Faith Evans

Artist Image: Faith Evans
Attribution
Image Credit: Timothy M. Moore at https://www.flickr.com/photos/photocology/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/photocology/4255263548/), CC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

Faith Renée Evans, (born June 10, 1973), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles in 1993 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B. Sure and Christopher Williams, she became the first female artist to contract with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment recording company in 1994, for which she collaborated with several label mates such as Mary J. Blige and Carl Thomas and released three platinum-certified studio albums between 1995 and 2001, including Faith (1995), Keep the Faith (1998) and Faithfully (2001). In 2003, she ended her relationship with the company to contract with Capitol Records. Her first album released on the label, The First Lady (2005) became her highest-charting album at the time, reaching the top of the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, while the holiday album A Faithful Christmas, released the same year, would became her last release before the company was bought in 2007. Following a longer hiatus, Evans released her fifth album Something About Faith on the independent label Prolific/E1 Music in 2010. Other than her recording career, Evans is mostly known as the widow of New York rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, whom she married on August 4, 1994, a few weeks after meeting at a Bad Boy photo shoot. The turbulent marriage resulted in Evans' involvement in the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry, dominating the rap music news at the time, and ended with Wallace's murder in a unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997. A 1997 tribute single featuring Puff Daddy and the band 112, named "I'll Be Missing You", won Evans a Grammy Award in 1998. Also an actress and writer, Evans made her screen debut in the 2000 musical drama Turn It Up by Robert Adetuyi. Her autobiography Keep the Faith: A Memoir was released by Grand Central Publishing in 2008 and won a 2009 African American Literary Award for the Best Biography/Memoir category.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed
Number of Albums 30
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia Faith Evans on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Genres

Hip Hop Soul

Trivia

Who was Faith Evans' husband?

Christopher Wallace

...d, FL; daughter of Helene Evans and Richard Swain; married rapper Christopher Wallace , a.k.a. Biggie Smalls or Notorious B.I.G., 1994; widowed 1997; m...
Where did Faith Evans grow up?

Newark, New Jersey

...ng mother, Helene Evans. Raised by her mother and grandparents in Newark, New Jersey , Evans got her start singing in the church. At age four, she caug...
Where was Evans born?

Lakeland, Florida

...ed to become a musical success in her own right. Evans was born in Lakeland, Florida , to an Italian musician father, Richard Swain, who left her befor...
How old was Evans when she started singing?

four

...in Newark, New Jersey, Evans got her start singing in the church. At age four , she caught the attention of the congregation of the Emmanuel Baptist Ch...
What church did Evans sing Let the Sunshine In?

Emmanuel Baptist Church

...t age four, she caught the attention of the congregation of the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newark when she sang Let the Sunshine In. Her grandparents'...
Where was Evans an honor student?

University High School

...rents' influence served her well. Evans was an honor student at University High School , appeared in musicals there, and was named Miss New Jersey Fash...
What was Evans's age?

49

...search Evans performing in 2005 Born Faith Renée Evans June 10, 1973 (age 49 ) Lakeland, Florida, U.S. Education Fordham University Occupation Singer a...
Where was Evans raised?

New Jersey

...ouse(s) The Notorious B.I.G. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey , she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career in the music busin...
How many platinumcertified albums did she release between 1995 and 2001?

three

...cords with several label mates such as 112 and Carl Thomas, and released three platinumcertified studio albums between 1995 and 2001: Faith (1995) and...
When did Evans end her relationship with the company to sign with Capitol Records?

2003

... 2001: Faith (1995) and Keep the Faith (1998), and Faithfully (2001). In 2003 , she ended her relationship with the company to sign with Capitol Record...
When did Evans release her fifth album Something About Faith?

2010

...t Faith on the independent label Prolific and Entertainment One Music in 2010 . With a career spanning two decades, Evans has sold over 20 million reco...
How many records has Evans sold worldwide?

over 20 million

...e Music in 2010. With a career spanning two decades, Evans has sold over 20 million records worldwide. Other than her recording career, Evans is most ...
Who is Evans most known as the widow of?

Christopher The Notorious B.I.G. Wallace

...r, Evans is most known as the widow of New York rapper Christopher The Notorious B.I.G. Wallace , whom she married on August 4, 1994, a few months afte...
When did Evans marry Christopher The Notorious B.I.G. Wallace?

August 4, 1994

...apper Christopher The Notorious B.I.G. Wallace, whom she married on August 4, 1994 , a few months after meeting at a Bad Boy photoshoot. The turbulent ...
What rap music rivalry did Evans have?

East CoastWest Coast

...ot. The turbulent marriage resulted in Evans' involvement in the East CoastWest Coast hip hop rivalry, dominating the rap music news at the time, and ...
What was the name of the tribute song that won Evans a Grammy Award?

I'll Be Missing You

...os Angeles on March 9, 1997. A 1997 tribute single featuring Puff Daddy and the band 112, named I'll Be Missing You , won Evans a Grammy Award in 1998....
When was Wallace's death?

March 9, 1997

...h Wallace's murder in an unsolved driveby shooting in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997 . A 1997 tribute single featuring Puff Daddy and the band 112, named...
Where was Wallace killed?

Los Angeles

...e, and ended with Wallace's murder in an unsolved driveby shooting in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997. A 1997 tribute single featuring Puff Daddy and the...
Faith has performed on how many soundtracks?

20

...at Faith has a little something for everyone. Faith has also performed on 20 soundtracks and a host of guest appearances during her career. Faith has ...
Faith's Keep The Faith was released in what year?

1998

...ertified albums under her belt, including: Faith (1995), Keep The Faith ( 1998 ) and Faithfully (2001); the Goldcertified The First Lady (2005), and the...
What book did Faith write in 2008?

