Erykah Badu - On & On. Erykah Badu. Erykah Badu. Early life[edit] Erykah Badu was born Erica Abi Wright in Dallas, Texas on February 26, 1971. Her mother raised her, her brother Eevin, and her sister Nayrok alone after their father, William Wright Jr., deserted the family early in their lives. To provide for her family, the children's grandmother often helped to look after them while Erykah's mother, Kolleen Maria Wright (née Gipson), worked as an actress in theatrical productions.
Influenced by her mother, Erykah had her first taste of show business at the age of 4, singing and dancing with her mother at the Dallas Theatre Centre. By the age of 14, Erykah was free-styling for a local radio station alongside such talent as Roy Hargrove. In her youth, she had decided to change the spelling of her first name from Erica to Erykah, as she believed her original name was a "slave name. " The term 'kah' signifies the inner self. Upon graduating from Booker T. Career[edit] Baduizm (1997-1999)[edit] Badu in 2005.
Badu in July 2008. Erykah Badu. Erykah-Badu.com. Erykah Badu - Window Seat.