Kesha's Real Name: Kesha Rose Sebert

Quick answer: The singer is known professionally as Kesha. Biography.com and AllMusic independently give the full name Kesha Rose Sebert and date her birth to March 1, 1987, in Los Angeles, California. AllMusic also records the earlier professional styling Ke$ha.

Real name and early life

Independent publishers support the documented full name Kesha Rose Sebert. Biography.com gives that full name, dates the birth to March 1, 1987, in Los Angeles, California, and says her mother, Pebe Sebert, is a singer-songwriter who wrote "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You," recorded by Joe Sun and later by Dolly Parton. AllMusic independently gives the name Kesha Rose Sebert, dates the birth to March 1, 1987, in Los Angeles, and says she moved to Nashville at age four after her mother signed a publishing deal, later returning to Los Angeles before finishing high school. Biography.com independently describes early financial hardship, including a period on welfare and food stamps.

Career highlights

AllMusic says she went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2009 with a featured appearance on Flo Rida's "Right Round," and that her major-label debut album, Animal, followed a year later and reached number one in the United States and Canada behind the single "TiK ToK." Biography.com independently says an uncredited cameo on "Right Round" preceded her own No. 1 single "Tik Tok," and that Animal reached the top of the charts after its January 2010 release. AllMusic later lists the 2010 EP Cannibal, including the single "We R Who We R," the 2012 album Warrior, and a later Hot 100-topping collaboration with Pitbull, "Timber." Biography.com independently names "Timber" and "Praying" among later widely known songs. AllMusic independently records later studio albums including Rainbow (2017), High Road (2020), Gag Order (2023), and Period (2025), released after she launched her own Kesha Records label.

Legal dispute with Dr. Luke

Biography.com says she later described a decade-long legal battle with producer Dr. Luke over claims that he sexually assaulted and harassed her, and that the parties reached a settlement in 2023, after which she was no longer tied to his label, Kemosabe Records. AllMusic independently describes a series of legal battles with her longtime producer that involved claims of physical and emotional abuse and business-related mistreatment. Those claims are recorded here as allegations described by the publishers cited, together with the 2023 settlement.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Kesha, Ke$ha, or Kesha Rose Sebert are looking for the same singer. Biography.com and AllMusic support the full name used in the title.