LaTavia Marie Roberson (born November 1, 1981) is an American
R&B singer. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as an original member of the R&B group
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
, one of the world's
best-selling girl groups of all time. During her time as a member, Roberson recorded two studio albums, sold over 25 million records and won two
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
and three
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...
.
Following her departure from the group, Roberson formed Anjel along with former Destiny's Child member
LeToya Luckett
LeToya Nicole Luckett (born March 11, 1981) is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a founding member of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. As a me ...
. After their album was shelved, Roberson went on hiatus and returned to Houston. Roberson has starred in various stage plays including ''Those Jeans'', ''How to Love'', and ''Not My Family''.
Roberson also became a main cast-member for ''
R&B Divas: Atlanta'' alongside singers such as
Angie Stone
Angela Laverne Brown (born December 18, 1961) known professionally as Angie Stone, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip hop trio The Sequence. In the early 1990s ...
,
Keke Wyatt
Ke'Tara Shavon "Keke" Wyatt (born March 10, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. After performing in a number of girl bands and working as a songwriter during her teenage years, in 2000 she garnered nation ...
and long-time friend
Meelah of
702
__NOTOC__
Year 702 ( DCCII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 702 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era b ...
.
Early life
Roberson was born on November 1, 1981, in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, to Cheryl Lastrap and Terry Roberson. In the 1980s, before joining Destiny's Child, Roberson was a child model, appearing in commercials such as Soft and Beautiful's Just for Me Hair Care
relaxer
A relaxer is a type of lotion or cream generally used by people with tight curls or very curly hair which makes hair easier to straighten by chemically "relaxing" the natural curls. The active agent is usually a strong alkali, although some formu ...
for kids.
Career
1990–2000: Girl's Tyme and Destiny's Child
When LaTavia was eight years old, she auditioned to be a rapper and dancer in a local girl group and was one of many girls selected. She met
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
at this audition, and the two became best friends. Singing and dancing with other young girls, LaTavia and Beyoncé made a video for a song called "One Time" which almost led to them becoming a duo. LaTavia then met
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl ...
in elementary school. After hearing Rowland sing, LaTavia told her to try out for the group, which she did. Initially, due to her duties as a rapper and dancer, LaTavia did not sing; subsequently, she had vocal lessons and began singing at local events. LaTavia got her break when she entered the singing competition TV show ''
Star Search
''Star Search'' was an American television show that was produced by T.P.E./ Rysher Entertainment from 1983 to 1995, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Al Masini. A relaunch was produced by 2929 Productions from 2003 to 2004. On both versio ...
'', alongside Beyoncé, Kelly,
Tamar Davis
Tamar may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Tamar'' (album), by Tamar Braxton, 2000
* ''Tamar'' (novel), by Mal Peet, 2005
* ''Tamar'' (poem), an epic poem by Robinson Jeffers
People
* Tamar (name), including a list of people with ...
and LaTavia's cousins Nikki and Nina Taylor. The group, then named Girl's Tyme, were heartbroken after losing the competition to Skeleton Crew. Beyonce's father
Mathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1952)Knowles in is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyoncé an ...
began managing the group and changed the line-up, reducing it to a quartet, consisting of LaTavia, Beyoncé, Kelly, and Beyoncé's elementary school friend
LeToya Luckett
LeToya Nicole Luckett (born March 11, 1981) is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a founding member of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. As a me ...
. The group also underwent several name changes: The Dolls, Something Fresh, Cliché, and Destiny.
In 1995, they signed to
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...
, but were later dropped from the label.
D'wayne Wiggins
D'wayne Patrice Wiggins (born February 14, 1961) is an American singer, guitarist, and record producer best known as the founding member of the 1990s soul/R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!
Early life
Wiggins was born in Oakland, California; speci ...
soon began working on music with the group, briefly signing them to Grass Roots Entertainment. The Wiggins produced song "Killing Time" was included on the ''
Men in Black
In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi-government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses t ...
'' soundtrack. After plenty of training to become prepared and ready for the music industry, they were signed by
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
in 1997 under the name, Destiny's Child with Knowles as lead vocalist, Rowland as second-lead vocalist, and Roberson and Luckett as background vocalists. Roberson was the
alto
The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...
