Adina Howard

November 14, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Adina Howard, born November 14, 1973, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and chef. She was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and began her music career in 1995 with the release of her debut album “Do You Wanna Ride?” Howard’s hit single, ‘Freak Like Me,’ is one of the well-known songs that has gained her the recognition she has today. In addition to several singles and albums, Howard is an actress and has performed in several stage plays and films. She is also a professional chef and earned her degree in Culinary Arts in 2012. Let’s learn more about the 1990s “freak” as we celebrate her birthday!

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Adina Marie Howard

Birth date:

November 14, 1973

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Scorpio

Height:

5' 3"

Relationship Status:

Single

Net Worth:

$1.5 million

Background

Adina Howard is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and chef. Born on November 14, 1973, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Howard has rocked the 1990s era with her bold and seductive lyrics. As a child, she and her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Howard began recording music and signed with her first record label, Don/EastWest Records, in the early 1990s. She successfully released her debut album, “Do You Wanna Ride?” in 1995, and it was certified Gold. On this album was her hit single (which is still a hit) called ‘Freak Like Me,’ which has become Platinum-certified.

A few of Howard’s songs have featured as soundtracks on several films such as her 1996 single with rapper Warren G called ‘What’s Love Got to Do With it?,’ which went on to feature in the action film “Police Story 3: Super Cop.” The single made it into the top 40 on the “Hot 100” and R&B charts. She released two singles: ‘Damned If I Do,’ and ‘For The Funk,’ in which the former appeared as a soundtrack on the film “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate,” and the latter in the film “Sunset Park.” In 1997, she released her second album “Welcome to Fantasy Island.” In 1998, she ventured into acting and starred in her first film, “High Freakquency.” Seven years later, in 2004, Howard released her third album, “The Second Coming.” However, it did not perform as well as her previously released songs and only managed to sell around 40,000 copies. In 2007, after many delays, she released her fourth studio album, “Private Show.”

In 2011, Howard decided to take a break from music and enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. She graduated the following year with a Culinary Arts degree and began working as a chef at a resort. Although she began focusing more on her new career, she continued to make music and released a few more singles. In 2013, her single ‘Switch’ won the “Best Dance/Club Single of the Year” award. In 2014, she made her stage play debut in a touring play called “Do You Trust Your Best Friend?” She also released her own documentary called “Adina Howard 20: A Story of Sexual Liberation” in 2015. Throughout her entire career, she’s acted in several stage plays, and movies, and released several more singles. Howard was married to actor Sherman Jordan from 2011 to 2017.

Career timeline

1995

She Releases Her First Album

Howard releases her first studio album, “Do You Wanna Ride?” and is certified Gold.

1997

She Releases Her Second Album

She releases her second album called “Welcome to Fantasy Island.”

1998

She Makes Her Acting Debut

She ventures into acting and stars in her first film, “High Freakquency.”

2012

She Becomes a Qualified Chef

Howard graduates from culinary school and begins working as a chef.

2014

She Stars in a Stage Play

She makes her stage play debut in a touring play called “Do You Trust Your Best Friend?”

2015

She Releases a Documentary

She releases her documentary called “Adina Howard 20: A Story of Sexual Liberation.”

Why We Love Adina Howard

She embraced her sexuality
Howard was not shy to embrace her sexuality in her music and empowered many women to do the same during the 1990s! She encouraged confidence among women, and it’s still shown today in many.
She left what wasn’t serving her well anymore
Howard revealed that the record labels she signed with failed to play their part in making her music successful, and that’s when she decided to shift her focus onto something else — her career as a chef. Although she still makes music, Howard is still pursuing one of her dreams and passions within the music industry. She’s living a peaceful life out of the public eye.
Her music is good
We love Howard’s music as it always takes us back to the 1990s! There’s something about old-school music that makes you feel good!

5 Surprising Facts

She once had an affair
Howard admitted to having an affair with singer Wanya Morris from the Boyz II Men R&B group, who was dating singer Brandy at the time.
She no longer wanted a public life
Howard revealed that she decided to pursue a career in the culinary field because she wanted to do something new that was out of the public eye.
She is a pioneer of sexual expression
Before we had artists such as Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, Howard was one of the few female artists who were bold and sexual in their lyrics in the 1990s.
Kitchen Diva Adina Howard
Howard started her own social media cooking blog Kitchen Diva Adina Howard, where she shares delicious recipes.
Even as a chef, Howard is seductive
She revealed that she believes food is sexy and is the best way to seduce a man!

Adina Howard FAQs

What happened with Adina Howard and Sylvia Rhone?

Howard said she left the music industry because she commented on music industry executive Sylvia Rhone and it got back to her. Howard was then “blackballed” in the industry.