMG division. 

“After watching Evvie triumph on 'The Four,' it was clear that she is the rare vocalist who is equally as gifted in her stage presence,” said Monica Coates, co-executive director  of Motown Gospel upon signing McKinney, noting that the label was “thrilled to have the opportunity to further develop her into a formidable artist.”

Now positioned to become one of gospel music’s new bright lights, McKinney has spent much of the last six months working on a new record. “I’ve mostly been writing and recording in Nashville, where I've been living,” says McKinney who expects to release her debut full length later this year. “I know that my fans are saying I’m overdue to release something. But when it's time I know I’m going to have something that moves them.

“I really do hope people listen to [the record] and love it and get ready to dance to it and get ready for a breath of fresh air,” she says. “That’s what my music is about to be: a breath of fresh air.”