Keke Wyatt

Ketara Shavon “Keke” Wyatt (b. Indianapolis, March 5, 1982 - ) – Singer and songwriter. Brought up in a family of church musicians in Indianapolis, Wyatt got early recognition for her singing ability especially for her work on a local gospel compilation at age ten. The following year, her parents took her to audition for the Dollz, an all-girl Texas R & B group that later became Destiny’s Child. After getting a callback and attending a few rehearsals, she decided not to join. Instead, she found work as a teenager singing demos for gospel labels. At the same time, she also made contacts with various producers and artists; that led to a duet recording of “My First Love” (a 1980s ballad) with Avant when Keke was only eighteen. Although not released until two years later, “My First Love,” which appeared on Avant’s album My Thoughts (MCA, 2001), remained in the top ten for several weeks and peeked at #4 on the R & B charts. On the strength of her duet success, she landed a solo contract with MCA and released Soul Sista later in the same year. Reaching #5 on the R & B charts and eventually going Gold, her debut album included “Nothing in the World,” another duet with Avant that also climbed to #4 on the R & B charts. Around the same time, she was heard on the soundtracks of Brown Sugar (2001, “It’s Going Down” with Blackalicious) and Two Can Play That Game (2002, “If Only You Knew”). Following a domestic dispute in which she stabbed her manager/husband in 2002 (although she was not charged for a crime), her career was somewhat stagnant for the rest of the decade. Nonetheless, her second album, Who Knew?, was released in 2010, and she is one her fifth record since then. Over her career, she has charted seven singles, including "You and I" with Avant in 2011. Wyatt's comeback is also evidenced through her success in reality TV, appearing on three seasons of R & B Divas (2012-14).