Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
Faith Evans
June 10, 1973
Lakeland, Florida, US
53 Years Old
Gemini
Who Is Faith Evans?
Faith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter and actress, celebrated for her soulful R&B vocals and evocative storytelling. She swiftly became a defining voice in 1990s contemporary R&B, captivating audiences with her distinctive style.
Her breakout moment arrived in 1997 with the Grammy Award-winning single "I'll Be Missing You." This heartfelt tribute, recorded with Puff Daddy and 112, topped charts globally, cementing her status as a mainstream artist.
Early Life and Education
A Christian home in Newark, New Jersey, shaped Faith Evans’s early life, where she began singing in church at age two. Her professional singer mother, Helene Evans, encouraged her musical gifts.
Evans was an honor student at Newark’s University High School, studying jazz and classical music before attending Fordham University on scholarship to study marketing, though she left after a year to pursue music.
Notable Relationships
A string of high-profile romances has marked Faith Evans's life, including her marriage to rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace in 1994. Their turbulent union ended with his unsolved murder in 1997.
Evans later married Todd Russaw in 1998 and then Stevie J in 2018; her divorce from Stevie J was finalized in 2023. She shares children with Kiyamma Griffin, Wallace, and Russaw.
Career Highlights
Faith Evans's R&B career took off with her debut, platinum-certified album Faith in 1995, featuring hit singles like "You Used to Love Me" and "Soon as I Get Home." This established her as a formidable vocalist and songwriter.
She achieved a major milestone by winning a Grammy Award for "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" in 1998 for the collaborative tribute "I'll Be Missing You." This song was a global number one hit.
Her 2005 album, The First Lady, topped the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, showcasing her continued chart success and artistic growth.
Signature Quote
"I want people to understand that although he was a large part of my life, my story doesn't actually begin or end with Big's death."