3 things you didn't know about Russell Wilson's wife Ciara

If behind every successful man is a strong woman, Russell Wilson has certainly got Ciara to thank for his success on the field. However, such a generalization diminishes her accomplishments, which are numerous on their own, including being a Grammy winner in 2006 for the best music video for Lose Control.

She is a successful singer and entrepreneur in her own right and at the peak of her field, much like her husband is. But there are some interesting things about Ciara that may not be well-known. Here are some of them.

Little-known facts about Ciara

#1 - She is named after a perfume

Her parents named her after the Revlon fragrance "Ciara," a vanilla and musk fragrance. The fragrance, launched in 1973, is sold even today. As fate would have it, she became a brand ambassador for the company in 2016. Here's how she tells the story:

"My mom had been trying to figure out my name for a long time before I was born. Then my dad bought her the fragrance—the 'Ciara' fragrance by Revlon—from the commissary at the military base. They were in Texas, he bought her the fragrance, and not only did he love this fragrance, but the name also really resonated with her and she ditched all the other names and Ciara became my name.”

#2 - She is a military brat

Ciara was born in Austin, Texas, to Jackie and Carlton Clay Harris. She is the only child of her parents, who were in the military. This led to her visiting all around the world with her family. She counts Germany, New York, California, Arizona, Nevada, and Atlanta as places she lived in as a child.

#3 - She considers Destiny's Child and Michael Jackson to be her inspirations

Her earliest musical inspiration was Destiny's Child. Having finally settled in Atlanta as a teenager, Ciara was deeply influenced by their music videos. She would join a girl group called Hearsay, and even though it disbanded, it provided her with the inspiration to become a singer. She was also inspired by Michael Jackson, saying that his smile and memorable movements made her think she could emulate him someday.

She achieved her goal when she was 18 years old when her song Goodies dropped on the airwaves. Getting an early break like that also helped with her family members, especially her mother, who wanted her to focus on education instead of music.