Keyshia Cole is ready to tell her story — in her own way.
The Grammy-nominated singer will executive produce and star as herself in the upcoming Lifetime movie Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story, the cable network announced Wednesday.
The biopic marks Cole’s acting debut, and will follow her life from her early days in Oakland, California, to her success as a multi-platinum selling recording artist, and her complicated relationship with her late mother Frankie Lons, played by Debbi Morgan (All My Children).
“This is a story of a daughter’s love for her mother and although my heart remains broken from her untimely passing, I am honored to be sharing it with the world,” Cole said in a statement. “Playing the role of myself was a unique opportunity to re-live special moments in my life that also gave me the chance to process her loss in ways I did not expect. I miss her every day and even though she is not here, her presence was felt throughout this film. Mom, I love you.”
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Lifetime describes the film as “a story of childhood trauma, tragedy, complexity of love and overcoming obstacles to become the best version of oneself.”
Cole was born in Oakland in 1981, and raised in a single parent household by her mother. But at the age of two, Keyshia was placed in foster care amid Frankie’s struggles with substance abuse.
Keyshia was adopted by her foster parents, Leon (Joseph C. Phillips) and Yvonne Coles (Tonia Jackson) and as a teen, she traveled to Los Angeles multiple times to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer, even providing background vocals for MC Hammer.
Her path to a music career put her at odds with Leon and Yvonne, who kicked her out when she didn’t follow their rules. At age 21, she was signed to A&M Records by Grammy-nominated producer and music executive Ron Fair. Keyshia went on to become a chart-topping artist who fused R&B and Hip Hop. As her star began to rise, Keyshia still faced the trauma of not knowing who her biological father was, but found family again when she reunited with Frankie and her sisters Neffe (Cindi Davis) and Elite (Brittney Level).
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Despite the success of her music and hit television shows following her life as an artist, mother, wife and daughter, Keyshia struggled to keep Frankie in rehab and she lost her mother to an accidental opioid overdose in 2021 on Frankie’s 61st birthday. The movie is dedicated in honor and memory of Frankie.
The “Heaven Sent” singer has previously chronicled her personal challenges and romantic relationships in the BET docuseries Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is; Keyshia & Daniel: Family First; Keyshia Cole: All In; and Keyshia Cole: My New Life.
The Lifetime biopic is directed by D’Angela Proctor and Manu Boyer from a script written by Angelica Cheri. The film features a new song recorded by the singer-songwriter titled “Forever is a Thing.”
Swirl Films and Big Dreams are producing the movie for Lifetime. Executive producers are Eric Tomosunas, Leslie Greif, D’Angela Proctor and Keyshia Cole. The co-executive producer is Ron Fair, Cole’s longstanding A&R and music collaborator. Fair also supervised the music and Grammy Award winner Warryn Campbell composed the original score for the film.
Keyshia Cole: This is My Story premieres Saturday, June 24 at 8p/7c as part of Lifetime’s celebration of Black Music Month.
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