Born Sunday Adéniyi in 1946 in Nigeria, Sunny Ade began performing in highlife bands at the age of 17. He formed the juju band Green Spots in 1967. In 1974 he founded the African Beats, started his own recording label, and was vying for the position of the King of Juju. In 1983, following the release of three albums in the United States, he was received enthusiastically by American audiences. He founded the King Sunny Ade Foundation to support African music.