(1985-)

Who Is Ciara?

Born in 1985 in Austin, Texas, Ciara got her start with the girl group Hearsay before pursuing a solo career in music. She hit it big with her debut album, Goodies, the title track among its hit singles, and enjoyed a successful followup with Ciara: The Evolution. Along with continuing to churn out music, the artist has enjoyed a successful modeling career and appeared in TV and film projects. In 2016, she married NFL quarterback Russell Wilson.

Early Life and Career

Ciara was born Ciara Princess Harris on October 25, 1985, in Austin, Texas. As the only child of Jackie and Carlton Clay Harris, she grew up on U. S. Army bases all over the world, including stops in Nevada, New York, California, Arizona and even Germany. Ciara settled in Atlanta as a teen and after watching pop group Destiny’s Child on television, she decided that music was what she wanted to pursue.

She wrote poems and stories as a young girl, but Ciara never took her writing seriously until she joined a girl group called Hearsay. Although the group broke up, she saw this as an opportunity to work on her songwriting skills—a smart move, given Atlanta’s reputation as a center of urban music talent. She got a publishing deal and met prominent Atlanta producer Jazze Pha, who helped her get a record deal at LaFace Records.

Albums and Songs

‘Goodies’

The single that put Ciara on the map, “Goodies,” was co-written by her and produced by popular rapper/producer Lil Jon. The song reached the top of the singles charts in the U. S. and the U.K. The follow-up singles, “1, 2 Step,” featuring Missy Elliott, and “Oh,” featuring rapper Ludacris, were also successes, both reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. The album, Goodies, was a surprise hit, and was certified triple platinum (3 million in sales) by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album also garnered the new artist four nominations at the 2005 Grammy Awards.

‘The Evolution,’ ‘Fantasy Ride,’ ‘Basic Instinct’

The artist’s second studio album, 2006’s Ciara: The Evolution, did well in the United States, reaching No. 1 on the albums chart and reaching platinum status. However, Ciara’s third album release, 2009’s Fantasy Ride, marked a serious downturn in sales, despite its big hit single “Love Sex Magic,” featuring superstar Justin Timberlake (and the racy video that accompanied the song). Basic Instinct (2010) earned buzz for the re-pairing of Ciara and Ludacris on the sultry “Ride,” which produced another captivating video.

‘Ciara,’ ‘Jackie,’ ‘Beauty Marks’

Moving to Epic Records to reunite with her Goodies producer, L.A. Reid, Ciara in 2013 unveiled her self-titled fifth album, featuring the single “Body Party.” After dropping Jackie in 2015, she followed with her first tour in six years. Ciara then made her fans wait another four years for her seventh album, Beauty Marks, with its lead single, “Level Up.”

Ciara’s career has generated eight Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, three MTV Video Music Awards and one Grammy Award. She has also written or co-written songs for some of music’s biggest stars, including Missy Elliott and Bow Wow.

Model, Actress and Host

Always known for her agile dancer’s body and unique dance moves, Ciara became a fixture in fashion magazines as well, partly due to her deal with Wilhelmina Models. In 2016, she scored a modeling contract with IMG and became a spokeswoman for Revlon.

On screen, Ciara made her film debut in the MTV high school sports drama All You’ve Got (2006). She later appeared on the reality competitions America’s Next Top Model and Idols South Africa, before landing a recurring role as herself in season 6 of the CW comedy drama The Game.

Ciara added awards show host to her resume by sharing the job with Lucacris at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. She was later tapped to fly solo for the gig at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Personal Life

Ciara began dating NFL quarterback Russell Wilson in 2015, and they married on July 6, 2016. She gave birth to daughter Sienna Princess Wilson on April 28, 2017, and son Win Harrison Wilson on July 23, 2020.

The singer was previously engaged to rapper Future, with whom she had a son, Future Zahir Wilburn. She also dated rap star and television host Bow Wow (Shad Gregory Moss, formerly known as Lil Bow Wow) for almost two years; the couple broke up in 2006.

Ciara’s philanthropic efforts include appearing on the charity single, “Just Stand Up!” which raised money for cancer research and was featured on the Stand Up to Cancer television special. Ciara has also worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes of terminally ill children.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: Ciara Princess Harris
• Birth Year: 1985
• Birth date: October 25, 1985
• Birth State: Texas
• Birth City: Austin
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Ciara is an R&B; singer-songwriter and dancer who rose to fame with her hit single and debut album, ‘Goodies,’ and successful followup ‘Ciara: The Evolution.’ She is married to NFL star Russell Wilson.
• Industries
• Pop
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Interesting Facts
• Ciara worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes of terminally ill children.

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