Chrisette Michele facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chrisette Michele
Michele in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Chrisette Michele Payne
Born	(1982-12-08) December 8, 1982 (age 42) Central Islip, New York, U.S.
Origin	Patchogue, New York, U.S.
Genres	R&B hip hop soul jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Def Jam Motown Rich Hipster
Associated acts	Chuck Harmony Ne-Yo

Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982) is an American R&B and soul singer. She is known for her powerful voice and unique blend of musical styles.

In 2009, Chrisette Michele won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. This award was for her song "Be OK", which featured the artist will.i.am. She was previously signed to major record labels like Motown Records. In 2017, she decided to release new music on her own. She started her own music label called Rich Hipster.

Early Life and Education

Chrisette Michele was born in Central Islip, New York. She grew up in Patchogue, New York. Her parents were both involved in studying people and their minds. Her father was a sociologist, and her mother was a psychologist.

When she was in high school, Chrisette Michele led gospel choirs. She later went to Five Towns College in Dix Hills, New York. There, she earned a degree in vocal performance. She is also the first cousin of another soul singer, Raheem DeVaughn.

Chrisette Michele's Music Career

Early Music Career (2006–2008)

Chrisette Michele started her career by appearing on several hip hop albums. She was featured on songs by famous artists like The Game and Jay-Z. She also sang on three songs for Nas's album Hip Hop Is Dead.

Her first album, I Am, came out on June 18, 2007. One of its songs, "Your Joy", was even given away for free on iTunes. The album had four popular songs, or singles: "If I Have My Way", "Best of Me", "Be OK", and "Love Is You". "If I Have My Way" did well on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Be OK" later won a Grammy Award.

Michele in 2008

In 2008, Chrisette Michele sang on a track called "Rising Up" for the Roots' album Rising Down. She also appeared as herself in an episode of the TV show Girlfriends. She wrote a song called "I've Gotta Love Jones" for the TV show Tyler Perry's House of Payne. From May to July 2008, she toured with Raheem DeVaughn. This tour was called the Art of Love Tour.

Albums and Mixtapes (2009–2012)

Chrisette Michele began working on her second album, Epiphany, in 2008. The main song from the album, also called "Epiphany", was released in January 2009. It was her first solo song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

When Epiphany was released on May 5, 2009, it became a big success. It reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. After this, she released more singles like "Blame It on Me" and "What You Do". She also worked with singer Ne-Yo on the album.

Chrisette Michele later worked with rapper Rick Ross and singer Drake on the song "Aston Martin Music". Her third album, Let Freedom Reign, was released on November 30, 2010. This album featured different styles, including hip-hop, R&B, and even dance-pop. It included the songs "I'm a Star" and "Goodbye Game".

She also released two mixtapes during this time. Her first mixtape, Love Thy Brother, came out in November 2010. Her second mixtape, Audrey Hepburn: An Audiovisual Presentation, was released in December 2012. This mixtape included some songs that would later appear on her fourth album.

Recent Projects (2013–Present)

The first song from her fourth album, Better, was "Charades". It was released in January 2013. The full album, Better, came out on June 11, 2013. It was released by Motown Records. Chrisette Michele worked with rappers like 2 Chainz and Wale on this album. Better was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

Chrisette Michele also joined the TV show R&B Divas LA for its second season. She later left the show in 2015. In November 2014, she released a project called The Lyricist's Opus. It included music videos for "Super Chris" and "Together".

On November 12, 2016, she released the song "Steady". This song was the first single from her fifth album, Milestone. The album Milestone was released on June 10, 2016, through her own label, Rich Hipster. In 2018, she released another album called Out of Control. In 2020, Chrisette Michele released the single "Wait".

Personal Life

On September 19, 2023, Chrisette Michele became an honorary member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority.

Discography

• I Am (2007)
• Epiphany (2009)
• Let Freedom Reign (2010)
• Better (2013)
• Milestone (2016)
• Out of Control (2018)

Tours

Headlining Tours

• The Art of Love Tour (with Raheem DeVaughn) (2008)
• The Epiphany Tour (2010)
• The Milestone Tour (2016)
• Moody Tour (2021)

Supporting Act Tours

• Woman to Woman Tour for Keyshia Cole (2013)
• Liberation Tour for Mary J. Blige (2013)
• Appreciation Tour for Jaheim (2013)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Chrisette Michele para niños