Last month a Cleveland woman named Erika Kayne went viral after a video of her working at a bar and singing at the same damn time surfaced. Kayne wasn't just singing, though, she was SANGING her face off and her heart out to Jazmine Sullivan's "Need U Bad" and pretty much broke the internet, catching the attention of celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Jamie Foxx and Cedric the Entertainer. She also caught the attention of Steve Harvey who invited her onto his daytime talk show Steve today to share her story and her talent.
Erika sat down with Steve to chat it up about her whirlwind past few weeks and her past, which included a stint in prison on a gun charge. She's long made it through that struggle and now works at her father's restaurant where the viral video was captured and as a home health aide taking care of the elderly. She got emotional when talking about her grandmother who she cared for but recently lost to breast cancer in March. Kayne soon dried her tears and gathered herself together to perform "Need U Bad" for Steve's audience and got a standing ovation after her passionate performance.
Not only did Steve Harvey give Erika Kayne a national stage to perform on, but he surprised the budding singer by bringing Jazmine Sullivan herself out. Kayne almost had a nervous breakdown at the sight of her idol strutting on stage to join her. Jazmine hugged her tight and told her how amazing she thinks she is and that her grandmother is proudly looking down on her. (We're not crying, you're crying!!) The singers expressed their mutual admiration for each other and then sung an epic duet, going back and forth trading lines from "Need U Bad." Jazmine took the lead, but Erika held her own and thoroughly impressed everyone watching and listening.
The good news is that Erika Kayne's fairytale isn't ending anytime soon. The singer is currently in the studio working on music with a who's who of producers, such as Jazze Pha, Johnta Austin and Bryan-Michael Cox. We cannot wait to hear what she creates and see her go viral with her own music.
