Faith Evans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Faith Evans
Evans in 1998
Background information
Birth name	Faith Renée Evans
Born	(1973-06-10) June 10, 1973 (age 52) Lakeland, Florida, U.S.
Education	Fordham University (no degree)
Origin	Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	R&B hip hop soul
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter actress
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Rhino E1 Prolific Capitol Bad Boy Arista BMG

Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. She was born in Lakeland, Florida, and grew up in Newark, New Jersey. In 1991, she moved to Los Angeles to start a music career.

Faith began as a backup singer for other R&B artists. At 20, she signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records in 1994. She was the first female artist on the label. Her first album, Faith (1995), was very popular.

In 1997, Faith sang on Puff Daddy's hit song "I'll Be Missing You." This song won a Grammy Award and was the first hip hop song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her albums Keep the Faith (1998) and Faithfully (2001) also did very well.

Faith Evans has sold over 20 million records worldwide. She is also known as the wife of the famous rapper The Notorious B.I.G., whom she married in 1994. He passed away in 1997. Besides music, Faith is an actress and author. Her book, Keep the Faith: A Memoir, won an award in 2009.

About Faith Evans

Early Life and Music Start (1973–1994)

Faith Evans was born on June 10, 1973, in Lakeland, Florida. Her mother, Helene Evans, was a professional singer. Faith's father, Richard Swain, was a musician. When Faith was very young, her mother moved back to Newark, New Jersey. Faith was raised by her cousin Johnnie Mae and her husband Orvelt Kennedy, whom she knew as her grandparents.

Faith started singing in church when she was just two years old. At age four, she impressed everyone at her church in Newark by singing "Let the Sunshine In." While attending University High School, she sang with jazz bands. Her mother encouraged her to enter singing contests.

After high school in 1991, Faith went to Fordham University in New York City to study marketing. She left after a year. In 1993, she moved to Los Angeles. There, she worked as a backup singer for Al B. Sure!. This is where Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs noticed her talent. In 1994, Combs signed her as the first female artist to his Bad Boy Entertainment record label.

First Albums and Family Life (1994–2001)

After joining Bad Boy Records, Faith Evans helped with songs for other artists like Mary J. Blige and Usher. Then, she started working on her own first album, Faith. It was released on August 29, 1995. The album was a big success, especially with songs like "You Used to Love Me" and "Soon as I Get Home." It sold over 1.5 million copies.

On August 4, 1994, Faith married rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace. They met at a Bad Boy photoshoot. They had one son together, Christopher George Latore Wallace Jr..

After Biggie's passing on March 9, 1997, Puff Daddy helped Faith create a tribute song called "I'll Be Missing You." The song used a sample from The Police's "Every Breath You Take." This song, featuring Combs, Evans, and the group 112, became a huge worldwide hit. It was number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven weeks in 1997. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1998.

Faith's second album, Keep the Faith, came out on October 27, 1998. Faith wrote and produced most of the songs. Critics loved the album, calling it a "highlight of 1990s soul-pop music." It also sold very well, becoming a platinum album. It included popular songs like "Love Like This."

Faith later married Todd Russaw in 1998. They had two sons, Joshua and Ryder. They decided to divorce in 2011.

New Music and TV Shows (2005–Present)

After a break from music, Faith Evans started her own record label called Prolific Music Group in 2010. She signed a deal with E1 Entertainment. Her fifth album, Something About Faith, was released on October 5, 2010. It reached number fifteen on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 2012, Faith became part of the TV One reality show R&B Divas: Atlanta. The show followed R&B singers as they balanced their careers and personal lives. They also worked on a music album called R&B Divas (2012) to honor Whitney Houston. The show was very popular and led to a spin-off. Faith's work on the R&B Divas album earned her a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album.

In 2013, Faith started working on her seventh album, Incomparable. It was released on November 24, 2014. The album featured a song called "I Deserve It" with Missy Elliott.

In 2016, Faith announced a special album called The King & I. This album featured duets with her late husband, The Notorious B.I.G. It was released on May 19, 2017.

On July 17, 2018, Faith married producer Stevie J. They released a song together called "A Minute." Faith also appeared in several episodes of the reality show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. In 2021, Stevie J filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2023.

In 2021, Faith Evans appeared on the TV show The Masked Singer as "Skunk."

Other Activities

Acting Career

Faith Evans has also acted in movies and TV shows. In 2000, she had a supporting role in the movie Turn It Up.

In 2003, she was in the movie The Fighting Temptations with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles. She played a single mother and nightclub singer. Faith also recorded a song for the movie's soundtrack called "Heaven Knows."

In 2004, Faith made a guest appearance on the TV show Half & Half. She has also had small roles on the reality show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.

Writing a Book

Faith Evans wrote a book about her life called Keep the Faith: A Memoir. It was released on August 29, 2008. The book shared details about her life and her relationship with The Notorious B.I.G. It became a best-seller and won an award in 2009 for Best Biography/Memoir.

Helping Others

In 2014, Faith supported an organization called Little Kids Rock. She donated items to help raise money for music education in public schools.

Faith's Music Style

Faith Evans has a beautiful and powerful voice. She is known for her "urban-edged honeyed soprano" voice. Her singing shows a lot of emotion, which comes from her own experiences with love, pain, and happiness. Some of her favorite singers and biggest influences include Karen Clark-Sheard, Shirley Murdock, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, and Aretha Franklin.

Music Albums

• Faith (1995)
• Keep the Faith (1998)
• Faithfully (2001)
• The First Lady (2005)
• A Faithful Christmas (2005)
• Something About Faith (2010)
• Incomparable (2014)
• The King & I (with The Notorious B.I.G.) (2017)

Concert Tours

• Keep the Faith Tour (1999)
• The First Lady Tour (2005)
• Something About Faith Tour (2010–11)
• An Evening with Faith (2012)
• Faith Evans Live (2013)
• Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour (2016–17)

Movies and TV Shows

• 2000: Turn It Up
• 2003: The Fighting Temptations
• 2009: Notorious
• 2011: Soul Kittens Cabaret
• 2020: True to the Game 2: Gena's Story

Television Appearances

• 2012: R&B Divas: Atlanta (Executive Producer & Main Cast)
• 2013: R&B Divas: Los Angeles (Executive Producer)
• 2015: Real Husbands of Hollywood (Guest Star)
• 2015; 2016—19 Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (Guest Star & Main Cast)
• 2016: Stevie J & Joseline: Go Hollywood (Guest Star)
• 2016: RuPaul's Drag Race (Guest Judge, "RuCo's Empire")
• 2018: Luke Cage (Singer at club)
• 2021: The Masked Singer (Herself/Skunk)

Awards and Nominations

Faith Evans has won and been nominated for several awards for her music.

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See also

Learn more about Faith Evans!

In Spanish: Faith Evans para niños