Kelly Rowland is a Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter, actress, model, TV host and philanthropist. Kelly was one of the founding members of the famed singing group Destiny’s Child. Kelly’s next solo album is due out later this year.
Q. What piece of advice did your mother give you that has stayed with you?
A. As a kid, I thought this was so corny, but now I get it. My mom told me to always be true to you. She would see me hanging around all these different kids, first when we lived in Atlanta and then we moved to Houston. Everywhere I went I wanted to fit in with whoever I was with at the time. My mom would tell me, “You don’t have to be like everybody else, you don’t have to agree with what everyone else says. Have your own opinions, be proud to be a young black woman.”
Q. What advice would you give kids today?
A. I don’t have any kids of my own yet. But I have two godchildren who I spend a lot of time with. I guess I would share my mom’s quote of be true to you. I would tell kids to look at yourself in the mirror and see what comes to mind, what you think about yourself. Learn about yourself before you invite everyone else into your world. Develop your own style.
Q. Tell us about the foundation you started.
A. I started I Heart My Girlfriend to give young women the space to support each other. Young ladies go through a lot and they need girlfriends who don’t judge them. I Heart My Girlfriend is about coming together instead of tearing down. We recently sponsored a lunch, at a high school in Texas, where we brought together about 120 girls. We started out with some exercises that helped everyone get to know each other better. Eventually, the girls began to talk about scars from the past and how they feel about these things now. The girls found out they have a lot in common with each other. Our goal is for girls to understand we are all the same and go through the same things. There is no need for hatred and insecurities. It’s about building up young girls’ sense of self-esteem.
Q. What is on the horizon for you professionally?
A. I am so excited about my new album. I worked so hard on it and I have such a great team behind me. For me it was about not putting limits on myself which is what I did in the past. I am very proud of this record.
Q. What was the inspiration for the album?
A. I was inspired by the many women I know who have accomplished so much. People like Oprah, Tyra Banks, Beyonce, and Sylvia Rhone. There are so many women who have worked hard for many years. We have no idea how much we inspire and lift each other up. This is the year of the woman for me.
Q. When will the album come out?
A. Look for it late summer.
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