T'Keyah began singing
as child and in elementary school joined her church choir. Since
then the jazzy, mezzo-soprano has sung with numerous groups including
the Rafo International Combo. Her singing impressions of Nancy
Wilson, Nell Carter and Billie Holiday helped her win the titles
of National Miss Black & Gold for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
and Miss Black Illinois, but when her Illinois sponsor heard T'Keyah
sing in her own voice, he convinced director Okoro Johnson to
let her take over the role of Dinah Washington in ETA's stage
hit, "The Regal Theatre." T'Keyah also played Tammy
Terrell in the show and shared the role of Claudette Robinson
with Sherry Scott. She went on to sing in many other shows including
Light Opera Works' "Land of Smiles" and "The Five
Heartbeats Live!" for which she received an NAACP best performer
nomination.
Biography
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh sings like she acts - with amazing
style and vocal variety. In both hilarious send-ups and meticulous
incarnations, she has imitated of a host of well known voices
including Anita Baker, Erika Badu, Nell Carter, Cher, Jimmy Durante,
Macy Gray, Billie Holiday, Eartha Kitt, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross,
Tammi Terrell, Tina Turner, Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson.
T'Keyah has been doing singing impressions since she was three
years old, but for just as long, she has been singing in her own
voice. And when she does that, T'Keyah sings from the soul. She
thinks music, like dance, is the Divine's way of allowing people
to glimpse heaven. With that in mind T'Keyah sings with one thing
above all else on her mind - love. She sung first and second soprano
in her elementary school choir, and wrote her first song in the
fourth grade (a spiritual tribute to survival). In high school
and college, T'Keyah sung at various affairs a after a brief stint
with a band called, Quest, T'Keyah sung back in Chicago with the
Rafo International Combo. Although she likes many styles, thanks
to her grandfather's extensive record collection, T'Keyah tends
to stick closest to jazz. Although she has had no trouble crooning
the tunes of popular artists, she prefers those made popular by
Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Carmen McCrae and the like.
T'Keyah has
sung at events and in theatrical shows including her self penned,
Some of My Best Friends: A Collection of Characters and T'Keyah
Live! …Mostly A True Variety Show. One of her most memorable
performances was impromptu - when someone recognized her at a
club in Dakar, Senegal and asked her to sit in with the band.
Many of her impressions were captured on her first television
series, the Emmy award wining comedy In Living Color. Four
series' later, she has returned to her hometown, Chicago, where
she is working on some of her original material.
Though
fans remember her remarkable characters and impressions on In
Living Color, she is equally recognized as Bill Cosby's newest
TV daughter on Cosby and now plays Raven's mom on That's
So Raven. Through her busy career she always made time to
support various charitable organizations and encourages other
to do so.
If
you are interested in booking T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh,
please send us an email listing all of the following information.
1) The name of your group or organization; 2) the name and number
of your contact person; 3) the event for which you would like
to invite T’Keyah to come or the show or type of performance
you would like for her to give (ex: we would like T’Keyah
to do a thirty minute jazz set with our band, or we would like
T’Keyah to be the Mistress of Ceremonies and sing an opening
song); 4) a brief history (no more than two paragraphs, please)
of your organization or event; 5) the location (address, city
and state) of the venue; 6) the date and time you would like her
to come (and an alternative date and or time if your first choice
is unavailable); and 7) your payment, travel, lodging and per
diem offer. Be sure to include all of this information in the
body of your email. Because of the viruses that are rampant on
the Internet, empty emails with attachments will not be opened.
Due to the volume of mail we receive, emails with incomplete information
will not be considered. To
send your request, Call Adam Plotkin (with all pertinent
information) at National Organization of Athletes and Celebrities,
1806 Watermere Lance, Windermere, FL 34786 (888) 550-6672.
