Places of worship around the world are responsible for some of the best singers in music. From Whitney Houston to Beyonce to Lizzo, so many of these artists owe their incredible voices to being raised in the choir. R&B legend Tweet is another one of these people, and she recently opened up about how the place of worship gave her the power to return to music after a lengthy hiatus before it drove her away again.
Tweet was born Charlene Keys. She met Missy Elliot in the late ’90s after leaving her daughter with her parents in Panama City to pursue music. Their close friendship resulted in Missy helping Tweet break into the mainstream with the single “Oops (Oh My)” in 2002. By then, Tweet had already sung background for everyone from Ja Rule to Bubba Sparxxx, Petey Pablo, and Timbaland. Tweet credited gospel music for her voice and technique. She sites the Winans, Harvey Watkins, The Canton Spirituals, and Clouds of Joy as her influences.
Tweet admitted that her faith kept her afloat when the music industry began to turn its back on her. Following the lackluster success of her second album, she turned to a higher being for guidance. “There are times when I get discouraged because, in this business, you’re not always accepted,” she revealed a few years ago. “But I know whatever I’m going through at the time, he is going to bring me out. I used to get upset and mad, but I’ve grown so much spiritually that I try not to concentrate on how I’m feeling in that moment.”
Tweet, like many singers who grew up in the house of the worship, found her secular music to be at odds with her beliefs. As a result, she ended up stepping away for almost a decade. When she finally returned in 2016, she admitted she faced many struggles she had to overcome following her initial success Tweet said she was finally led her to a good label situation with eOne that restored her faith in the music industry. This resulted in the release of her album Charlene.
At the time, she admitted to also being ready for love and open to the lord finding her ideal man. Tweet believed she had bad luck choosing partners because she was getting in the way of what the lord wanted for her. “I want someone who loves the Lord. Im not particular on them being a pastor or preacher. I don’t think I would want that responsibility of being first lady,” she told Da Gospel Truth. However, she would later date Pastor Jamal Bryant.
By 2019, it appeared that Tweet was on the ousts with the church and its culture. She and her daughter opened up to the Jasmine Brand about how negative their experience was dealing with their religious community. Tweet confessed while she does love her savior, she’s completely done with attending services. In addition, the R&B singer vowed to never pay another tithe. “I’m not giving nobody tithes,” the singer stated.
According to Tweet, she discovered her pastor had been in her daughter’s DMs despite being married. In the end, Tweet said she would rather be out in the world than at a house or worship. She also ended her relationship with Pastor Jamal.
