Nia Peeples

Virenia Gwendolyn "Nia" Peeples (born December 10, 1961) is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Nicole Chapman on Fame. She is also known for her role as Emily Fields' mother on Pretty Little Liars, as Karen Taylor Winters on The Young and the Restless, and as Sydney Cooke on Walker, Texas Ranger.

Early life

Peeples was born in Hollywood, California, the daughter of Elizabeth Joan (née Rubic), a flamenco dancer, and Robert Eugene Peeples.^[1][2] She was raised in West Covina. Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from the Philippines, and were of Filipino, Spanish, French, and German descent.^[3] Her father, who was originally from Mississippi, was of Scotch-Irish, English, Native American, and Italian ancestry.^[2][4][5]

She attended UCLA during which time she performed as Liberace's opening act in Las Vegas on weekends.

Career

Peeples started her career as part of the performance group The Young Americans.

Music

In 1988 she hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with "Trouble," which climbed to #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her most successful pop single is "Street Of Dreams," which hit #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991.

She made a music video in 1986 of "All You Can Dream", directed by Alan Bloom and conceptualised by Keith Williams, for the purposes of promoting the values of UCLA. She appeared in Prince's video for Raspberry Beret.

On February 4, 2009, Peeples presented Debbie Allen with a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball 10th anniversary show.^[6]

Acting

Notably, Peeples portrayed performing arts student Nicole Chapman on the hit TV series Fame. In 1987 she was in the movie North Shore as Kiani. She hosted the short-lived American version of Top of the Pops as well as a weeknight dance music program called The Party Machine with Nia Peeples, and portrayed Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke in the CBS hit series Walker, Texas Ranger from 1999-2001.

In 2004 Peeples appeared in the season 4 episode of Andromeda The Spider's Stratagem as arms smuggler and love-interest Rox Nava.

Nia Peeples joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in 2007, playing the role of Karen Taylor, and was released from the role in the spring of 2009. Her last air date was in May 2009.

Peeples has been cast in the 2010 ABC Family TV series Pretty Little Liars, based on the book series by Sara Shepard.^[7]

Personal life

Peeples lives in a Malibu, California beach home with her surfer husband Sam George, son Christopher with ex-husband Howard Hewett, and daughter Sienna (b.1998 with ex-husband Lauro Chartrand). They were featured on the July 7, 2013 episode of Celebrity Wife Swap, in which Peeples traded places with singer Tiffany.^[8]

She also currently runs a website organization called Elements of Life, which promotes fitness, inspiration, healthy lifestyle changes and emotional well-being.^[9]

On August 11, 2015, Peeples filed for divorce from George. Peeples submitted the paperwork in the Los Angeles County Courthouse, just 20 days short of the couple's eighth wedding anniversary. Peeples is seeking to keep the couple's home, a Malibu, California, mobile home with an ocean view that's valued at $875,000. Also listed among the couple's community assets is a Las Vegas condo worth $91,000.

Discography

Albums

• Nothin' But Trouble (1988)
• Nia Peeples (1991)
• Songs of the Cinema (2007)

Singles

Filmography

See also

• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)

References

External links

• Nia Peeples at AllMovie
• Nia Peeples at AllMusic
• Nia Peeples at the Internet Movie Database