Ke'Tara Shavon "Keke" Wyatt (born March 10, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. After performing in a number of girl bands and working as a songwriter during her teenage years, in 2000 she garnered national attention after her successful collaboration with fellow R&B singer

Avant AVANT, also known as AVANT street art guerrilla collective, was the artist group active in New York City from 1980 to 1984. By 1984 AVANT had produced thousands of acrylic on paper paintings and plastered them on walls, doors, bus-stops and gallerie ...

, In 2001 her rendition of " Nothing in This World" led to a nomination for the Best New R&B/Soul/Rap Artist award at the

Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the ...

. After a number of charting collaborations and solo releases, in 2017 she starred as a cast member in TV One's '' R&B Divas: Atlanta'', which featured the lives of five 1990s chart-topping R&B singers. She was featured in all 3 seasons of the show. She also performed with the group at events such as

Essence Music Festival The Essence Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ''Essence'', a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It becam ...

. In her career, Wyatt released official studio albums, including ''

Soul Sista ''Soul Sista'' is the debut studio album by American R&B singer KeKe Wyatt. It was released on November 13, 2001, by MCA Records. The album's writing and production was entirely credited to Steve Huff. The album debuted at number 33 on the US ...

'' (2001), ''

Who Knew? ''Who Knew?'' is the second studio album by American R&B singer Keke Wyatt. It was released on February 23, 2010 by Shanachie Records. The album was preceded by the release of the title track "Who Knew?" as the lead single, which failed to chart ...

'' (2010), '' Unbelievable'' (2011), and her latest and recent release, ''

Rated Love ''Rated Love'' is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Keke Wyatt. It was released on April 22, 2016, by Aratek Entertainment and INgrooves via Universal Music Group.The album was preceded by the release of three singles: "Se ...

'' (2016). All of these albums charted prominently on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'', as did her first and only EP release, ''

Ke'Ke' ''Ke'Ke is the first extended play from R&B singer Keke Wyatt. It came out three years after her third studio album, '' Unbelievable''. It features five newly-written and produced songs, including the mildly successful single, " Fall in Love". " ...

'' (2014). Wyatt has also released a number of charting singles, with the lead single "

Sexy Song "Sexy Song" is a song recorded by the American R&B singer Keke Wyatt for her fourth studio album, '' Rated Love'' (2016). The song was released as the lead single on November 20, 2015, by her own label, Aratek Entertainment. The song was written by ...

" from the album ''Rated Love'' peaking at number 29 on the

Adult R&B Songs The Adult R&B Songs chart (formerly called Adult R&B Airplay) is an airplay chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on urban adult contemporary radio stations, whose playl ...

chart. After getting involved with a number of non-profits, Wyatt served as a spokesperson for the

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to be the voice of victims and survivors of domestic violence. Based in Denver, Colorado. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence ...

(NCADV).

Early life and education

Wyatt was born March 10, 1982, in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

to Lorna Wyatt, a vocalist and Keever Wyatt II, an organist and also a vocalist. Ke'Tara "Keke" Wyatt was raised in a musical family rooted in

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

. She has four brothers. Despite her religious background, Wyatt was also exposed to

Contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music. The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhythm ...

and secular music, and she would perform with her vocals in genres as diverse as gospel, pop and

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

. Wyatt began singing at the age of 2, experiencing her first live show by the age of 5. While of mixed

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

and

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

heritage, Wyatt and her four brothers, who were raised in a predominantly

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

household and community setting, identify as

. Wyatt grew up in Indianapolis, but also spent time in both

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. She attended high school in Indianapolis, where she was a member of her high school's varsity wrestling team. As she grew, her musical tastes were influenced by the likes of R&B greats like

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

and

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

. Inspired by many preceding musical greats, Wyatt found herself performing with various girl groups as a teen. She was often recognized for a maturity exceeding her teenage years.

Career

1992–1999: Early singing and songwriting

Wyatt's professional career began at the age of 10, when she began recording a song, called "What If", which would be included on a gospel compilation album for Indianapolis-based R.H. Duncan. With growing buzz surrounding "the little girl who could sing", news of Wyatt's talent led her to encounter with these artists from the likes of

Bill Woodson William T. Woodson (July 16, 1917 – February 22, 2017) was an American film, stage, radio and voice actor, best known for his narration of the radio series '' This is Your FBI'', the animated series ''Super Friends'' and all its spin-offs, and ...

, Nathan Alexander, Billy Badd, Chris Kelly, and multi-platinum producer, composer Jorge Corante and Emmanuel Officer. During the years of adolescence, Wyatt became as a student of a school by the Chicago-based producer and songwriter Steve "Stone" Huff. Huff eventually produced and shopped a few of Wyatt's demos in hopes of landing her a record deal. During her mid-teens, she performed demo songs for various gospel labels, earning around $1,500 per recording. During that time, Keke extended her skills by also writing music as a teenager, and while she was writing some music, Keke would experience her first coldly dealt disappointment as a music industry professional. She wrote the majority of the lyrics for a hit song but received no credit for her work.

