Kelly Cherelle Price (born April 4, 1973) is an American R&B and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

singer. Beginning her career in 1992, Price originally performed backing vocals for

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

on multiple songs, including Carey's ''Billboard'' Hot 100-number one singles "

All I Want for Christmas Is You "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her fourth studio album and first holiday album, ''Merry Christmas'' (1994). She wrote and produced the song with Walter Afanasieff. It was released a ...

" and "

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

." Price rose to wider prominence in 1997 following her uncredited performances on the number-one single "

Mo Money Mo Problems "Mo Money Mo Problems" is a song by American rapper the Notorious B.I.G., released as the second single from his second studio album, ''Life After Death'' (1997) on July 15, 1997, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. It features guest per ...

" by

the Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

and the top-five single "

Feel So Good "Feel So Good" is a song by American rapper Mase, released by Arista and Bad Boy Records on October 14, 1997 as both his debut single and the lead single for his debut album, ''Harlem World'' (1997). The song also acted as lead single for the s ...

" by

Mase Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Mase (often stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper. Best known for his work with Sean Combs, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, he signed with the label in 1996 ...

, prompting her to record as a lead artist. Her debut studio album, ''Soul of a Woman'' (1998), received

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

certification by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA); its lead single, " Friend of Mine" (featuring

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), known as R. Kelly, is an American former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with prolific commercial success in R&B, hip hop, and pop music recordings, earning nicknames suc ...

and

Ronald Isley Ronald Isley ( ; born May 21, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Isley is the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers. Early life Born in 1941 to Sallye Bernice (née Bell) and O ...

) peaked within the top 20 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Price guest featured alongside

Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 in pursuit of a recording career. Evans initially performed as ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

's 1998 single "

Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being g ...

," which peaked at number two on the chart and earned a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or a Group with Vocals. Her second and fourth albums, ''Mirror Mirror'' (2000) and '' Priceless'' (2003), both peaked within the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200. She provided uncredited guest performances on

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

's 2016 songs "

Ultralight Beam "Ultralight Beam" is a song by American recording artist Kanye West from his seventh studio album ''The Life of Pablo'' (2016). The song features vocals by Contemporary R&B, R&B singers The-Dream and Kelly Price, rapper Chance the Rapper, Gospe ...

" and "

Low Lights "Low Lights" (also spelled "Lowlights") is a song by American recording artist Kanye West from his seventh studio album, ''The Life of Pablo'' (2016). It was produced by West, DJDS and Mike Dean, while the lyrics were written by West, Dean, Je ...

" (recording a sample of "So Alive" by

Kings of Tomorrow Sandy Rivera (born January 18, 1971) is an American house music DJ, record producer and label owner. Born in New York City, he is now based in New Jersey. Biography Rivera started his career at age 13 as a DJ in his native Spanish Harlem. He b ...

), both from his album ''

The Life of Pablo ''The Life of Pablo'' is the seventh studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on February 14, 2016, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place from 2013 to 2016, in Italy, Mexico, ...

''. Price has won a

Soul Train Music Award The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of ''Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...

, and received nine Grammy Award nominations.

Life and music career

Price was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Far Rockaway, Queens Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the eastern part of the Rockaway peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. The neighborhood extends from Beach 32nd Street east to the Nassau County li ...

, and she sang in church as a youngster. Her first professional engagement was with singer

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...

at Madison Square Garden in New York City in January 1992. During rehearsals for the 1992 Grammy Awards the next month, Price was overheard singing in the rehearsal hall by

. Price was later introduced to Carey's then-husband, Sony Columbia's then CEO

Tommy Mottola Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American businessman, record executive, television producer, theater producer, film producer, investor, and serial entrepreneur. Mottola is the chairman of Mottola Media Group, co-founder of Nter ...

