Kaya Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kaya Jones |
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Jones performing in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Chrystal Neria |
| Born | August 28, 1984 Toronto, Canada |
| Origin | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
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Chrystal Neria (born August 28, 1984), known as Kaya Jones, is a singer and model. She was born in Canada and is also an American citizen. She became known in 2003 for singing with the American girl group The Pussycat Dolls. Since 2004, she has worked on her own music career.
In 2017, she joined a group called the National Diversity Coalition for Trump. She was listed as their Native American Ambassador. This caused some discussion because she is not officially part of any recognized Native American tribe. Also, there is no clear proof of her Indigenous family background.
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Early Life and Background
Chrystal Neria was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States.
Music Career Highlights
After Robin Antin decided to make The Pussycat Dolls a bigger brand, auditions were held. These auditions were for a singing group that would not include famous people. In December 2003, Jones joined as a singer. Other singers included Nicole Scherzinger and Melody Thornton.
Early Performances with The Pussycat Dolls
Jones performed with the group for the first time on February 13, 2004. They sang "Big Spender" live at the MTV Asia Awards. Jones also sang on songs for movie soundtracks. These included "We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going" for the Shark Tale soundtrack. She also sang on the single "Sway" for the Shall We Dance? movie. She appeared in the music video for "Sway" too.
The group performed at VH1 Divas#VH1 Divas 2004 in 2004. They sang "Tainted Love" with Carmen Electra. They also performed "You Can Leave Your Hat On" with Tom Jones. Another song was "Girls on Film". Later, they joined other artists to sing "New Attitude" with Patti LaBelle. The group also sang "Tainted Love" at the 2004 Fashion Rocks event.
Leaving The Pussycat Dolls
There has been some debate about whether Kaya Jones was a full member of the group. Robin Antin, who created the group, has said that Jones "was never an official member." Jones left the group in September 2004. This was while the group was recording their first album. She said that being in the band was no longer fun for her. She explained that when everyone in a group is not working together, it affects the whole group. This is why she decided to leave.
Jones has also said that she and other band members had difficult experiences in the music industry. The group, however, has denied these claims.
Solo Music Journey
After her time with The Pussycat Dolls, Jones started her own music career. She released her first song, "Hollywood Doll," in 2009. Her next song, "Take It Off," was with DJ Regi. This song was somewhat popular in Europe. It appeared on music charts in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Belgium. In 2011, Jones started her own record company. It is called HueMan Race Records, Inc.
Political Views and Public Role
Kaya Jones holds conservative political views. She used to be registered as a Democrat. However, she changed her political party after becoming a born-again Christian. She is a strong supporter of Donald Trump. She has appeared on the Fox News show Hannity several times. Her first appearance was in June 2017.
Native American Ambassador Role
In December 2017, Jones announced she had joined the National Diversity Coalition for Trump. In this group, she is listed as a director. Her title is Native American Ambassador for Trump. This announcement led to a lot of criticism from people in the Native American community. Some people accused her of being a "pretendian". This term is used for someone who falsely claims Native American ancestry.
Jones has stated that she has Apache heritage. However, Native American journalists say that no Apache tribe recognizes her as a member. They also state there is no proof of any Native American ancestry for Jones. In 2018, Chuck Hoskin Jr., who was the Secretary of State of the Cherokee Nation at the time, made a statement. He mentioned genealogist David Cornsilk. The statement said that Jones is not a member of any federally recognized Native American tribe.
Discography
- Kaya (2012)
- Confessions of a Hollywood Doll (2012)
- Rise of the Phoenix (2015)
- The Chrystal Neria Album (2015)
See also
In Spanish: Kaya Jones para niños
