Keyshia Cole

Biography

Keyshia Myeshia Cole is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality, born on October 15, 1981, in Oakland, California. Dubbed the "Princess of Hip-Hop Soul," she is recognized for her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics. Cole was adopted at the age of two by family friends, Leon and Yvonne Cole, due to her biological mother's struggles with substance abuse. Her interest in music began at a young age, and as a pre-teen, she recorded with MC Hammer. At 18, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her music career.

Music Career

Cole's career began to take off after she was signed by A&M Records. Her debut album, "The Way It Is," was released in 2005 and featured hit singles like "I Should Have Cheated" and "Love." The album was certified platinum and established her as a prominent voice in R&B. Her subsequent albums, "Just Like You" (2007) and "A Different Me" (2008), were also highly successful, both reaching number two on the Billboard 200 chart and achieving platinum status. "Just Like You" earned her four Grammy nominations. Cole has continued to release albums throughout the years, including "Calling All Hearts" (2010), "Woman to Woman" (2012), "Point of No Return" (2014), and "11:11 Reset" (2017).

Notable Collaborations

Throughout her career, Keyshia Cole has collaborated with numerous artists. Some of her notable collaborations include "Last Night" with Diddy, "Let It Go" featuring Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim, and "Trust" with Monica. She was also featured on the posthumous 2Pac track "Playa Cardz Right."

Television Career

In addition to her music career, Keyshia Cole has had a significant presence in reality television. Her first series, "Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is," aired on BET from 2006 to 2008 and gave viewers an inside look at her professional and personal life, including her family dynamics. This was followed by "Keyshia & Daniel: Family First" in 2012, which documented her life with then-husband Daniel Gibson. In 2015, her third reality show, "Keyshia Cole: All In," premiered. She also hosted her own talk show on Fox Soul called "One on One with Keyshia Cole" from 2019 to 2020. In 2023, she starred in a biographical film for Lifetime titled "Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story."

Personal Life

Keyshia Cole was married to former NBA player Daniel Gibson. They have a son together, Daniel Hiram Gibson Jr., born in 2010. The couple married in 2011 and their divorce was finalized in 2020. Cole also has a second son, Tobias Khale, born in 2019, from her relationship with Niko Khale. Her biological mother, Frankie Lons, with whom she had a complex relationship often depicted in her reality shows, passed away in 2021. Her adoptive father also passed away that same year from COVID-19 complications. In 2016, Cole confirmed that boxing trainer Virgil Hunter is her biological father after a paternity test.