Early life

Burruss was born in College Park, Georgia, the daughter of the Reverend Titus Burruss Jr. and Joyce Jones. She had an older brother, Patrick Riley, who died in 1991 in a car crash at age 22.

Burruss attended Tri-Cities High School in East Point, Georgia, graduating in 1994. She first appeared on the BET series, Teen Summit, at age 15.

Career

Songwriting

Further information: Kandi Burruss discography

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. That same year, Burruss wrote another song, "Bills, Bills, Bills for Destiny's Child." Burruss would go on to work with Pink by co-writing her debut single "There You Go."

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. 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."

Burruss rewrote and executive produced the song "Tardy for the Party" for her Real Housewives of Atlanta co-star Kim Zolciak.

Kandi Koated and reality television

Burruss teamed with Atlanta female rapper Rasheeda to form the duo Peach Candy.

In March 2009, Entertainment Weekly reported that Burruss would replace DeShawn Snow in the second season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

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. By December 2009, Burruss announced she had signed a deal with Asylum Records after her deal with Capitol Records fell through. Her second album, Kandi Koated, was released in December 2010.

Burruss has made cameo appearances on series such as Single Ladies, Thicker Than Water: The Tankards, Chef Roblé & Co., and Let's Stay Together. She has received several of her own spin-off series, including The Kandi Factory, Kandi's Wedding and Kandi's Ski Trip.

Burruss also owns a sex toy company called Bedroom Kandi.

Personal life

Burruss and her ex-boyfriend, Russell "Block" Spencer of Block Entertainment, had a daughter named Riley Burruss on August 22, 2002.

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.

Burruss and four friends started a "sex and relationship" web series on Ustream, Kandi Koated Nights. The show started on television in 2011.

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. On April 4, 2014, the couple got married. On July 22, 2015, Burruss announced that she was pregnant. On January 6, 2016 the couple welcomed their baby boy, Ace Wells Tucker.

Kandi and her husband reside in Atlanta with their daughters, Kaela Tucker and Riley Burruss; and their son, Ace Tucker.

Discography

Main article: Kandi Burruss discography

• Hey Kandi... (2000)
• Kandi Koated (2010)

See also: Xscape discography Charities

Kandi Burruss supports the following charitable causes: Gay Rights, Alcohol Prevention.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]