The new TV One show “R&B Divas” offers a personal glimpse into their private worlds as they lean on each other and offer candid revelations about their efforts to deal with major life transitions and challenges such as divorce, parenting issues, drugs, alcohol, physical abuse and more.
These friends come together, at the instigation of Faith Evans, to produce a charity album inspired by her friend, Whitney Houston. In honor of the late singer, proceeds from the album will benefit the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts, an institution that Houston attended, located in her hometown of East Orange, NJ. At the same time, they are all juggling myriad personal challenges and responsibilities in addition to making music – including raising families. Faith prepares for a major move as she maintains her businesses and helps manage the estate of a music icon. Monifah reveals a bombshell that could drive a wedge between them. Keke is pregnant and the women are convinced that she can’t go anywhere without her husband/manager. Nicci is launching a new plus-sized clothing line called Curvato, while Syleena makes a career decision that will affect her entire family and put additional strain on her financially.
Faith Evans: Faith has been in the industry for over 10 years and was previously married to the Notorius B.I.G. And after winning a Grammy, dropping three platinum albums and becoming a NYT Best Selling author, she’s the center of this friendship circle of ladies.
Nicci Gilbert: She’s the lead singer/songwriter from the R&B group Brownstone. She’s now spun her 15-year-career into the acting and fashion worlds.
Monifah: After getting her start singing background for reggae artist Maxi Priest, she worked with Heavy D to get her career and first album Moods…Moments off the ground in the late 90’s. Fifteen years and 1 Gold certified album later, the “I Miss You” singer is currently writing, producing and recording her fourth CD as she continues performing live with her band “Soulution.”
Syleena Johnson: The singer says she lost her love for music “for a minute because it broke my heart at one point…but I am glad to say that we are back together and learning to love each other again.” The daughter of the nation’s first black female police commissioner and legendary soul and blues singer Syl Johnson, she was initially discouraged from getting into the music business by her father, who had many disappointing experiences in the industry.But after training and a breakup with an abusive boyfriend, she embarked on a career 10 years ago. She’s well known for handling the vocals on Kanye West’s “All Falls Down” track.
Ketara Shavon Wyatt, b.k.a. Keke Wyatt: She’s the daughter of a Caucasian vocalist mother and an African American organist/vocalist father and started singing at two. KeKe grew up in the church, where the family had the image of a happy Christian family; but behind closed doors there were problems stemming from abuse and also adversity experienced by the family’s multi-racial background. At the height of her career breakthrough, the “Nothing In This World” singer’s private struggle with domestic violence became the main focus in the media. In 2001, Wyatt was arrested for stabbing her husband; the charges were later dropped, but her career suffered from the negative attention. In 2004, the songstress signed to New Orleans based Cash Money Records. Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, her album promo and sales suffered. She now serves as a spokesperson for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The show premieres on Monday, August 20 at 10 PM ET on TV One.
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