Nia Peeples
| Nia Peeples | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Virenia Gwendolyn Peeples December 10, 1961 Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Guy Ecker (m. 1984; div. 1986) Howard Hewett (m. 1989; div. 1993) Lauro Chartrand (m. 1997; div. 2004) Sam George (m. 2004; div. 2015) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website |
niaselementsoflife |
Virenia Gwendolyn "Nia" Peeples (born December 10, 1961) is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. Peeples is also famously known as Pam Fields, the mother of Emily Fields on hit TV drama, Pretty Little Liars (TV series), 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] Peeples attended UCLA during which time she performed as Liberace's opening act in Las Vegas on weekends.
Career
Music
Peeples started her career as part of the performance group The Young Americans. In 1988 she hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with "Trouble",[6] which climbed to #35 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7] Her most successful pop single is "Street Of Dreams", which hit #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991.[7] She made a music video in 1986 for "All You Can Dream", directed by Alan Bloom and conceptualized 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.[8]
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.[9]
Personal life
Peeples lives in Malibu, California and has one son Christopher (with ex-husband Howard Hewett), and one 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.[10]
She operates an internet based organization called Elements of Life, which promotes fitness, inspiration, healthy lifestyle changes and emotional well-being. She worked with business coach Amy Applebaum on its development.[11]
On August 11, 2015, Peeples filed for divorce from her surfer husband Sam George. Peeples filed in Los Angeles County, 20 days before the couple's eighth wedding anniversary. Peeples is seeking to keep the couple's home, a Malibu, California manufactured 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) – US #97[12]
- Nia Peeples (1991)
- Songs of the Cinema (2007)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [7] |
US R&B [13] |
US Dan [6] |
AUS [14] |
CAN [15] | ||||||||||
| 1988 | "Trouble" | 35 | 71 | 1 | — | — | Nothin' But Trouble | |||||||
| "High Time" | — | — | 10 | — | — | |||||||||
| 1989 | "I Know How (To Make You Love Me)" | — | — | 28 | — | — | ||||||||
| 1991 | "Street of Dreams" | 12 | 73 | — | 74 | 23 | Nia Peeples | |||||||
| 1992 | "Kissing the Wind" | 76 | — | — | 86 | 76 | ||||||||
| "Faces of Love" | 88 | — | — | — | 59 | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | A Single Light | Deaf Girl | TV movie |
| 1984 | Fame | Nicole | |
| 1987 | North Shore | Kiani | |
| 1989 | DeepStar Six | Scarpelli | |
| Swimsuit | Maria | TV movie | |
| Nasty Boys | Serena Cruz | TV movie | |
| 1990 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer | Cathy Redding | TV movie |
| 1992 | I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore | Theresa Garabaldi | |
| 1994 | My Name Is Kate | Annie | TV movie |
| XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl) | Sasha Townes | TV movie | |
| 1995 | Improper Conduct | Bernie | |
| Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 | Allie Thompson | TV movie | |
| Mr. Stitch | Dr. Elizabeth English | TV movie | |
| 1996 | Terminal | Janet Reardon | TV movie |
| Bloodhounds II | Nikki Cruise | TV movie | |
| 1997 | Odd Jobs | Assassin | TV movie |
| Tower of Terror | Jill Perry | TV movie | |
| 1998 | Blues Brothers 2000 | Lt. Elizondo | |
| Poodle Springs | Angel | ||
| Heroes: The Mystique, the Movies, the Men | Special Guest Host | ||
| 2000 | Alone with a Stranger | Beth Jenkins | |
| 2001 | Bruised | Michelle | |
| The Riff | Heather Anderson | ||
| 2002 | The Chang Family Saves the World | Pearl Empress | TV movie |
| Half Past Dead | 49er Six | ||
| 2004 | The Coven | unknown | TV movie |
| 2005 | Inside Out | Maria | |
| Sub Zero | Kelli Paris | ||
| 2006 | Alpha Mom | Susan | TV movie |
| Special Unit | Tara | ||
| Connors' War | Amanda | ||
| 2009 | Citizen Jane | Evelyn | TV movie |
| The Outside | Joanne Blakey | ||
| 2010 | Firedog | Haley (voice) | post-production |
| 2011 | Battle of Los Angeles | Capt. Karla Smaith | TV Movie |
| 2012 | Werewolf: The Beast Among Us | Vodama | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2012 | 23 Minutes to sunrise | Direct-to-DVD | |
| 2015 | Lavalantula | Olivia West | TV Movie |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | The Music Shoppe | Darcie | |
| 1983 | Tales of the Gold Monkey | Zita Henriques | 1 episode |
| Hardcastle and McCormick | Waitress | 1 episode | |
| Days of Our Lives | Mallory | unknown episodes | |
| General Hospital | Carla Escobar | unknown episodes, 1983–1994 | |
| Fame | Nicole Chapman | 55 episodes, 1983–1986 | |
| 1984 | T.J. Hooker | Maria Dominguez | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Top of the Pops | Host | unknown episodes |
| 1989 | Matlock | Morgan Gerard | 1 episode |
| Nasty Boys | Serena Cruz | 13 episodes, 1989–1990 | |
| 1991 | The Party Machine with Nia Peeples | Host | unknown episodes |
| 1992 | The New WKRP in Cincinnati | Sierra Smith | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Return to Lonesome Dove | Agostina Vega | mini-series |
| 1994 | Highlander: The Series | Nefertiri | 1 episode |
| Touched by an Angel | Angela Evans | 1 episode | |
| 1995 | Crazy Love | unknown | unknown episodes |
| Marker | Lisa | 1 episode | |
| Courthouse | Veronica Gilbert | 11 episodes | |
| 1997 | Early Edition | Sister Mary | 1 episode |
| Crisis Center | Lily Gannon | 5 episodes | |
| 1998 | Real Life | Maya | 1 episode |
| 1999–2001 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Sydney Cooke | 46 episodes |
| 2004 | Andromeda | Rox Nava | 1 episode |
| The Division | Sandra Prestiss | 2 episodes | |
| 2005 | Barbershop | Det. Hahanna | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Arwin! | Ms. Hawkhauser | 1 episode |
| The Young and the Restless | Karen Taylor | 130 episodes, 2007–2009 | |
| 2010–present | Pretty Little Liars | Pam Fields | Recurring role Main role (Pilot only) |
| 2013 | Celebrity Wife Swap (TV Series) | Herself | One Episode "Nia Peeples/Tiffany" |
| 2014 | Longmire | Adele Chapman | 1 episode |
See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
References
- ↑ "Nia Peeples Biography (1961-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- 1 2 "Nia Peeples 2003 Philippine Daily Inquirer Interview - Fame Episode Guide". Sites.google.com. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- ↑ Archived March 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Article Index - INQUIRER.net". Inq7.net. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- ↑ "Sincerely, NIA…"Beauty is in it. Your best you is in it"". Bella Petite. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- 1 2 "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
- 1 2 3 "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
- ↑ "The Carnival: Getting The "Groove On" For 10 Years". Hollywire.com. February 2, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
- ↑ "ABC Family Announces Pick-Up Of Dramas Huge And Pretty Little Liars" (Press release). ABC Family. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 28, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
- ↑ "Nia Peeples, Tiffany". Celebrity Wife Swap. Season 2. Episode 6. July 7, 2013. ABC.
- ↑ "Nia's Elements of Life |". Niaselementsoflife.com. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
- ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
- ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
- ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ↑ "RPM 100 Singles > Nia Peeples". RPM Magazine. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
External links
- Nia Peeples at AllMovie
- Nia Peeples at AllMusic
- Nia Peeples at the Internet Movie Database