Sparkle (singer)

Sparkle

Stephanie Edwards (born August 12, 1975), better known as Sparkle is an American R&B singer. She began her career in 1998 as a protégé of R. Kelly.

Career

Sparkle's debut album, the self-titled Sparkle, was released on May 18, 1998. The album debut at 3 on the Billboard 200 and 2 on the R&B charts and was eventually certified gold. The album is best known for the song "Be Careful," a 1998 duet with R. Kelly, which made it two obf Billboard's major airplay charts, peaking at #3 on the Rhythmic Top 40 and charted at #1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for six consecutive weeks, while also reaching #7 in the UK.

Despite the success of her debut album, Sparkle and R. Kelly began to have creative differences, which led to her release from Interscope. She then signed with Motown Records, where she would release her second album Told You So in 2000. However, the album was a commercial disappointment, only making it to 121 on the Billboard 200, whild scoring a minor hit with the single "It's a Fact".

Controversy

The Chicago Police Child Investigative Unit and a writer for Chicago Suntimes showed Sparkle a videotape of her young niece and R. Kelly engaging in lewd acts. Sparkle courageously identified the young girl as her sister's daughter. Sparkle testified against R. Kelly in a subsequent trial that, but in the end the jury found him not guilty in his child pornography case. The trial was delayed repeatedly, and the matter was only heard 6 years after it was originally reported. R. Kelly was later arrested for possession of child pornography, but those charges were later dismissed for lack of probable cause for the search warrant in which they were found. Aaliyah and R. Kelly were allegedly married when Aaliyah was only 15, but both she and R. Kelly denied it.

Works

Sparkle has worked with several great artists, including Aaliyah "Age Ain't Nuthin' But A Number CD", R. Kelly "R", Mary J. Blige "Share My World", Wyclef "Loving You Remix", Avant feat. Kelly Roland as co-writer "Separated Remix", Joe "Woman's Heart", [Jimmy Sommers] and Tank.

Sparkle also has performed along side good friend Toni Braxton in her Las Vegas stage show, Revealed.

Sparkle's next CD, "Split Decision", is scheduled for release in 2010.

Discography

Albums

Year	Title	Chart positions		RIAA
		U.S.	U.S. R&B
1998	Sparkle Released: May 18, 1998 Label: Interscope	3	2	Gold
2000	Told You So Released: October 24, 2000 Label: Motown	121	31

Singles

• "Be Careful" (feat. R.Kelly)
• "Time To Move On"
• "What About" / "Lovin' You"
• "It's a Fact"
• "Good Life"