Zuri Kye Edwards, son of renowned singer Patti LaBelle, leads a fascinating life. Born in 1973, he managed his mother’s career while also producing music. His upbringing, marriage to Lona and their three children add depth to his story. Despite occasional controversies, like an airport altercation, Zuri remains an integral part of Patti’s life, declaring him her greatest achievement.
Zuri Kye Edwards is a music producer and manager, best known as the son of singer and actress Patti LaBelle and her ex-husband Armstead Edwards.
Zuri’s celebrity mother Patti is famous for being the former lead singer of the vocal group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. She has gone on to become a hit with songs such as You Are My Friend, If Only You Knew, New Attitude, Stir It Up, On My Own, and others.
Patti has an only son, Zuri, with her former partner and former tour manager Armstead Edwards. Although Zuri is not as famous as his mother, he somehow manages to catch the attention of the audience now and then.
Key Takeaways:
- Zuri Kye Edwards is the Son of music icon Patti LaBelle and her ex-husband Armstead Edwards, Zuri is a music producer and manager.
- Born in 1973, Zuri is Patti’s only biological child, with two adopted siblings from Armstead and two more from Patti’s sister.
- Patti proposed to Armstead after his multiple proposals. They married in 1969 but divorced in 2000.
- Zuri is married to Lona Edwards and has three children. He works as Patti’s manager and occasionally produces music.
- Zuri was attacked at an airport in 2013, leading to legal proceedings.
- Patti regards Zuri as her greatest achievement in life.
- Zuri is active on his daughters’ Instagram account but it’s unclear if he has a personal online presence.
Zuri Kye Edwards Birth, Siblings…
Zuri Kye Edwards, the only biological son of Patti LaBelle and Armstead Edwards, was born on 17 July 1973. After Zuri’s birth, Patti and Armstead adopted two sons from their deceased neighbor.
Zuri’s adopted siblings are Dodd Stocker-Edwards and Stanley Stocker. It is reported that after Dodd and Stanley were adopted, Zuri’s parents adopted two more children, William and Stacey Holt. These were the children of Labella’s sister.
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Zuri Kye Edwards’s Mother, Patti LaBelle Proposed To His Father, Armstead Edwards
Of Zuri’s parents, it was his mother Patti who proposed marriage to his father Armstead Edwards.
Edwards had proposed to Patti. Zuri’s father had proposed to the Stir It Up singer several times, but she turned him down. Later, LaBelle herself proposed to Armstead.
Patti turned down Armstead’s proposal because she was the child of divorced parents and they allegedly argued a lot. She feared that something similar might happen to her and Edward.
Zuri’s parents, Patti and Edwards, did get married in Maryland in 1969. Before they married, Zuri’s father was her manager.
After their marriage, Patti and Edward had one son, Zuri, and two adopted sons. Some claim that they adopted two more children, as mentioned above.
Zuri’s Parents’ Divorce
Zuri Kye Edwards’s parents, Labelle and Edwards, divorced in 2000 after more than thirty years of marriage. Patti said in an interview that she and her husband divorced after they realized they could no longer live together.
The R&B singer also claimed that things remained incredibly amicable even though the marriage broke up. After Edwards in 2016, reports surfaced that Patti was allegedly seeing her then 41-year-old drummer Eric Seats in secret. At the time, the couple was rumored to have been together for more than a year.
But now Zuri’s mother Patti seems to be completely unmarried, or at least that’s what her Instagram says.
Zuri Kye Edwards Shares Three Kids With His Wife, Lona Edwards
Patti’s son Zuri Kye Edwards is married to Lona Edwards, with whom he has two daughters, Jia and Leila, and a son, Zuri Junior. Interestingly, Zuri’s daughters, Gia and Leila, who are still children, share an Instagram account.
Even though Gia and Leyla occasionally show their mother Lona on their Insta profile, nothing is known about Lona Edwards. Leyla’s son and his family are believed to live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Zuri Edwards Works As His Mother’s Manager
Zuri currently works as his mother’s bodyguard and manager. In the meantime, he has also reportedly produced some songs.
