With the release of her self-titled debut album, 15 year-old Columbia Records recording artist, Tiffany Evans, is positioning herself to be the next breakout R&B/pop star following the success of peers such as Ciara and Rihanna.  So far she appears to be on the right track.  Her lead single, “Promise Ring,” featuring her creative mentor, Ciara, was a hit; she has collaborated with some of the biggest producers and writers such as The Clutch and Rodney Jerkins; and she seems to have her head on straight.  With so much in her favor this young talent is on a high and it doesn’t look like she’s coming down anytime soon.

Sixshot talked with Tiffany about puppy love, feeling insecure about her looks and personality, the pain of her parent’s divorce, being homeless, and more.

“Promise Ring,” is all about young love.  Do you have experience in dating or puppy love?

[Laughs]  I've been through certain things with love—I will say that.  This is a very funny question. [Laughs]  I’m still going through a lot of things right now.  For that song I took from myself and who I was dealing with, and also from other people.  I looked at what my friends and sisters were going though.  I have a lot of older friends and they’ll call me and be like, “Tiffany he did this—and he’s so unappreciative.”  That’s when I sat down with The Clutch.  We started talking about certain issues that young women have with their boyfriends, and we turned it into a song.

What sort of things are you going though now that you think young women can learn from?

That it takes patience, honesty, and love.  One thing I learned is that a guy is all tough and he doesn’t want to show his feelings and feel like a sissy.  But I feel like at the same time you have to make sure that your woman feels needed.  I am a leo.  I love to be loved and I need to feel needed.  I feel like many young women have issues with that—just for a guy to show some more attention and show that they care.

I’m a leo too—but I'm a cancer and leo.

Okay, so see you know how I feel then.  I’m not like a nagger and I don’t beg for attention.  I’ll tell you how I feel at that point in time.  That’s how I am.  I need to feel needed and I love to be loved.

One of your messages to young girls is for them to be comfortable in their own skin and to be themselves.  How did you become comfortable in your own skin?

I had insecurities about myself—just being me and being myself around people.  Honestly I feel like every young girl goes through that.  At the same time you just have to know that being yourself is the best thing.  For you to be somebody else is not good.  You have to be comfortable and strong.  You don’t have to act a certain way to be loved—just be yourself.  I have a very strong mother and she had a lot of talks with me about being comfortable with being me.  Those talks we had made me conformable.

What insecurities are you working to improve upon?

My looks.  [Laughs]

You’re beautiful--

Thank you, but I'm not the prettiest girl in the world.  You know we have mean brothers and my brother used to say, “Well you’re never gonna get married ‘cause nobody would marry someone as ugly as you.”  [Laughs]  I used to have a problem with that.  I used to not smile a lot ‘cause I used to have a gap in my teeth.  I used to always cover my smile because people would make fun of me. 

I also felt like my personality—I felt like I was too bubbly or whatever.  Talking to my mother helped me through a lot of that.  With anything, all young girls have to develop. I’m certainly developing from a girl into a young woman.  I’m still insecure about certain things but not as much.  I’m still working on my personality ‘cause sometimes I think I talk too much.  I think I’m too sweet and I have to be mean a little bit.  Those are personal issues that I’m working out with God.

Well everybody thinks you’re so beautiful and talented, so your brother obviously doesn’t know what he’s talking about.  [Laughs]

Thank you so very much.

You started your career very early and you’re still so young.  So what’s been the hardest sacrifice that you’ve had to make for your career thus far?

Not being around my family. People in the business know that once you start to get things moving you don’t get to spend as much time with your family as you used to.  Some of the things I used to do I can’t do now.  Sometimes I want to go roller-skating even though it's corny.  [Laughs]  They’ll be like no because if I fall and mess up my face and have to be on TV—there's a big problem.  So it’s a lot of things that you have to do.

With being the middle child of ten children did you ever experience a case of middle child syndrome?

No, we definitely know how to share.  I'm actually glad that I have a bunch of brothers and sisters and that we grew up together.

I know that your parents are very involved in your career.  Many young people your age often need space from their parents as they are coming-of-age.  So is it ever a challenge having your parents involved in your career?

They know that I’m a young woman and they give me my space.  I’m so glad God blessed me with parents that I can talk to.  So anything I feel uncomfortable with they can understand. 

Is there anything that you feel uncomfortable with in the industry?

Oh, definitely!  Like certain people in the business—everybody is older.  I was so young and they may think I’m very naïve and that I don’t know.  I’m just very uncomfortable with the shadiness of people and the guys that come around more often.  You don’t know if they’re real or not.  But my father is a man and he knows what a man does. 

I heard that your parents divorced not too long ago.  I’m sorry to hear that.  There are a lot of young people with divorced parents.  So how did their divorce affect you?

When that happened I was going through a lot.  I was depressed and just sitting around and not doing anything.  I was waiting on the label to get my stuff together but I they wanted me to grow into my voice.  There was a lot that I was going through.  With my parents being together for like nineteen years you would think that they could work it out, and that’s how I felt at the time.  I had talked to God and I really thank God.  I went to church more often.

I’m happy that I have as many brothers and sisters as I do.  If I was by myself I wouldn’t be able to take that.  I’m glad they are still the best of friends.  They still talk and say, “I love you.”  So long as they’re the best of friends I’m cool with that.  But it affected me because I didn’t understand a lot of the things that was going on; but I understand most of it now.

When my parents separated I didn’t get it either, but of course I sided with my mom.

Right, right of course!

You’re like, “Dad, what did you do?”  [Laughs]

I didn’t want to put myself in between them.  I was like, “I love the both of ya'll and would love ya'll to stay together.”  It was just—I’m gon’ lay low and keep quiet.  I’m not gon say anything about it ‘cause I love them both equally.  I’m gon’ let them handle this ‘cause whatever problems mommy and daddy has doesn’t have anything to do with me.

That’s the mature way to handle it.  I should have done that.  [Laughs]  I read that at nine you were homeless as you and your family lived out of a van.  How did your family end up homeless?

We were staying in this apartment and the landlord sold the apartment right from under us without notice.  We had to get a move on and we didn’t have a place to stay.  So we took our belongings and put it in the van.  Our parents didn’t tell us that we were homeless.  They just told us that we were going to grandma’s house to stay for a little while.  It was at a point where I observed everything.  I saw that we had been driving around for a long time and we still hadn’t reached grandma’s house.  We had all this stuff in our van and that’s when I realized that we didn’t have a place to stay. 

For how long were you homeless?

I was eight or nine years old and it lasted until I was ten.  Some people helped us out.  That was when the whole “Star Search,” deal came up and so much stuff.  So God has placed wonderful people in my life.  We actually did have a place to stay.  We lived with somebody and they helped us find a place to stay.

How did you grow from that experience?

I believe that everything happens for a reason.  Honestly it was triumph over tragedy.  God has blessed me today and I look back on the past and I move on.  I’m glad that God put that thing in my way so that I could experience that; and be able to talk about it and feel okay with it.  It made me the person that I am today.  Even though being homeless is not good you learn to appreciate a lot of things.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tiffanyevans.com 
http://www.myspace.com/tiffanyevansmusic