Sparkle (singer) facts for kids

Stephanie Edwards, known by her stage name Sparkle, is an American R&B singer. She was born on May 13, 1975, in Chicago, Illinois. Sparkle started her music career in 1998. She is well-known for her first hit song, "Be Careful", which came out in 1998.

Her Music Journey

Sparkle began singing in her family's gospel music group. She met singer R. Kelly in 1989. Sparkle was the first artist to release a successful album on Kelly's Rockland label.

First Album Success

Sparkle's first album, called Sparkle, was released on May 19, 1998. This album was very popular. It reached number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 2 on the R&B charts. The album quickly sold enough copies to be certified gold.

The album's most famous song was "Be Careful". This song was a duet with R. Kelly. It became a big hit, reaching number 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B Airplay chart for six weeks. It also reached number 7 in the UK.

Moving to a New Label

Even with her first album's success, Sparkle and R. Kelly had different ideas for her second album. Because of this, Sparkle decided to leave Rockland/Interscope Records. She then signed with Motown Records.

Her second album, Told You So, was released in 2000. This album did not do as well as her first one. It reached number 121 on the Billboard 200. However, one song from the album, "It's a Fact", became a minor hit. In 2012, Sparkle released a music video for her song "So Bad".

Collaborations and Other Works

Sparkle has worked with many other artists. She sang background vocals for Aaliyah on her album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. She also worked with R. Kelly on his album R.

Other artists she has collaborated with include Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean, Avant, Joe, Jimmy Sommers, and Tank. Sparkle also sang background vocals for Toni Braxton in her Las Vegas stage show.

Albums and Songs

Sparkle has released several albums and singles throughout her career.

Albums

Singles

• "Be Careful" (featuring R. Kelly) (1998)
• "Time to Move On" (1998)
• "What About" (1998)
• "Lovin You" (1999)
• "It's a Fact" (2000)
• "Good Life" (2001)
• "So Bad" (2012)
• "We Are Ready" (2018)
• "Easy" (2020)
• "Open Letter" (2021)