Keyshia Cole facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Keyshia Cole
Cole in 2017
Born	Keyshia Myeshia Johnson (1981-10-15) October 15, 1981 (age 43) Oakland, California, U.S.
Education	Tracy High School
Occupation	Singer songwriter television personality actress
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Daniel Gibson ​ ​ (m. 2011; div. 2020)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Virgil Hunter (father)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	R&B hip-hop soul
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Epic Sony BMG Imani Interscope Geffen A&M

Keyshia Myeshia Cole (born October 15, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and television star. She is known for her powerful, soulful voice and lyrics that come from the heart. Music experts have called her the "Princess of Hip-Hop Soul."

Born in Oakland, California, she started her career singing backup for MC Hammer. She later signed with A&M Records and released her first album, The Way It Is, in 2005. The album included the hit song "Love" and sold over a million copies. This success led to her own reality TV show on BET called Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is. The show followed her life and career and became very popular.

Cole's next albums, Just like You (2007) and A Different Me (2008), were also huge hits. They both reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart and sold millions of copies. Just like You had three number-one R&B hits: "Let It Go", "I Remember", and "Heaven Sent". These songs earned her four Grammy Award nominations.

Over the years, she has released more successful albums like Calling All Hearts (2010) and Woman to Woman (2012). She also starred in more reality shows, including Keyshia & Daniel: Family First. From 2019 to 2020, she hosted her own TV talk show, One on One with Keyshia Cole.

Early Life and Beginnings

Keyshia Myeshia Johnson was born in Oakland, California, on October 15, 1981. Her biological mother was Francine "Frankie" Lons, and her father is boxing trainer Virgil Hunter. Because of challenges in her early family life, she was adopted at age two by family friends, Leon and Yvonne Cole. She then changed her last name to Cole.

Keyshia loved music from a young age. When she was 12, her brother introduced her to the famous rapper MC Hammer. She even got to record some background vocals for him. Around the same time, she became friends with rapper Tupac Shakur. He promised to help her with her music career, but sadly, he passed away before he could.

At 16, she joined the East Oakland Youth Development Center, a group that helps young people. She graduated from Tracy High School in 2000. Cole has said that her childhood was not easy, but she wants to inspire others. She believes that with faith, anyone can achieve their goals, no matter where they come from.

Music Career

2004–2006: A Star is Born

Keyshia Cole's first official song was "Never", which was on the soundtrack for the movie Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004). This song helped introduce her unique voice to the world.

On June 21, 2005, she released her first album, The Way It Is. It was a big success, starting at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. The album featured famous artists like Kanye West and John Legend. It had hit singles like "I Should Have Cheated" and "Love". The album sold over a million copies and earned her award nominations. To promote it, she toured with Kanye West.

In 2006, her reality show, Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, started on BET. The show gave fans a look into her life, family, and music career. It became one of the most-watched shows on the network.

2007–2009: Continued Success

Cole at the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2007

In 2007, Cole moved to Geffen Records. She was featured on Diddy's hit song "Last Night", which became a top-ten hit around the world.

Her second album, Just like You, came out on September 25, 2007. It was another huge hit, selling 281,000 copies in its first week. The album's first single, "Let It Go", became her first number-one R&B hit. Two other songs, "I Remember" and "Heaven Sent", also went to number one. The album earned her four Grammy Award nominations.

In 2008, Cole released her third album, A Different Me. It also debuted at number two on the charts and sold over a million copies. The album included the popular songs "Playa Cardz Right" and "Trust" with singer Monica. She then went on her first headlining tour, the A Different Me Tour, in 2009.

2010–2013: New Albums and Tours

Cole's fourth album, Calling All Hearts, was released in 2010. It featured artists like Nicki Minaj and Faith Evans. The album reached number nine on the Billboard 200 chart. One of its main songs was "Take Me Away". In 2011, she toured with R&B star R. Kelly.

In 2012, she released her fifth album, Woman to Woman. It debuted at number 10 on the charts. The album's lead single, "Enough of No Love" featuring Lil Wayne, was a top-ten R&B hit. That same year, her second reality show, Keyshia & Daniel: Family First, aired on BET. The show followed her life with her then-husband, Daniel Gibson. In 2013, she went on the Woman to Woman Tour to support the album.

2014–2018: More Music and TV

In 2014, Cole released her sixth album, Point of No Return. It became her third number-one R&B album. The album featured artists like 2 Chainz and Juicy J. She also went on the Point of No Return Tour to promote it.

In 2015, she starred in her third reality series, Keyshia Cole: All In. The show focused on her career and life as a mother. She also released new music independently, including the song "Don't Waste My Time."

In 2017, Cole signed with Epic Records and released her seventh album, 11:11 Reset. The album featured the single "You" with Remy Ma and French Montana. That year, she also joined the cast of the TV show Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood for its fourth season.

2019–Present: Recent Projects

From 2019 to 2020, Cole hosted her own talk show on Fox Soul called One on One with Keyshia Cole. In 2021, she released the single "I Don't Wanna Be in Love" on her own record label.

In June 2023, she starred in and produced a biographical movie for Lifetime called Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story. The film told the story of her life and career. It was very popular, with three million people watching it during its first weekend.

In late 2023, she appeared on the TV show The Masked Singer as the "Candelabra" and finished in fifth place. In 2024, she co-headlined The Love Hard Tour with Trey Songz. In 2025, she celebrated the 20th anniversary of her first album with The Way It Is 20th Anniversary Tour.

Artistry

Voice and Music Style

Keyshia Cole has a powerful and emotional voice known as a soprano. Critics have described her voice as "raspy" and full of feeling. She is known for singing about love and heartbreak in a way that many people can relate to. The New York Times once wrote that she "sings love stories that could almost be war stories" because of their strong emotion.

Her music is a mix of modern R&B and classic soul. She often writes her own songs, and she says that when she hears a beat, she knows right away if she can write to it. This helps her music feel genuine and from the heart.

Influences

Cole has said that her biggest musical influence is Mary J. Blige. She has also been inspired by other great artists like Tupac Shakur, Brandy, Monica, and Faith Evans. Many people have compared her to Mary J. Blige because of their similar powerful voices and emotional lyrics.

Personal Life

Keyshia Cole is a Christian and has said her faith is very important to her. She has two sons. Her first son, Daniel Hiram Jr., was born on March 2, 2010, with her former husband, NBA player Daniel Gibson. Her second son, Tobias Khale, was born on August 1, 2019.

Cole has a close but sometimes complicated relationship with her family. In 2016, she met her biological father, Virgil Hunter, for the first time. Sadly, her adoptive father, Leon Cole, passed away in 2021. Her biological mother, Frankie Lons, also passed away in 2021.

Discography

• The Way It Is (2005)
• Just like You (2007)
• A Different Me (2008)
• Calling All Hearts (2010)
• Woman to Woman (2012)
• Point of No Return (2014)
• 11:11 Reset (2017)

Tours

Filmography

Films

Television

See also

In Spanish: Keyshia Cole para niños