2000–2002: First hit single, Breakthrough and debut album ''Soul Sista''

At age fifteen, Wyatt recorded " My First Love" with

which was released two years later, eventually becoming a single for his album entitled '' My Thoughts''. Wyatt gained much notoriety for the remake of the 1980s

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

by Rene & Angela. Its success, remaining in the top 10 for several weeks, resulted in a solo album contract with

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...

. With the help of the late MCA Records executive Louil Silas, her friend and A&R

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...

, whom she met at age twelve, and former

Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...

manager Quadri El Amin, Wyatt recorded her first album within two weeks time. Her first single, " Used to Love", helped to create buzz but failed to achieve radio play, though it did chart at No. 65 on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart. The follow-up single " Nothing in This World", her second duet with Avant, charted higher on a number of ''

'' charts, including No. 4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, No. 27 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and No. 35 on the

Rhythmic Top 40 The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...

chart. ''

'', her solo debut in 2001, a

platinum album Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

, was released on November 13, 2001. It reached number 33 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Selling more than one million copies, Wyatt's fanbase broadened to audiences in Japan, South Korea and Europe. On December 11, 2001, Wyatt was interviewed. During that interview, Wyatt said that she was a founding member of an early incarnation of

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

, called "The Dolls" and that she was later replaced by

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

. In 2002, her rendition of " Nothing in This World" led to a nomination for Best New R&B/Soul/Rap Artist at the

2004–2008: Label change, ''Emotional Rollercoaster'' and ''Ghetto Rose''

By 2004, Wyatt had departed from

. She signed a contract, negotiated by her ex-husband/road manager Rahmat Morton, with

Cash Money Records Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Birdman" Williams. Distributed by Republic, formerly known as Universal Republic, the label has been home to a roster of mostly hip h ...

Universal Motown Records Universal Motown Records was an American record label that operated as a division of Universal Motown Republic Group. It was the contemporary incarnation of the legendary Motown Records label, and the "urban" half of UMG, although there were some ...

, under the management of Cassandra Ware. Her second album '' Emotional Rollercoaster'' was originally set for release on May 31, 2005, but was postponed for release in early 2006. The set's first single, "Put Your Hands on Me", became the most added urban track to radio in April 2005. However, the single failed to chart or gain radio airplay, and her album was, subsequently, shelved. Beyond the first single, other songs slated to appear on her second album included "Look at What You Made Me Do", "Insecurity" written by

Bryan Michael Cox Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter who is notable for his work with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Among his most notable productions are "Be Wit ...

, "My Man", "Six Questions" featuring

, "Cheaters", "Who Knows" written by

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

, "Peace on Earth", a remake of a

Rachelle Ferrell Rachelle Ferrell (born May 21, 1961) is an American vocalist and musician. Although she has had some success in the mainstream R&B, pop, gospel and classical music scenes, she is noted for her talents as a contemporary jazz singer. In contem ...

single, and the title track "Emotional Rollercoaster" featuring

Ginuwine Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He began his career as a member of Swing Mob in the early 1990s. Signing to Epic R ...

. In 2006, Wyatt was released from her contract with

, citing conflict with management as the reason for her departure. In 2007 Wyatt, reunited with her former manager Quadri El Amin on the

TVT Records TVT Records (Tee-Vee Tunes) was an American record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 24-year history, the label released 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, ...

label. Work on her third solo album ''Ghetto Rose'' was completed in 2007. The title track, written by veteran songwriter

Franne Golde Francine Vicki Golde, better known as Franne Golde or Frannie Golde, is an American songwriter, musician, singer and writer. Her songs have appeared on more than 100 million records sold worldwide. Golde has received BMI awards for singles with ...

along with Kasey Livingston and Curt Schneider, was released to urban radio outlets in the fall of that year. The album was originally set for release on October 23, 2007, but was postponed for release in early 2008. Then, in February 2008, the record label filed for bankruptcy and, for the second time in her solo career, Wyatt's album was shelved.

2009–2011: Theatre debut, ''Who Knew?'' and ''Unbelievable''

In 2009, Wyatt played a leading role in a United States-based nationally touring production entitled ''Love Over Board''. The production also included many seasoned cast members such as actress

Karen Malina White Karen Malina White is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Kaneesha Carter in the 1989 drama film '' Lean on Me,'' Charmaine Brown during the two final seasons on ''The Cosby Show'' (1990–1992) and its sp ...

