At age 21, she has four albums under her belt, her own youth choir, an annual faith-based conference and hits the stage on the weekends after attending school during the week. But as a child, Kierra “Kiki” Sheard had no interest in a music car
At age 21, she has four albums under her belt, her own youth choir, an annual faith-based conference and hits the stage on the weekends after attending school during the week. But as a child, Kierra “Kiki” Sheard had no interest in a music career, although music “is in my bloodline,” she told the Defender.
Born “on the pew” in Detroit to the Rev. J. Drew Sheard and Karen Clark Sheard, the gospel singer said she wanted to do nails, play basketball, be a cheerleader – anything else but music.
But “God had other plans for me,” Kiki Sheard said.
“My mother didn’t know I could sing, but then I started singing around the house. And I watched my mom and aunts sing,” the Grammy Award-nominated starlet said, referring to the famous gospel group The Clark Sisters.
Sheard caught the bug and started singing in the choir at age six at her family’s church, Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ.
Four years later, she sang on her mother’s debut solo CD, "Finally Karen." It was a duet with her mother, "The Will of God," that won a Stellar Award for Best Children’s Performance in 1998.
A few years later, record companies were lining up to sign Sheard.
In 2004, three months after her 17th birthday, her debut CD, "I Owe You," was released. The next year, a remix album entitled "Just Until…" followed. "This is Me" was released in 2006 followed by "Bold Right Life" last year.
“God has blessed my family to be legendary, and it has opened doors for me. It’s a blessing, and I was amazed at how God has used the people around me that believed in me. I had to have people praying for me and my mind to keep me focused on school and the music career,” she said.
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