Melinda Ferguson is a well-known, award-winning True Love magazine journo and bestselling author of Smacked: a harrowing journey of addiction and Hooked. Both of Ferguson’s highly acclaimed books have been about her own journey. In her latest offering however, Melinda takes on the role of an active observer to bring us The Kelly Khumalo Story, told with the same no-holds-barred writing that she has become renowned for.

Kelly Khumalo is an award-winning kwaito star who rose to national fame at the age of 21: the shining star who after a string of bad decisions and relationships soon lost her shine. The book tracks the life and times of the fallen township pop princess, her plummet from grace, disastrous relationships with men, her addiction to cocaine, and finally her hard-fought battle back to sanity and her real love, music. Seen through Melinda’s sharp and always original eye, The Kelly Khumalo Story promises to be a page turner from start to finish. Now reunited with Kelly, manager Sarah Setlaelo, in her contributions to the book, offers a rare glimpse into the backstage of the South African music industry, rife with sensation and backstabbing. It is a tale of highs, lows and personal triumph. Ultimately the real question is: can Kelly come back from the edge?

Melinda formed a special bond with Kelly Khumalo in 2011 when she took the fallen-from-grace, young and drug-ravaged star to her first Narcotics Anonymous meeting. A mentoring relationship and friendship developed, giving Ferguson intimate and brutally real access to Kelly Khumalo’s life and journey of rebuilding and redemption.

“Initially I was totally disinterested in Kelly Khumalo, assuming she was just another empty headed member of The Young and Wasted Bling Generation, but once I peeled away the layers I saw the raw and undeniable talent of a young woman whose story promises to become one of the most inspirational of our times.” – Melinda Ferguson

“The talent that God gave me is bigger than the scandals, the drugs and the mistakes I made with men.” – Kelly Khumalo