RIP: Keyshia Cole’s Mother Frankie Lons Dies at 61 After Long Battle With Addiction

The entertainment world was mourning in July 2021 after Frankie Lons, the biological mother of R&B singer Keyshia Cole, died on her 61st birthday.

Lons died at her home in Oakland on July 18, 2021, while celebrating her birthday. Her son Sam said the family had been closely monitoring her because of her long struggle with addiction. He reported that she had relapsed and suffered an overdose during the celebration.

Her battle with substance abuse had been openly discussed by her family, and Keyshia had repeatedly supported her mother through difficult periods, including treatment and recovery efforts.

In 2020, Lons entered a rehabilitation facility and later reached a milestone that made her daughter proud. She had reportedly remained sober for 60 days, giving the family hope that she was making progress in her recovery.

Lons became familiar to television audiences through Keyshia Cole’s reality shows. She appeared alongside her daughter on BET programs, including “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is” and “Keyshia Cole: My New Life.” She also appeared in the spinoff “Frankie & Neffe.”

Her connection with Keyshia was particularly complex. Keyshia had been given up for adoption when she was very young and was raised by family friends. Years later, after becoming an established recording artist, she reunited with her biological parents.

Their relationship included difficult moments, but it was also filled with affection. Through reality television, audiences watched mother and daughter have emotional conversations about family, addiction, forgiveness, and the challenges they had experienced.

Her family had continued hoping that treatment and support would help her maintain sobriety. Those efforts showed how much the people closest to her wanted her to have an opportunity to overcome the struggles that had followed her for years.

Following her mother’s death, Keyshia publicly expressed how difficult the loss was. She remembered her mother’s personality and sense of humor.

The family also faced additional challenges while arranging funeral plans. Keyshia later spoke about her mother’s wish for all of her children to be together.

Lons’ death also prompted reflections on addiction and its impact on families. Her story demonstrated how recovery can involve progress as well as setbacks, and how difficult addiction can be for both the person experiencing it and relatives who continue offering support.

Later, the Alameda County Coroner’s Office determined that Lons’ official cause of death was multiple drug intoxication and classified the manner of death as accidental.

For viewers who had followed Lons through years of television appearances, she was more than a reality-show personality. She was a mother whose struggles, humor, relationships, and efforts to rebuild her life had unfolded publicly.

Her death left Keyshia Cole and the rest of the family facing a painful loss, while fans remembered the woman they had come to know through her daughter’s music and reality television career.

The mother whose life and struggles became part of a watched family story was Frankie Lons, leaving behind memories her loved ones continue to carry.