Kierra Valencia “Kiki” Sheard was born June 20, 1987 in Detroit, Michigan. She is a Gospel and R&B singer. She is the daughter of gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard and J. Drew Sheard. She is also the granddaughter of gospel choral director Mattie Moss Clark.
Kierra first entered the public eye as a nine- year-old, singing out vocals well past her years in a live recording of the hit, ‘The Will Of God,’ which was on her mother’s 1997 solo debut release, “Finally Karen”. At that time, Kierra had shown little interest in being a singer, and her family was oblivious of her extraordinary talent. Though, after the performance with her mother, propositions for recording deals began to flow in.
By 2003, Kierra had a label deal with EMI Gospel, which pushed her into musical recognition. She rushed into the scene with the release of her debut album “I Owe You” in 2004. Shortly after graduating high school, Kierra organized her second album “This Is Me” in 2006. The album was Grammy Award-nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album in December 2006. In October 2008, she released her third album, “Bold Right Life”. Kierra’s fourth album, named “Free”, was released on October 18, 2011.
Also in 2011 Kierra graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where she received her Bachelors degree in English with a minor in Psychology. Her fifth album “Graceland” was released on July 22, 2014. This album hit #1 overall on iTunes, and is nominated for multiple awards at the 2015 Stellar Awards. Kierra is currently single and resides in Detroit, Michigan with her family.