Biography
Who is Faith Evans?
Early life and background
Faith Evans was born in Lakeland, Florida, on June 10, 1973. Her mother, Helene Evans, was a professional singer, while her father, Richard Swain, was a musician who left before she was born. As a young child, she moved to Newark, New Jersey, where she was raised by her foster parents, Johnnie Mae and Orvelt Kennedy. She grew up in a religious household and began singing at church when she was only two years old.
During her time at University High School in Newark, she performed with various jazz bands. She also entered singing contests and festivals, where her vocal ability gained local attention. After graduating high school in 1991, she enrolled at Fordham University in New York City to study marketing. She left the university after one year to care for her daughter, Chyna, whom she had with producer Kiyamma Griffin.
Rise to fame and Bad Boy Records
In 1993, she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a professional music career. She initially worked as a backup vocalist for R&B singers Al B. Sure! And Christopher Williams. Her talent was noticed by rapper and producer Sean Combs, who signed her to his label, Bad Boy Entertainment, in 1994. This made her the first female artist to join the label's roster.
Before releasing her own material, she contributed backing vocals and writing to projects for Mary J. Blige and Usher. Her debut studio album, titled Faith, was released in 1995. The album achieved success with singles like You Used to Love Me and Soon as I Get Home. It was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA, with over 1.5 million copies sold.
Music career and Grammy success
Faith Evans achieved significant recognition in 1997 for her contribution to the song I'll Be Missing You. This tribute track, featuring Sean Combs and the group 112, was based on the melody of The Police song Every Breath You Take. It became a global number-one hit and made history by debuting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The performance earned her a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1998.
She continued to release albums throughout her career, including Keep the Faith in 1998 and Faithfully in 2001. After parting ways with Bad Boy Records in 2003, she signed with Capitol Records. Her 2005 album, The First Lady, peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. Over the course of three decades in the music industry, she has sold more than 20 million records worldwide.
Personal life and family
On August 4, 1994, Faith married rapper Christopher Wallace, widely known as the Notorious B.I.G. The couple met at a Bad Boy photoshoot. They had one child together, a son named Christopher George Latore Wallace Jr. Their marriage was marked by public scrutiny, and she was often caught in the middle of the East Coast and West Coast hip hop rivalry. Christopher Wallace was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting in March 1997.
Following her separation from Wallace, she began a relationship with record executive Todd Russaw. They married in the summer of 1998 and had two sons together, Joshua and Ryder Evan Russaw. In 2008, she released an autobiography titled Keep the Faith: A Memoir, which won an African American Literary Award for Best Biography.
Birthday and age
Faith Evans was born on June 10, 1973, which makes Faith 53 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Faith shares the date with 34 other famous people.
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