Sparkle

Stephanie Edwards, known professionally as Sparkle, is an American R&B singer born on May 13, 1975, in Chicago, Illinois. She began her musical journey singing in her family's gospel group before transitioning to secular music. Sparkle's breakthrough came in 1998 with the release of her debut single "Be Careful", a duet with R. Kelly. This song peaked at number 3 on Billboard's Rhythmic Top 40 and topped the Hot R&B Airplay chart for six consecutive weeks, also reaching number 7 in the UK. Sparkle released her self-titled debut album Sparkle on May 19, 1998, which debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the R&B charts, earning a gold certification from the RIAA. Despite creative differences with R. Kelly, she signed with Motown Records and released her second album Told You So in 2000, though it received limited promotion. Sparkle collaborated with various artists including Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean, Avant, Joe, Jimmy Sommers, and Tank. She also provided background vocals for Toni Braxton's Las Vegas stage show Toni Braxton Revealed. In 2012, she released the music video "So Bad" after a 12-year hiatus from releasing new material.