Since labels started talking about him, Zuri has been identified as his mother’s manager. As a result, it has not been clarified what he was doing before.
Someone Once Attacked Zuri Kye Edwards At The Airport
Back in November 2013, the son of singer Patti LaBelle told Texas jurors that a man named Richard King punched him in the face in a Houston airport terminal after The man shouted a racial slur at his mother.
According to Houston television station KTRK-TV, Edwards testified that King was “intoxicated, loud, obnoxious” and shouted racial epithets at his mother. Patti’s son then told how King immediately hit him on the right side of his face.
Zuri then testified that his mother’s bodyguard, Efrem Holmes, punched Richard King at Bush Intercontinental Airport in 2011. King subsequently filed a misdemeanor assault charge against Holmes.
Holmes’ lawyers, however, claimed that their client had defended LaBelle and Edwards from King’s attack. LaBelle also testified in Holmes’ defense, calling him “cozy, very nice, very gentle”.
The Grammy Award-winning singer said she and her son had just arrived in Houston with Holmes. Patti added that Edwards was loading her luggage into an SUV to go to a performance at a Louisiana casino when King crashed into the limousine in which she was sitting.
King then shook the door handle in an attempt to gain entry to the limousine and called Patti names when her son, Edwards, intervened. King then punched Edward, and Holmes then beat King, LaBelle reported.
Zuri’s mother said that no one had tried to hit King, but he was the one who started it. CCTV showed Edwards punching King in the chest, getting punched by King, and Holmes punching King three times in the face. Shortly afterward, LaBelle’s barber got between the two and he also hit King.
In retaliation, King filed a lawsuit against Patti and Holmes. LaBelle countersued Richard King.
Patti LaBelle Says Her Son, Zuri Is Her Greatest Achievement
In August 2021, Patti LaBelle announced that her son Zuri Kye Edwards is her greatest achievement in life. LaBelle admits that apart from all her hits and musical successes, the birth of her son Zuri is the best thing she has ever done.
In an interview with the American magazine Closer, the R&B singer said:
“The memory of having my son was amazing. I was the oldest lady in the maternity ward! the girls were teenagers and I was 29. I said, ‘Lord, will I ever walk again?’ It was a scary moment, giving birth, but such a wonderful outcome.”
LaBelle also said that while her son may find it difficult to work, despite their arguments, she knows that he is always looking out for her best interests because they are a family.
The Godmother of Soul added that sometimes Zuri hurts her because he is honest. In the end, though, LaBelle said that her son gives her the best advice.
Zuri Appears Recurrently On His Daughters’ Instagram
Although the Instagram caption @gia_edwards belongs by definition to Zuri’s daughters Gia and Leyla, the father of two daughters and son of Patti also appears most of the time on the picture-sharing domain. It is probably Zuri who oversees his daughters’ social network profiles.
Zuri Kye Edwards is visible in almost every other Instagram post. Although it is not clear whether Kij himself owns any personal cyberspace.
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Is Zuri Kye Edwards’ Net Worth?
Zuri’s mother, Patti LaBelle, a powerful vocalist, singer, and actress, is decently wealthy. With her many hit records and a big personality in the music world, she has managed to amass a net worth of more than $60 million over more than five decades.
However, given her son Zuri’s career, which is not so fiddly, thoughts of his mother-Eska net worth seem rather seasonally exaggerated. However, as his mother’s multi-millionaire manager, it is plausible that his wealth is at least in the hundreds of thousands of dollars belt.
Zuri Kye Edwards Other Facts
Zuri’s name means beautiful in Swahili.
Who is Zuri Kye Edwards?
Zuri Kye Edwards is the son of music legend Patti LaBelle and her former husband Armstead Edwards. He is a music producer and manager, known for his involvement in the industry and his familial connections to Patti LaBelle.
