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 New Jersey. In 1991, she moved to Los Angeles to start a music career.

Evans began as a backing vocalist for other R&B singers. By 1994, at age 20, she signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records. She was the first female artist to join the label. After appearing on the Notorious B.I.G.'s song "One More Chance", she released her first album, Faith (1995). It was well-received and sold many copies.

In 1997, Evans sang with 112 on Puff Daddy’s 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 next albums, Keep the Faith (1998) and Faithfully (2001), also did very well on the music charts.

Evans later signed with Capitol Records in 2003. Her fourth album, The First Lady (2005), reached number two on the Billboard 200. She has sold over 20 million records around the world. Faith Evans is also known as the wife of the late rapper Christopher "the Notorious B.I.G." Wallace. She is also an actress and an author.

Faith Evans's Life Story

Early Life and Music Beginnings (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 who left before she was born. When Faith was about six months old, her mother returned to Newark, New Jersey. Faith was raised by her cousin Johnnie Mae and her husband Orvelt Kennedy, who were like grandparents to her.

Faith grew up in a Christian home and started singing in church at age two. By age four, she impressed her church with her singing. While attending University High School in Newark, she sang with different jazz bands. Her mother encouraged her to enter contests, where her voice was often praised.

After high school in 1991, Evans went to Fordham University in New York City to study marketing. However, she left a year later. In 1993, she moved to Los Angeles and worked as a backup singer for Al B. Sure!. There, she was noticed by musician Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. Impressed by her talent, Combs signed her in 1994 as the first female artist on his Bad Boy Entertainment record label.

First Albums and Family Life (1994–2001)

After joining Bad Boy Records, Faith Evans sang backup and helped write 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". Faith sold over 1.5 million copies.

On August 4, 1994, Evans married rapper and fellow Bad Boy artist Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace. They met at a Bad Boy photoshoot. They had one child together, Christopher George Latore Wallace Jr.. After Christopher Wallace passed away in March 1997, Evans became pregnant with her first son, Joshua, with Todd Russaw. Joshua was born on Faith's 25th birthday, June 10, 1998. Faith and Todd Russaw married in the summer of 1998, and they had another son, Ryder Evan Russaw, on March 22, 2007.

After Christopher Wallace's passing, Sean Combs helped Evans create a tribute song called "I'll Be Missing You." This song used a part of The Police's 1983 song "Every Breath You Take." The song, featuring Combs, Evans, and the group 112, became a huge hit worldwide. It was number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven weeks in 1997. It also won a Grammy Award in 1998. The next year, she received two more Grammy nominations for "Heartbreak Hotel", a song with Whitney Houston and Kelly Price.

Evans performing in 2005

Evans's second album, Keep the Faith, was released on October 27, 1998. Faith wrote and produced most of the album herself. Critics gave it good reviews, and it sold well, becoming a platinum album. It included popular songs like "Love Like This" and "All Night Long."

New Labels and More Success (2001–2007)

Faith Evans's third album with Bad Boy, Faithfully (2001), featured many different producers. This album reached number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It was also certified platinum. However, Evans felt the album didn't get enough support from Bad Boy Records. In 2004, she decided to leave the label.

After leaving Bad Boy Entertainment, Evans signed with Capitol Records. She was the first R&B artist to sign with them. She then started working on her fourth album, The First Lady. This album was named after her nickname at her old label. Faith and her husband Todd Russaw had more control over this album. It was released in April 2005 and reached number two on the Billboard 200. It became her highest-charting album and was certified gold.

Later that year, Evans released A Faithful Christmas, an album of Christmas songs. This was her last album with Capitol Records.

New Music and TV Shows (2005–Present)

After a break, Faith Evans started her own record label called Prolific Music Group in 2010. She then signed a deal with independent record label E1 Entertainment. Her fifth album, Something About Faith, was released on October 5, 2010. It reached number fifteen on the Billboard 200. The song "Gone Already" from this album was very popular on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

In 2012, Evans helped produce and starred in the TV One reality show R&B Divas: Atlanta. The show followed R&B singers as they balanced their music careers and personal lives. They also worked on a compilation album, R&B Divas (2012), in memory of Whitney Houston. The show was very popular and led to a spin-off. Evans received a Grammy nomination for the R&B Divas album.

In August 2013, Evans announced she was working on her seventh album, Incomparable. It included collaborations with artists like Missy Elliott. The album was released on November 24, 2014.

In 2016, Evans shared that she was finishing an album called The King & I. This album features duets with her late husband, The Notorious B.I.G. It was released on May 19, 2017.

On July 17, 2018, she married producer and TV star Stevie J. They released a song together called "A Minute." Evans also appeared in several episodes of the TV shows Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and Leave It to Stevie. Her marriage to Stevie J ended in 2023.

In 2021, 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. She had a supporting role in the 2000 music drama Turn It Up. In 2003, she appeared in the MTV romantic comedy The Fighting Temptations. She played a single mother and nightclub singer in the film, which starred Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles. Evans also recorded a song for the movie's soundtrack.

In 2004, Evans had a guest role on the TV show Half & Half. She has also made cameo appearances on the reality show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.

Writing a Book

Evans released her autobiography, Keep the Faith: A Memoir, on August 29, 2008. She wrote it with Aliya S. King. The book shares details about her life, including her relationship with her late husband, The Notorious B.I.G. The book was very popular and appeared on the New York Times Best Seller's List. It also won an African American Literary Award in 2009.

Musical Style

Faith Evans is known for her "urban-edged honeyed soprano" voice. Her voice is described as angelic yet strong, showing deep emotion from her life experiences. She has said that some of her biggest musical influences are gospel singer Karen Clark-Sheard, Shirley Murdock, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, and Aretha Franklin.

Albums by Faith Evans

• 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)

Film and TV Appearances

Movies

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

Television Shows

• 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

See also

In Spanish: Faith Evans para niños