WHO PERSONALITIES “Deanna is beautiful, talented, and she’s from an island of 13,000 people, how cool is that for a TV moment?” —IVAN BERRY
Reaching for the Stars
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L O C A L G I R L S E E K S T O S H O O T T O S TA R D O M O N T H E I T V R E A L I T Y S H O W, “ T H E X - FA C T O R U K ”
ust under 100 people turned up at The Reef Hotel’s Beach Bar & Grill on Merrywing Bay to watch Deanna Mussington’s final performance on home soil (for a while at least). For an hour, they were treated to her silky, soulful renditions of her originals and some R&B classics. In May, Deanna sets off for London to audition on the popular show The X-Factor. Daughter of Darvin Mussington, former frontman of The Mussington Brothers, Deanna has been singing since she was four years old. By age ten, she sang in concerts and competitions, which she often won.
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DESIGN ANGUILLA MAGAZINE | ISSUE SEVENTEEN
The X-Factor, though, is a much bigger proposition. She’s approaching it with wide-eyed enthusiasm and willingness to learn, qualities that attracted music industry veteran Ivan Berry to her. The two were introduced in 2014. Ivan, CEO of C2W Music Limited, spent years working in A&R (artists and repertoire) for Sony BMG in Toronto, Canada. While there, he worked with a range of artists including Ke$ha, Chanté, Wyclef, Shawn Desman, and The Rascalz. For Deanna, their partnership has been nothing short of a revelation. “He’s an amazing manager! I don’t think I would have been where I am without his input,” Deanna says about Ivan. “He’s introduced me to a lot of people in the industry… people who really know the ins and outs of music.” Aside from her obvious talent, Deanna’s work-ethic, passion and humility have helped Ivan develop her as an artist. To get in front of influential people in the music industry, Deanna did a musical showcase at The Place on Rendezvous Bay in 2014, then released several songs and music videos. Her development hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thanks to Ivan’s industry connections, Deanna has crossed paths with industry executives from Universal Music Group, Def Jam, and Epic Records. Multiple record labels expressed interest in signing Deanna, but the X-Factor UK opportunity was too good to pass up. Footage from her amazing performance at the St. Kitts Music Festival got attention from U.S. producers, who encouraged her to audition in London, instead. Ivan saw it as an opportunity to grow a substantial fanbase.