Gospel singer Kelly Price is still reported as missing by Georgia police following a recent battle with COVID-19 — but her lawyer says she’s safe. The legal representative reached out to Cobb County police, according to TMZ, with an update that she is continuing to recover from the illness at an undisclosed location.
Earlier in the day, Cobb County officials listed the singer, 48, as a missing person on Friday, Sept. 24 after they conducted a welfare check last weekend, per the outlet. While authorities found “no evidence of foul play” during the welfare check, Kelly is now registered under the National Crime Information Center. HollywoodLife has been in touch with the Cobb County officials, who say Kelly is still missing according to them — despite the lawyers’ comments to TMZ.
Before her lawyer called police, Kelly’s family told TMZ that they were in contact with her when she was in the hospital in August following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. However, she was discharged early, and her family said they had not heard from her since. The family alleged that the singer’s boyfriend has been “keeping” loved ones from visiting her at her home. The accusation led to the subsequent welfare check, wherein she was listed as missing.
Below are five things to know about the celebrated gospel singer.
Kelly is a singer and actress
Kelly is an R&B and gospel singer-songwriter. She released her debut album, Soul of a Woman, in 1998 with Island Records, which had the hit “Friend of Mine.” Kelly released six more albums following the debut, including Mirror Mirror, This Is Who I Am, and Kelly. The gospel singer has also starred in a number of TV shows and films, including R&B Divas: Los Angeles, Sunday Best, American Soul, and Bringing Down the House.
Kelly has been nominated for several Grammys
The celebrated singer’s work has not gone unnoticed by the music industry. Kelly has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards throughout her career, including Best R&B Album for Kelly, Best R&B Song for “Not My Daddy,” and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “As We Lay.” In 1999, the singer won the Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist.
Kelly has collaborated with notable artists
Along with releasing her own chart-topping music, Kelly has collaborated with various notable artists throughout the years. She has provided background vocals for the likes of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Aretha Franklin, among others. Recently, she collaborated with Kanye West, providing vocals on a few tracks for his 2016 seventh studio album, The Life Of Pablo, including “Ultralight Beam.” When the rapper was tapped to perform the track as musical guest of Saturday Night Live that year, Kelly joined him on stage.
In her interview with Fader that year, Kelly praised her collaborator. “I’m very proud of [“Ultralight Beam”] and I’m very proud of Kanye,” she said. “I’ve been around for so long and when I meet and connect with artists who are younger than me, I feel like I have all of these little brothers and sisters. He’s like my little brother. The best thing in the world for me was to meet him and to start to get to know him personally, because his heart is so misunderstood. I can say that without flinching.”
Kelly is a breast cancer awareness advocate
Kelly is a longtime advocate for breast cancer awareness, having partnered with Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and donating thousands of dollars to breast cancer research. The issue hits very close to home, as her late mother Claudia was a breast cancer survivor. Claudia passed in October 2020. When she partnered with Susan G. Komen back in 2011, Kelly detailed the personal connection to the cause in a press release.
“My husband and I have known each other and been friends since we were 13 years old, so when both my mom and mother-in-law were diagnosed with breast cancer, it felt like an all-out attack on my family,” she said. “The news came at the beginning of my career when I was about to launch my very first album. At a time when my family and I would have otherwise been celebrating, we were gripped with fear and uncertainty. After a long hard fight, my mom survived breast cancer and my beloved mother in law succumbed to the disease. This was a turning point in my life.”
Kelly tested positive for COVID-19 before she was reported missing
In an Instagram video shared on July 29, Kelly revealed her positive COVID-19 diagnosis prior to her hospitalization. The singer remained hopeful about a quick recovery, using a hashtag that read, “God is a healer.” Kelly captioned the post, “I found out today I have COVID. I Am COVID Positive. I’m following Dr’s orders. I’m quarantined. Feeling really drained. Splitting headache but I’m not in the hospital. I’m grateful and expecting to have a quick recovery.”