There have been numerous Housewives on Bravo who take up singing as a passion project of theirs. Singing may not be their main source of income but it’s a way to express themselves, get a little notoriety, and earn a few bucks. However, there are also Housewives who have made music their careers and is the main reason why they are on the show.
These Housewives have had their songs on the radio or attached reality television shows and have earned a pretty penny. While housewives like Kenya Moore and Gretchen Rossi created songs that played off their characters on the show, these Housewives are known specifically for their music or their musical moments.
Shamari Fears (RHOA)
Shamari Fears (now Shamari DeVoe) was a big signing for RHOA back in season 11. Shamari was most known for her time in the pop group Blaque and for her appearance in the hit movie, Bring It On. But on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, cameras showed Shamari and her husband, Ronnie DeVoe, performing and getting back in the musical spotlight.
Sadly, Fears only lasted one season and didn’t return back for season 12 due to “personal reasons.” Nevertheless, Shamari is still in the spotlight and working with BET for Showtime With Shamari.
Kandi Burruss (RHOA)
Kandi Burruss has got to be one of the most famous Housewives with a music career. In fact, Kandi's music career is so successful that she doesn’t need RHOA for publicity. Many of the Housewives are in the franchise because it’s their main source of income, but for Kandi, the show is pure entertainment.
When she was younger, Kandi was a part of the girl group Xscape, which launched her stardom. But it wasn't just her amazing voice that got her where she is today, it's her art for songwriting. She wrote Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills," Mariah Carey's "Ex-Girlfriend," and TLC's "No Scrubs," along with many more. Singing and songwriting aren't just fun and games for Kandi like it could have been for RHONJ's Melissa Gorga, it's her means of success.
Luann De Lesseps (RHONY)
Luanne isn’t a singer, but she does know how to perform. She’s always been known as the countess but when she got divorced and lost her title, Luann dug deep for other ways to make her way in the world. In 2010, Luann dropped her first single “Money Can’t Buy You Class,” which proved to be just the beginning for Lu. After the song's success, Luann came out with songs like "Feelin' Jovani," "Viva La Diva," and "C'est la Vie."
And what better way to showcase her love for mingling, entertaining, and singing than hosting a cabaret show? Countess and Friends is Luann's Live Nation tour where she tours the country singing and engaging with fans. The show was such a standout that Luann had a Christmas special of sorts called Christmas With the Countess.
Erika Jayne (RHOBH)
Similar to Kandi, when Erika arrived on RHOBH, she was already a singer and performer. Erika has been very honest about starting her career later in life but took every opportunity that came her way in order to do well at her craft. Her EDM-style music made her a huge success in Europe and she's incredibly popular with the LGBTQ+ communities.
Over the years, fans have seen her perform and she even had the chance of a lifetime: to be a part of Broadway's Chicago. Regardless if Erika lasts on RHOBH or not, she always has her music career to fall back on. Her songs "Painkiller," "How Many F**ks," and "Stars" have all reached the number one spots on Billboard.
Kim Zolciak Biermann (RHOA)
Kim is no longer a Housewife on RHOA, but she is one of the most well-liked Housewives because of her epic one-liners, crazy family dynamic, and the drama she brought. When viewers first met Kim, she was trying to be a country music star. She met with producer after producer to make her a star. The only problem is that Kim couldn't really sing... She tried and tried to no avail.
Eventually, she teamed up with the right people who were able to remix her song and auto-tune her voice. Her first song “The Ring Didn’t Mean A Thing” was an instant hit. But it was "Don't Be Tardy" that reached the charts for having over 100,000 "paid downloads." The song even became her theme song for the Bravo spinoff Don't Be Tardy. These days, Kim has put her country singing career behind her but it’s amazing how popular she became because of a few songs.
Melissa Gorga (RHONJ)
When Melissa Gorga first came on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, she made it known that her main dedication was to her family. She loved being a wife and mother. But as time went on, Melissa wanted more. Not knowing what to do, she realized her main passion was music and she always wanted to pursue it. But having kids so young put a damper on her music career. With the support of her husband Joe, Melissa dove into the music industry full force.
She met with some of the world's top producers and created one of her most well-known songs, "On Display." She performed her songs for fellow Housewives and had a few local concerts. And while the music career never turned out for Melissa, she was known for her music during this time in the series. These days Melissa put her singing career on hold and is now running a boutique called Envy.