Evans Keeps The Faith
Since the sudden death of her famous rapper husband, Christopher Wallace (known to fans as The Notorious B.I.G.), singer Faith Evans has kept a pretty low profile, reports CBS This Morning Co-Anchor Mark McEwen. But now she's back in the spotlight with a new look, a new attitude, and a brand-new album called Keep the Faith.
"My faith in God is the only reason that I'm able to still make a record or still have a smile on my face," says Evans. "I feel like the album was appropriately titled. It was not only a play on my name, but what my name means to me."
While her faith is strong now, it has been put to the test. In 1997, her marriage to Notorious B.I.G. came to an abrupt end when he was gunned down after an awards show in Los Angeles.
Evans had married Biggie after a nine-day courtship. Only a few months before his death, she gave birth to their son. (Evans has two other children.)
This week, Evans joined other celebrities, including Sean ''Puffy'' Combs, at a New York event where $250,000 was raised for the Notorious B.I.G.'s charity, the Christopher Wallace Fund, which donates books to needy children.
"The legacy that Big left is one of someone who made an impression on a mass of people, especially in a certain genre of music," Evans explains. "I totally feel that he would be really proud of the response, and just the fact that people still respect and say that he's the best."
With the release of her new album, 26-year-old Evans is preparing for her first world tour.
"Every day, I map out in my head what days I'm gonna go home and see the kids," she says. "So it's really a big deal in the personal department."
She says she is particularly looking forward to "meeting fans and letting them see that I can deliver the same thing on stage and more, probably, than they hear on the album."
Not only is Evans touring and promoting her latest album, she can be heard on Whitney Houston's new single, Heartbreak Hotel. And, on a personal note, Evans told McEwen that she plans to remarry this summer.