Kelly Price left everyone on social media worried over the weekend. It was reported that the “Friend of Mine” singer had been missing in the Atlanta area, where she calls home. Conflicting reports, however, began to arise that she was safe and sound, while her sister, Shanrae Cheree Price, insisted otherwise. From this, fans started to speculate on the relationship between Kelly Price and her sister.
Kelly Price grew up with her sister and family in housing projects in Far Rockaway, NY. Growing up in the 70s, their childhood was rough as her mother was raising three children after splitting from their father when Kelly Price was a young age, but “rich spiritually,” according to an interview with Elev8.
The world would soon begin to hear Kelly Price’s voice largely, in part, due to her extensive work as a background vocalist for artists like Mariah Carey and Faith Evans. Eventually, Kelly Price would go on to become a successful solo artist in her own right. She released several albums, two of which were certified Platinum, multiple Grammy nominations, and is a Soul Train Award winner.
Kelly wasn’t the only Price sister that sung background for Mariah Carey. Her sister, Shanrae Cheree Price, also became one of the “We Belong Together” singer’s background vocalists in the 90s. Together the sisters toured extensively with Mariah, providing her with their signature sound for years.
Much like her sister, Shanrae Cheree Price also provided backgrounds for a range of artists like Luther Vandross, Diddy, Gloria Estefan, and more. Both sisters have also credited their mother, Claudia Price, for their strong church upbringing and deep Gospel roots. As children, Kelly and Shanrae Price would sing together in the church, as their mother was seemingly grooming them for a more ministry-driven career. With that, Shanrae Price also worked heavily in the Gospel music industry, providing vocals for some of Gospel’s legends.
Shanrae Cheree Price also followed in her sister’s footsteps in pursuing a solo career in music. However, she never achieved the success that sister Kelly Price has over the years. In 2018, Shanrae Price released her debut solo album entitled Long Time Coming. The independently-released Gospel album was led by the single “No Boundaries”, but failed to chart. Nevertheless, she was given the opportunity to perform at various high-profile events, including at a Stellar Awards showcase. Her album also led her to be nominated for an IRAA (Independent Recording Artist and Arts) Award, given to indie Gospel artists, that same year. In 2021, she was also nominated for four Gospel Choice Music Awards.
Sadly, tragedy struck the Price family in 2020 with the loss of their grandfather due to Covid-19, as well as their mother. Kelly Price announced her mother’s passing in a statement via The Grio saying that under no circumstances were they prepared for this moment. “Respectfully I ask for the sake of her husband, her sister, my sister, and myself along with the rest of the family that we be given time to process this loss privately,” the statement said. “We know that Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. We need healing right now, so please keep my family in your prayers.”
A video was later uploaded to Youtube that showed both Kelly Price and Shanrae singing together at their mother’s funeral. It would seemingly appear to be the last time that the two sung together, much less communicate.
Recent reports arose that Kelly Price was missing following her Covid-19 diagnosis. Social media, friends, and family began to worry as TMZ reported that she was listed as a missing person after a wellness check was conducted at her home.
Shortly thereafter, Kelly Price’s attorney, Monica Ewing, stated that she was safe and would speak when she’s ready. Shanrae, however, stated in an interview with Larry Reid Live that she was asking for “prayers” as she still had not “physically” seen Kelly.
Finally, Kelly Price surfaced to let everybody know that she was safe, but she was taking some time to fully recover from Covid-19. She explained to TMZ that she was “never missing” and also revealed the status of her relationship with her family, which according to Kelly is “strained.” Kelly shared that she has not seen her sister since they sang together at her mother’s funeral, and prior to that, had not seen her sister “all pandemic long.”