Keep the Faith: A Memoir

...). In 2008, Faith penned her New York Times Best Selling Book, Keep the Faith: A Memoir with Aliya King, which won the 2009 African American Literary ...
When did Faith cocreate, executive produce and star in a reality series?

R&B Divas

...created, executive produced and starred in an original reality series, R&B Divas , which became cable network TV Ones most watched original premiere in...
What was Faith's seventh Grammy nomination for?

Best R&B Album

... The R&B Divas album earned Faith her seventh Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album for the 2014 Grammy Awards. Incomparable reached number 17 on Billb...
In what year was Faith nominated for Best R&B Album?

2014

...um earned Faith her seventh Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album for the 2014 Grammy Awards. Incomparable reached number 17 on Billboards Independent ...
What number did Incomparable reach on the Billboards Independent Albums chart?

17

...or Best R&B Album for the 2014 Grammy Awards. Incomparable reached number 17 on Billboards Independent Albums chart and number 27 on Billboards Top R&...
Who guest features on Divas?

Problem, B. Slade & Karen ClarkSheard

...lbums chart. The album also includes guest features from Problem, B. Slade & Karen ClarkSheard and production by Mike City, Chucky Thompson, MyGuyMars...
What was the name of the tour Faith was a part of?

Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour

...16, Faith was one of the featured performers on the acclaimed Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour , playing to thousands of fans in 19 cities and two countries...
What ethnicity was Faith's father?

ItalianAmerican

...Early Life: Faith was born to an ItalianAmerican father and an AfricanAmerican mother. Her father, a musician, left the family when Faith was very you...
When did her father leave the family?

when Faith was very young

...fricanAmerican mother. Her father, a musician, left the family when Faith was very young . Evans began singing at church at age two and later sang in s...
At what age did Faith begin singing?

two

...he family when Faith was very young. Evans began singing at church at age two and later sang in school musical productions. She was an honor student i...
Faith dropped out of high school to pursue what career?

singing

... Fordham University. She dropped out after a year, however, to pursue a singing career. Bad Boy: At 19, Faith had a child named Chyna with musician an...
Who did Faith have a child with at 19?

Kiyamma Griffin

...oy: At 19, Faith had a child named Chyna with musician and producer Kiyamma Griffin , whom she later split with. Sure, through whom she met producer Se...
What label did Sean Diddy Combs sign Evans to?

Bad Boy Records

...ddy Combs. Combs eventually signed Evans to his thenfledgling label Bad Boy Records . She cowrote and sang backup on Mary J. Blige's My Life CD. At a B...
When did Evans release The First Lady?

2005

...s from Evans became less frequent after she scored a fourth hit with the 2005 Capitol release The First Lady, which topped the R&Bhiphop chart and was...
How many hits did Evans have in 2005?

fourth

...or Group. Recordings from Evans became less frequent after she scored a fourth hit with the 2005 Capitol release The First Lady, which topped the R&Bh...
What was the name of the Capitol release?

The First Lady

...requent after she scored a fourth hit with the 2005 Capitol release The First Lady , which topped the R&Bhiphop chart and was another goldseller. Every...
Where did Faith earn a scholarship to?

Fordham University

...d in her school's musical productions and earned a scholarship to Fordham University . After one year, she left the Bronx campus to put her jazz and cl...
How long did she stay at Fordham University?

one year

...ical productions and earned a scholarship to Fordham University. After one year , she left the Bronx campus to put her jazz and classical training to u...
Who offered Evans a Bad Boy contract?

Sean Puffy Combs

...ix tracks and sang backup, Evans was offered a Bad Boy contract by Sean Puffy Combs . She hadn't aspired to become an artist, but struck a deal, and in...
How many tracks did Evans cowrote?

six

...andor sang backup for Al B. While working on Usher, for which she cowrote six tracks and sang backup, Evans was offered a Bad Boy contract by Sean Puf...
What Italian musician father was Evans?

Richard Swain

... Evans was born in Lakeland, Florida, to an Italian musician father, Richard Swain , who left her before she was born, and an AfricanAmerican bluessing...
What was Evans named Miss New Jersey?

Fashion Teen

...gh School, appeared in musicals there, and was named Miss New Jersey Fashion Teen . I was raised in a very, very Christian home, Evans told iD magazine...
When did Evans win a scholarship to Fordham University?

18

...zine in a 1998 interview. I could hardly go to the corner of my block. At 18 , she won a scholarship to Fordham University in New York City to major in...
What was her major?

marketing

...e won a scholarship to Fordham University in New York City to major in marketing . After a year, she left to have her first child, a daughter named Chy...
When did Sean Puffy Combs sign Faith Evans to his label?

1994

...of Bad Boy after Sean Puffy Combs signed her to his influential label in 1994 . The same year, Evans married Christopher Wallace aka the Notorious B.I....
When did she first sing in public?

three years old

....I.G. Early Life The first time Faith Evans sang in public, she was three years old . She overcame her nerves to belt out Let the Sunshine In, from the...
What song did she sing at Emanuel Baptist Church in Newark?

Let the Sunshine In

...lic, she was three years old. She overcame her nerves to belt out Let the Sunshine In , from the musical Hair, to the congregation of her local place o...
In what year did she write her memoir Keep the Faith?

2008

...rship, Emanuel Baptist Church, in Newark. She recalled the moment in her 2008 memoir, Keep the Faith: After seeing the reaction of my first audience, ...
What is Evans' twin sister's name?

Hope

... of high school, and living in Dade City, Florida, with her twin sister, Hope , and their younger siblings, Missy and Morgan. Evans' father, Richard Sw...
What color is Evans?

light

...s out of the picture by the time she was born. He is white, hence Evans' light complexion, but as she wrote in Keep the Faith, I was raised 100 percen...