Kiely Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kiely Williams
Williams in 2021
Occupation	Singer actress dancer
Years active	1999−present
Spouse(s)	Brandon Cox ​ (m. 2016)​
Children	2
Musical career
Origin	Annandale, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	R&B pop hip hop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Epic So So Def Walt Disney Hollywood Nine Lives Entertainment

Kiely Williams is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is best known for being a member of the popular girl groups 3LW and The Cheetah Girls.

Music and Acting Career

Starting with 3LW

In 1999, Kiely Williams, along with Adrienne Bailon and Naturi Naughton, formed the girl group 3LW. The group signed with Epic Records and released their first song, "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)," in 2000. It was a big hit! Their next single, "Playas Gon' Play," also did very well in early 2001.

Their first album, also called 3LW, came out in December 2000. It was very successful, selling over 1.3 million copies in the United States. In the summer of 2001, 3LW toured with famous artists like Destiny's Child and Jessica Simpson. Kiely also started acting, appearing in TV shows like Taina and The Jersey.

In 2002, 3LW released a new song called "I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)". However, during this time, Naturi Naughton decided to leave the group. Kiely and Adrienne continued as a duo. They released the album A Girl Can Mack, but after Naughton's departure, the group's popularity began to fade.

The Cheetah Girls Take the Stage

While still in 3LW, Kiely and Adrienne got the chance to star in a Disney Channel Original Movie called The Cheetah Girls. They played two members of a four-girl singing group, alongside Raven-Symoné and Sabrina Bryan. Kiely played the character Aquanette "Aqua" Walker.

The movie, which came out in August 2003, was a huge success. It was watched by 6.5 million people, which was a record for Disney Channel at the time. The movie's soundtrack was also very popular and sold millions of copies.

Because the movie was so successful, Disney decided to create a real-life music group called The Cheetah Girls. The group included Kiely, Adrienne, and Sabrina. Raven-Symoné chose to focus on her own music career instead of joining the group. The Cheetah Girls released their first album, Cheetah-licious Christmas, in 2005.

More Movies and Music

Kiely (right) performing with the Cheetah Girls on "One World Tour"

The Cheetah Girls continued to be very popular. In 2006, they filmed the sequel, The Cheetah Girls 2, in Barcelona, Spain. The movie premiere was watched by over 8.1 million viewers, breaking another Disney Channel record. The soundtrack for the second movie was also a big hit.

Meanwhile, 3LW officially came to an end in 2007, as Kiely and Adrienne focused on The Cheetah Girls. The Cheetah Girls released another album, TCG, in 2007, which included the popular song "Fuego".

In 2008, the group filmed their third movie, The Cheetah Girls: One World, this time without Raven-Symoné. The movie was still a hit with viewers. For the movie's soundtrack, Kiely recorded her own solo song called "Circle Game." The Cheetah Girls group decided to go their separate ways in late 2008.

Solo Projects and New Groups

After The Cheetah Girls, Kiely began working on her own music. She also continued acting, starring in movies like Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale and Stomp the Yard: Homecoming in 2010. For the movie Elle, she had to record several songs and learn a lot of choreography.

In 2021, Kiely starred in a TV show called BET Presents: The Encore. The show followed the creation of a new R&B group called BluPrint. The group also features Shamari Devoe from the group Blaque and Fallon and Felisha King from the group Cherish. They released their first collection of songs in August 2021.

Personal Life

Kiely Williams married Brandon Cox in December 2016. Her friend and former Cheetah Girls bandmate, Sabrina Bryan, was a bridesmaid at her wedding. The couple has two daughters. Their first, Rowan, was born in March 2018, and their second, Archer, was born in March 2022.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kiely Williams para niños