, singer

, actor

Khalil Kain Khalil Kain is an American actor, film producer and rapper best known for his role as Raheem Porter in the 1992 crime thriller film ''Juice'' and as the second Darnell Wilkes on the UPN/CW sitcom '' Girlfriends'' (2001–2008). He is also known f ...

, and others. Wyatt released the single "Who Knew?" in 2010, which served as the title track for her album ''

'', released on February 23, 2010 through

Shanachie Records Shanachie Records is an American, New Jersey-based record label, founded in 1975 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. The label is named for the Gaelic word ''seanchaí'' (anglicised as shanachie), an Irish storyteller. It was previously distribu ...

. On the US ''Billboard''

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

, the album peaked at No. 35. In May 2011, Wyatt released a remake of the popular 1980s single "

Saturday Love "Saturday Love" is a song performed by American R&B singers Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal. It was released in October 1985. The song peaked at #2 on the US R&B chart and became a moderate pop hit peaking at #26 on the US Hot 100 in the spring ...

", featuring

Ruben Studdard Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978) is an American singer and actor. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of ''American Idol'' and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recording of ...

. Shortly afterwards, she also released a music video for the track through Shanachie Records. "Saturday Love" was included in her second album on Shanachie, '' Unbelievable!'', which was released on June 14, 2011. It peaked at No. 48 on the

R&B Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

chart.

2012–2014: Appearance on reality TV series ''R&B Divas'' and ''Ke'Ke

In 2012, Wyatt was cast in TV One's '' R&B Divas'' which features the lives of five 1990s chart-topping R&B singers including Wyatt,

Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B ...

Nicci Gilbert Nichole "Nicci" Gilbert (born July 8, 1970) is an American R&B singer. She is mainly known for being the former lead vocalist of an American female R&B girl-group Brownstone who rose to fame in the mid 1990s best known for their 1995 hit single ...

Monifah Monifa Carter (born January 26, 1972), also known as Monifah, is an American R&B singer. She is best known for her association with the late rapper Heavy D and her music from the mid-1990s, including "I Miss You (Come Back Home)", "You" and " ...

and

Syleena Johnson Syleena Johnson ( Thompson; September 2, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter from Chicago, Illinois. Personal life Johnson is the daughter of 1960s R&B Hi Records singer Syl Johnson and Brenda Thompson, wh ...

. The show documents the singers living in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

as they work towards rebuilding their careers. The first episode aired on August 20, 2012. Throughout the show, ''R&B Divas'' singers collaborated on a charity album commemorating the life of

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

, featuring the single "Love Yourself" which is also featured in the TV show's introduction. Proceeds of the album went towards benefiting organizations committed to improving the lives of women. She performed at the 2012

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

along with the other cast-members of ''R&B Divas'', and according to Erika Ramirez of ''

'' in a ranking of the top ten performances at the festival, "Keke Wyatt's cover of Houston's '

I Wanna Dance With Somebody "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of ...

' left the audience in awe even after the performance." After the initial season of ''R&B Divas'', Wyatt appeared in the two following seasons as well, when the show was renamed to '' R&B Divas: Atlanta''. In 2013, she collaborated with

on their hit "You & I", which peaked at No. 1 on ''Billboard''s Urban A/C chart, and remained there close to two months. "You & I" also reached No. 33 on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart. In May 2014, Wyatt released her first EP titled ''

'', through The NorthStar Group and her own imprint Aratek Entertainment. The imprint is her birth name backwards, and is also meant as a stand-in for the word erotic.Cue Slow Wind To Keke Wyatt's "Sexy Song
(Centric, November 23, 2015) The EP featured songwriters and producers such as

Neyo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...

Chuck Harmony Charles T. Harmon (born 1979),Gerrick D. Kennedy''Los Angeles Times'', February 24, 2015. better known as Chuck Harmony, is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and entrepreneur, based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a three-time Gram ...

Claude Kelly Claude Kelly (born December 27, 1980)Shirley Halperin and Bob Love"THR Names Music's 35 Top Hitmakers,"''The Hollywood Reporter'', February 6, 2013. is an American singer, songwriter and music producer. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee, a ...

, and

Cristyle Crystal Nicole Johnson, sometimes credited as Cristyle is an American recording artist, singer, and songwriter who signed her first deal with So So Def/EMI Music in 2007. Crystal Nicole signed with Blackground Records/ Interscope Records in Oc ...

, while other guest artists include

Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive. He rose to prominence as one-half of the hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 20 ...

on the track "Rain", and Nitty Scott in "Remember". Overall, the EP contains five newly written and produced songs, and the single "Fall in Love" reached No. 20 on the

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

and No. 17 on the

chart. On the ''Billboard'' 200, the EP reached number 191,

chart, the EP peaked at No. 12 in late June 2014, and it also reached No. 35 on the

Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...

chart. In August 2014, Wyatt made a cameo in fellow '' R&B Divas'' co-star

' music video "

I Deserve It "I Deserve It" is the lead single by American R&B singer Faith Evans, featuring female hip-hop recording artists Missy Elliott and her protégé Sharaya J, from Evans' sixth studio album, ''Incomparable'' (2014). The song was released via Evans' ...

