I was invited by a good friend to attend Kandi Burruss’ live experience I Do, I Did, I’m Done: The Birthday Edition at the Buckhead Theatre on a Wednesday night in Atlanta. The first run of this show was held at City Winery Atlanta, and tickets sold out so quickly that we missed it entirely. So, when a second date opened up at Buckhead Theatre, my homegirl scooped up the tickets fast so we would not miss it twice.

Now, as a high school educator, I get up at 5 a.m. every morning, and I am usually yawning and fully in kindergarten-level sleepy time by 8 p.m., so going out that “late” already felt like a whole commitment I was hoping I could actually stay awake for. I straight up had coffee with my Caesar salad and buffalo fish bites when we met up for dinner before the show. But I was going. Sleepy, in a knee brace for support and alignment at the time, with one crutch in my car and all.

My homies’ hot tickets had the four of us front and center! Now, I couldn’t fully get up and party like the rest of the crowd when Kandi and the crew turned up, but I sang at the top of my voice and danced my assets off in my front row seat! The flow and energy in the room made it impossible not to feel everything fully.

It was storytelling, music, laughter, pain, reflection, and empowerment all woven into one phenomenal experience.

And just in case you didn’t know, Kandi Burruss is the proud mom of three, a Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, television personality, actress, entrepreneur, and Boss B. She first rose to fame as a member of the R&B group Xscape, alongside Tameka “Tiny” Harris, LaTocha Scott, and Tamika Scott (Wikipedia contributors, n.d.-a). In addition, she became one of the most successful behind-the-scenes songwriters in R&B and pop music history.

She wrote some of the most iconic hits of the late 1990s and early 2000s, including “No Scrubs” by TLC, “Bills, Bills, Bills” by Destiny’s Child, “Bug a Boo” by Destiny’s Child, and “So Good” by Destiny’s Child. She also contributed to “There You Go” by Pink, helping define the sound of an era in R&B and pop music. Her pen game is definitely strong.

Beyond music, Kandi expanded into television, production, and business. She has appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta since Season 2 and remains one of its longest-running cast members (Wikipedia contributors, n.d.-b). She also created Kandi Koated Live and Speak On It on her YouTube channel, KandiOnline, where she shares candid conversations about relationships, entertainment, and personal growth.

She also built a major entrepreneurial empire, including her bedroom and lifestyle brand Bedroom Kandi, a multimillion-dollar direct sales business in the adult lifestyle space that has empowered independent consultants across the country. If you know, you know.

Kandi has also built a strong presence in theater and live production. Alongside former husband Todd Tucker, she co-wrote and produced the stage play A Mother’s Love, expanding her storytelling into live theatrical work centered on family, love, and emotional resilience.

The show I Do, I Did, I’m Done centered on love, heartbreak, divorce, and the process of rebuilding yourself after betrayal. At several moments, Kandi reflected on how songs she wrote years ago now feel like they were created for seasons of her life she had not yet entered. That idea resonated with me, the thought that we sometimes create things long before we understand why we needed them, and then they come full circle to speak back to us. Maybe they return as a reminder of who we are and who we have always known ourselves to be. It felt like a profound moment of recognition and self-acknowledgment.

And yes, Kandi did not disappoint. She definitely spoke on it. She was open about her divorce and the emotional impact of infidelity. There was honesty in the way she shared her story, acknowledging that revisiting those moments can still bring emotion while also recognizing the strength that comes from telling the truth about them. What stood out most was how she turned personal pain into collective empowerment, allowing the audience to see their own experiences reflected back at them.

The room itself felt alive. Friends, supporters, and fans filled the Buckhead Theatre. DJ A-One, a longtime friend of Kandi Burruss who has known her since high school, was behind the turntables that night. There is something powerful about having someone who has witnessed your journey from the beginning stand beside you in your success, helping shape how it is experienced in real time. According to tour interviews, he has served as her DJ and musical director across multiple performance eras, helping shape the live presentation of her catalog for over a decade (REVOLT, 2021). He played music tied to Kandi’s songwriting legacy, setting the tone for a night that felt both celebratory and deeply personal. The crowd responded with singing, dancing, and shared joy. Some people stood and danced freely, while others, like me, stayed in their seats and moved with what we could give that night. Even seated, the joy still came through fully.

There was laughter, storytelling, and emotional release throughout the night. It felt like community healing happening in real time. Kandi was also celebrating her birthday, and honestly, the crowd spent most of the night out of their chairs dancing and celebrating right along with the entire crew.

I left thinking about resilience, friendship, love, and what it means to rebuild yourself after disappointment. Despite being challenged with achy, shaky knees, I felt like I was walking straighter emotionally than when I arrived. There was something powerful about being in a room full of women who were laughing, healing, and reclaiming joy together. It reminded me that storytelling, whether through music, theater, or lived experience, can hold us together in ways we do not always expect.

When I attend events such as these, I do not always expect experiences like this to stay with me, but this one did. I want to thank Kandi Burruss for sharing her experience with us so openly and for creating space for reflection, honesty, and empowerment. Thank you for letting us in and showing us how we can all heal, grow, and transcend with grace. It is not always easy to revisit painful chapters, but your willingness to do so openly gave others permission to feel, reflect, heal, and move forward.

Happy second 25th Birthday Kandi B., I want you to know that A good time was definitely had by all those in attendance.

Thanks, Ms. G.

References

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.-a). Xscape (group). Wikipedia. Retrieved May 16, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xscape_(group)

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.-b). Kandi Burruss. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 16, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandi_Burruss

REVOLT. (2021, May 18). Kandi Burruss reflects on career, friendship, and live touring experiences. https://www.revolt.tv