, and was offered a gig as a background singer for Carey, which she did until 1997. Her second album, '' Mirror Mirror'', was released in 2000 on the Def Soul imprint of

Def Jam Records Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

. Island Records and Def Jam Records had merged in 1999, with Price and some other labelmates being reassigned to the Island Def Jam subsidiary Def Soul. ''Mirror Mirror'' featured the singles "You Should've Told Me" and the

nominated "As We Lay". In October 2005, Price recorded her first live gospel album. The '' This Is Who I Am'' album has been released on October 24, 2006, on her own label, EcclecticSounds Records. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Charts and peaked at No. 9 on the R&B album chart. Price was inducted as an honorary member of

Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The sorority was founded on November 12, 1922. The organization was formed as a sorority in 1922, by seven African American women in Indianapolis, Indiana. At its i ...

sorority in July 2006. In early 2007, Price kicked off a tour with the 'Sisters in the Spirit 2007'. In 2006, she recorded the song "Why?" for the soundtrack ''

Why Did I Get Married? ''Why Did I Get Married?'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film adaptation written, produced, directed, and starring Tyler Perry. It was inspired by Perry's play of the same name. The film also stars Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Sharo ...

'', the film version of ''Why Did I Get Married? Priceless Secrets from The Soul of A Woman'', in which Price created the role of Sheila alongside

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Madea, Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her ...

who used the song titles and lyrical content of Price's hit recordings to develop the story. In early 2009, she was featured on

Coko Cheryl Elizabeth Gamble (formerly Clemons; born June 13, 1970), known professionally as Coko, is an American singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer of the R&B vocal trio Sisters With Voices (SWV). Aside from her R&B career, Gamble als ...

's gospel album entitled ''

The Winner in Me ''The Winner in Me'' is the second solo contemporary gospel album (fourth overall) by SWV member Coko. Track listing # Make a Way (featuring Canton Jones) # The Joy of the Lord (featuring Israel Houghton) # Rescue Me # The Winner in Me # May Be ...

'' on the track "Oh Mary". In June 2010, Price promoted her single "Tired" on The Jazz Joy and Roy syndicated radio show as "some of the best work of my career to date." The song was also featured in Tyler Perry's 2011 film '' Madea's Big Happy Family''. On February 9, 2012, in a pre-

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

party to celebrate Price's nominations, the singer sang "

Jesus Loves Me "Jesus Loves Me" is a Christian hymn written by Anna Bartlett Warner (1827–1915). The lyrics first appeared as a poem in the context of an 1860 novel called ''Say and Seal'', written by her older sister Susan Warner (1819–1885), in whic ...

" with

in what turned out to be Houston's last public performance two days before her death. In September 2009, it was announced she would be joining

Deborah Cox Deborah Cox (born July 13, 1974) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Toronto, she began performing on television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before ...

and

Tamia Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development deal with War ...

to form the group The Queen Project. The women seek to empower women of all ages, races, and backgrounds by doing a number of community service projects. In 2016, Kelly was included in several songs on rapper

's album, ''

''. Kelly was a co-writer with American R&B singer

K. Michelle Kimberly Michelle Pate (born March 4, 1982) is an American Country, Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, and television personality. She was a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series ''Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta'' during its first two sea ...

, on her single Not a Little Bit which was released on January 22, 2016. It is the lead single from the singer's third studio album, ''

More Issues Than Vogue ''More Issues Than Vogue'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter K. Michelle. It was released on March 25, 2016, by Atlantic Records. The album was preceded by the release of the singles " Not a Little Bit" and " Ain't You". '' ...

''. In September 2021, Price was declared missing as reported by

TMZ ''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...

. Her attorney later stated she was privately recuperating from a severe COVID-19 infection. During the

R. Kelly sexual abuse cases American R&B singer R. Kelly has faced repeated accusations of sexual abuse for incidents dating from 1991 to 2018 and has been the subject of a long-term investigative journalism, investigation by the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' since August 2000. He h ...

Price opened up about witnessing R. Kelly's behaviour, during concerts and events and confirmed the allegations against him.