", featuring

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

and

Sharaya J Sharaya Howell (born January 17, 1984), known professionally as Sharaya J, is an American rapper and choreographer. She is known for her singles "BANJI" and "Smash Up the Place," as well as for being signed to Missy Elliott's label The Goldmi ...

. Later that year, Wyatt was featured as a vocalist on the track " Make Love" by

2015–2017: ''Rated Love'' and ''Keke Covers''

In the fall of 2015, she signed a multi-album distribution deal for her Aratek Entertainment company with INgrooves Music Group, announcing then-upcoming promo singles. On November 20, 2015, she released her new R&B single "

". The track is set to be the lead single from her album ''

'', which was released through Aratek Entertainment on April 22, 2016. "Sexy Song" was at No. 26 on the

chart as of early December 2015. "Love Me" was released as the album's second single on March 18, 2016. In August 2016, it was announced that she and her husband Michael Ford had joined the cast of the sixth season of '' Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars'' set for an October airdate. On October 13, 2016, Wyatt announced the single "Jodeci" on her Instagram account, writing: "I think we got a new one with my new single Jodeci!!! I wanna know what ya'll think", revealing it would be released with a deluxe version of her album ''

'' on October 21, 2016. It was announced on January 31, 2017, via Wyatt's social media accounts that a covers album '' Keke Covers'' would be released on February 14, 2017, "My YouTube cover series #kekecovers comes the cover album 'Keke Covers' #COMINGSOON #FEB14 #LOVERSDAY2017".

2017–present: ''Country Fried Soul''

On July 28, 2017, Wyatt released the single "Summertime", intended to be the lead single from her upcoming fifth studio album ''Country Fried Soul''.

Advocacy

Wyatt has served as a spokesperson for the

(NCADV). As spokesperson, she shares her experience as a long-term victim of domestic abuse. She is also a supporter of the Saving our Daughters organization.

Personal life

Wyatt was 18 years old when she married Rahmat Morton, her road manager. A domestic violence situation between Wyatt and Morton was widely reported in the urban news circuit in 2001, with Wyatt explaining that she had stabbed her husband out of self-defense and to protect her children. Wyatt filed for divorce from Morton in 2009 after an escalation of violence, relocating her family from Kentucky to

. They have 3 children together, sons Keyver Wyatt Morton (born March 27, 2000) & Rahjah Ke' Morton (born February 27, 2002) and daughter Ke'Tarah Victoria Morton (born August 29, 2008). Wyatt was pregnant with her & Morton's fourth child, a daughter by the end of the marriage, but suffered a

still birth Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. The term i ...

. She remarried in 2010 to Michael Jamar Ford, an ordained minister who went to appear with Wyatt in the reality TV show '' R&B Divas''. As of 2013, Wyatt was raising six children with Ford, three fathered by Wyatt's first marriage, a daughter named Mickayla from Ford's previous relationship and their two sons: Ke'Mar Von Ford (born August 16, 2010) & Wyatt Michael Ford (born May 17, 2012). Wyatt had her seventh child and Ford's fourth child, a daughter named Ke'Yoshi Bella Ford on March 10, 2015. Wyatt announced in April 2017 that she was pregnant with her eighth child. In early September 2017, it was reported that the couple were divorcing while she was eight months pregnant. On October 27, 2017, Wyatt gave birth to her eighth child and Ford's fifth child, a son named Kendall Miguel Ford. Ford confirmed their divorce in August 2018. In October 2018, Wyatt married her childhood ex-boyfriend, Zackariah Darring. On November 8, 2018, she announced she was pregnant with her ninth child with Zackariah. She gave birth to her tenth child on January 6, 2020; a son named Ke'Riah David Darring. She gave birth to her eleventh child in 2022.

Awards and nominations

Discography

* ''

'' (2001) * ''

'' (2010) * '' Unbelievable'' (2011) * '' Ke'Ke'' (2014) EP * ''

'' (2016) * '' Keke Covers'' (2017)

Filmography and theater

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wyatt, Keke 1982 births Living people 21st-century American women singers African-American Christians African-American women singer-songwriters 20th-century African-American women singers American child singers American contemporary R&B singers American women pop singers American women singer-songwriters American gospel musicians American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American soul singers Musicians from Indianapolis Cash Money Records artists TVT Records artists Ballad musicians 21st-century American singers 21st-century African-American women singers Singer-songwriters from Indiana