Sunny Liu


Sunny Wing Chun Liu was a Seventh-Day Adventist minister and singing evangelist, who was best known in the denomination through his recordings for Chapel Records.

Biography

Early life and career

Sunny Liu was born to Violet Liu in Kealia, Hawaii and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. His primary and secondary education took place in Hawaii. He left Hawaii in 1943 to study voice on the mainland of the United States, largely in the Hollywood area. He earned a college degree from Walla Walla College in 1948 and became a credentialed Seventh-Day Adventist minister. From 1949 until 1957 he held a position in musical evangelism for the North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists. 1951 saw him married to Bernice Lee, with whom he had two sons. His touring prior to 1952 included concerts in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, the Hollywood Bowl and San Francisco in California, and appearances in Canada. He was ordained as a minister in 1954.

Pastoral period

By mid-1958 he had moved to Jamaica, Queens for denominational work in New York City. He would later hold pastoral positions in Albany, Elmira, and Troy in New York State. He was back in the Pacific Northwest in 1965, serving as a pastor in the Portland, Oregon area for twenty-two years, but also involved in Voice of Prophecy evangelism and the 1966 General Conference Session.

Death

Liu died on May 20, 1987, having suffered from cancer for an extended period.

Style

Liu was a dramatic tenor. His early concerts concentrated on Irish romantic ballads. As a pastor, his sermons typically included at least one segment of singing. He recorded several albums for Chapel Records in the sacred style, and by that label's criteria became one of their best-selling artists. Through these recordings and his appearances in Adventist media he became widely known throughout Adventism.

Discography