Personal life

Price grew up in the Edgemere Projects located in New York City in Far Rockaway, Queens. Her father died when she was nine years old. She resides in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. Price's grandfather was Jerome Norman, Bishop and Pastor of the Full Gospel Mission

Church of God in Christ The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international Christian perfection#Holiness Pentecostalism, Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and a large Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi ...

in Queens and Jurisdictional Prelate of the

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, since 1985. He was installed by the late Presiding Bishop J.O. Patterson. Her mother, Claudia (1951–2020), was the former musical director of the church. Price's sister, Shanrae Price, is also a singer and served as a background vocalist for

. In 2020, Price lost her grandfather to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

Breast cancer activism

In December 2000, Price donated $250,000 to fight breast cancer. She presented a check to Tony Martell of the T.J. Martell Foundation and Denise Rich of G&P Foundation For Cancer Research to help with the ongoing fight against breast cancer. Price donated the proceeds from her single "Love Sets You Free" which she recorded in January 2000. In April 1999, Price volunteered to showcase her fashion designs during a special charity gala and fashion show to help the National Breast Cancer Awareness Initiative raise money for breast cancer education for minority women. The previous year, in 1998, Price learned that both her mother and her mother-in-law had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which would later claim her mother-in-law's life. Price's mother was a survivor of

inflammatory breast cancer Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer. It can occur in women of any age (and, extremely rarely, in men, see male breast cancer). It is referred to as "inflammatory" due to its frequent presentation w ...

and an activist in educating the public about the disease. She was the chairwoman of the seventh annual Sister to Sister Fitness Festival held in

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, Texas which was sponsored by the Celebrating Life Foundation. Claudia experienced pain in her breast in 1997, but said fear and a lack of insurance kept her from seeking immediate medical attention. Instead, she waited two years before seeing a doctor. While at work one day in 1999, her doctor called and said she had inflammatory breast cancer. Doctors gave her two months to live. She underwent chemotherapy, and the disease was in remission as of October 2006.

Discography

;Studio albums * '' Soul of a Woman'' (1998) * '' Mirror Mirror'' (2000) * ''One Family: A Christmas Album'' (2001) * '' Priceless'' (2003) * '' This Is Who I Am'' (2006) * ''

Kelly Kelly may refer to: Art and entertainment * ''Kelly'' (Kelly Price album), 2011 * ''Kelly'' (Andrea Faustini album) * ''Kelly'' (musical), by Mark Charlap, 1965 * "Kelly" (song), by Kelly Rowland, 2018 * ''Kelly'' (film), Canada, 1981 * ...

'' (2011) * '' Sing Pray Love, Vol. 1: Sing'' (2014) * ''Grace'' (2021)

Awards and nominations

!Ref. , - , rowspan=2, 2016 , rowspan=2, "

" (with

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...

Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American Gospel music, gospel musician. One of the List of best-selling gospel music artists, best-selling gospel music artists, his accolades include 20 Grammy Awards. ''Variety (magazine), Var ...

and

The-Dream Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant ('' né'' Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in ...

) , Best Rap Song , , rowspan=2, , - , Best Rap Duo/Group Performance , !Ref. , - ,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

, Kelly Price , Top Hot R&B Singles Artists – Female , , , - , rowspan=3,

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

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2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, "

" (with

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) ,

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as th ...

, , - ,

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, "As We Lay" ,

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Award ...

, , - ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, "He Proposed" ,

Best Traditional R&B Performance The Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers of quality traditional R&B vocal performances. ...

, , - ,

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, "Tired" , Best Female R&B Vocal Performance , , - , rowspan="3",

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, rowspan="2", "Not My Daddy" (feat.

Stokley Williams Stokley Williams (born July 15, 1967), also known simply as Stokley, is an American musician from St. Paul, Minnesota, best known as the lead singer and studio drummer of the R&B band Mint Condition. Career In 2011, Williams was featured on ...

) ,

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Best R&B Song The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record five times, while Ba ...

, , - , ''Kelly'' ,

Best R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the Contemporary R&B, R&B mus ...

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2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

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Best Rap/Sung Performance The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

, , - ,

Best Rap Song The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rap music genre. Honors in several c ...

References

External links

* *
Kelly Price Interview with Benji Irby
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Price, Kelly 1973 births Living people African-American women singers African-American Christians American dance musicians American gospel singers American mezzo-sopranos American Pentecostals American soul singers Def Jam Recordings artists Members of the Church of God in Christ People from Far Rockaway, Queens People from DeKalb County, Georgia American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American contemporary R&B singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers American ballad musicians 21st-century American singer-songwriters 20th-century American singer-songwriters African-American songwriters Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)

Life and music career

Personal life

Breast cancer activism

Discography

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links