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Kandi Burruss

Kandi Burruss
BornKandi Leniece Burruss
May 17, 1976 (age 39)
College Park, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation
  • Singer-songwriter
  • record producer
  • television personality
  • actress
Years active1991–present
Spouse(s)Todd Tucker (m. 2014)
Children2
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Associated acts
Websitekandionline.com
Kandi Leniece Burruss–Tucker[1] (born May 17, 1976)[1] is an American singer-songwriter, television personality, actress, and record producer. She is a former member of the group Xscape. She currently stars in the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Atlanta since its second season premiere on July 30, 2009. Burruss married Todd Tucker in April 2014.

Early life

Burruss was born in College Park, Georgia,[1] the daughter of the Reverend Titus Burruss Jr.[2] and Joyce Jones.[3] She had an older brother, Patrick Riley, who died in 1991 in a car crash at age 22.[2][4]
Burruss attended Tri-Cities High School in East Point, Georgia, graduating in 1994.[5][unreliable source?] She first appeared on the BETseries, Teen Summit, at age 15.

Career

Songwriting

After the disbanding of Xscape, Burruss focused on production and songwriting. In 1999, Burruss teamed with groupmate Tameka "Tiny" Cottle to score the international number one hit "No Scrubs" for TLC.[6] That same year, Burruss wrote another song, "Bills, Bills, Bills for Destiny's Child."[7] Burruss would go on to work with Pink by co-writing her debut single "There You Go."[7]
Burruss was the first African-American woman to win the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers's Songwriter of the Year award in 2000.[8][9][10][11] This award, in the Rhythm & Soul category, was given for her songwriting credits such as Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills" and TLC's "No Scrubs."[12]
Burruss rewrote and executive produced the song "Tardy for the Party" for her Real Housewives of Atlanta co-star Kim Zolciak.[13]

Kandi Koated and reality television

Burruss teamed with Atlanta female rapper Rasheeda to form the duo Peach Candy.[14]
In March 2009, Entertainment Weekly reported that Burruss would replace DeShawn Snow in the second season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.[15]
She also announced her second album, originally titled "B.L.O.G.". Her debut EP, the Fly Above EP, was released on October 29, 2009.[16] By December 2009, Burruss announced she had signed a deal with Asylum Records after her deal with Capitol Records fell through.[17] Her second album, Kandi Koated, was released in December 2010.[18]
Burruss has made cameo appearances on series such as Single LadiesThicker Than Water: The TankardsChef RoblĂ© & Co., and Let's Stay Together.[19] She has received several of her own spin-off series, including The Kandi FactoryKandi's Wedding and Kandi's Ski Trip.[20][21][22]
Burruss also owns a sex toy company called Bedroom Kandi.[23]

Personal life

Burruss and her ex-boyfriend, Russell "Block" Spencer of Block Entertainment, had a daughter named Riley Burruss[24] on August 22, 2002.[25]
In late 2008, Burruss began a relationship with Ashley "A.J." Jewell and after dating several months, the couple became engaged in January, 2009. However, on October 22, 2009, after sustaining head injuries in a brawl, Jewell died.[26]
Burruss and four friends started a "sex and relationship" web series on UstreamKandi Koated Nights. The show started on television in 2011.[27]
On January 15, 2013, Burruss announced via Twitter that she was engaged to Todd Tucker, a former line producer for The Real Housewives of Atlanta, whom she had been dating since 2011 while filming the fourth season.[28] On April 4, 2014, the couple got married.[29][30] On July 22, 2015, they announced that they were expecting their first child together. On January 6, 2016 the couple welcomed their baby boy, Ace Wells Tucker.[31]