, adding the low notes, and Luckett was the
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
, adding the high notes to the group's harmony. Roberson was designated as the group's spokesperson. In early 1998, Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut album ''
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
''. The singles were "
No, No, No" featuring
Wyclef Jean
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...
and "
With Me". Roberson can be heard rapping in the song "Illusions". Later in 1998, their song "
Get on the Bus
''Get on the Bus'' is a 1996 American drama film about a group of African-American men who are taking a cross-country bus trip in order to participate in the Million Man March. The film was directed by Spike Lee and premiered on the first anniver ...
" featuring
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
(which was released as a single in Europe) was included on the ''
Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' soundtrack.
In 1999, Destiny's Child released their second album ''
The Writing's on the Wall
''The Writing's on the Wall'' is the second studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child, released in Japan on July 14, 1999, and in the US on July 27, 1999, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Missy Elliott, Kevin "She'kspere" ...
''. It became one of the biggest selling albums released by a female group and was certified eight-times platinum in the U.S. The album includes four hit singles, "
Bills, Bills, Bills
"Bills, Bills, Bills" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, ''The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, Kelly Rowland, Kandi Burruss of Xscape, and Kevin "She'k ...
", "
Bug a Boo
"Bug a Boo" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their second studio album ''The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by band members Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson and Kelly Rowland along with ...
", "
Say My Name
"Say My Name" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, ''The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins I ...
", and "
Jumpin', Jumpin'
"Jumpin', Jumpin'" is a song by American group Destiny's Child for their second studio album, ''The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). The song was co-written and co-produced by group member Beyoncé Knowles and Chad Elliott, with additional writing ...
". LaTavia also gained co-writing contribution more on this album than their first. Roberson performed lead on two songs: "Sweet Sixteen" and "Where'd You Go". Additionally, she sang lead on the song "Can't Help Myself" which was only released on the album's ''Houston Edition''. In late 1999, during the success of ''The Writing's on the Wall'', Roberson and Luckett attempted to bring in a third-party mediator to work with their manager Mathew Knowles; however, they soon found themselves on the outs with Knowles. When the "Say My Name" video debuted in February 2000, the pair learned they'd been replaced by
Michelle Williams and
Farrah Franklin
Farrah Laron Franklin (born May 3, 1981) is an American R&B singer and actress. She is also a former member of the girl group Destiny's Child. Along with Michelle Williams, she replaced the group's original members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya L ...
, which led to several lawsuits with the outcome of Roberson and Luckett being entitled to royalty checks from the previous albums they had made with the group.
While in Destiny's Child, LaTavia appeared in music videos for artists such as
Jagged Edge. Roberson performed with the group in live shows, toured as an opening act on
TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
's
FanMail Tour
The FanMail Tour is the debut headlining tour by American group TLC. The tour support their third studio album, ''FanMail''. The tour visited North America with dates later planned for Japan and Europe. However, the international dates after the ...
, and won awards such as
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...
. She also acted in TV shows such as ''
Smart Guy
''Smart Guy'' is an American sitcom television series centering on the exploits of child prodigy T.J. Henderson (Tahj Mowry), who moves from being an elementary school student in the fourth grade to a high school student in the tenth grade, atte ...
'' and the movie ''Beverly Hood'' alongside the other members.
2001–2003: Anjel
Following the break-up, Roberson and Luckett won two Grammys for their contribution to Destiny Child's "Say My Name". After that, they formed a group called Anjel with two other girls, Naty Quinones and Tiffany Beaudoin. In 2000, Linda Casey, the mother of
Jagged Edge's Brian and Brandon Casey, had held a talent search in Connecticut. This contest would determine the newest member of the group, Natasha Ramos. Due to personality differences, Ramos left the group. Before leaving, she introduced them to Naty Quinones, who auditioned and was added to the group. In February 2001, Anjel attended the Grammys. Later that year, Tiffany Beaudoin was introduced to Anjel by a mutual friend and joined after an audition. They recorded a 22-track demo, planning to release their album, Heavenly, with the help of Jagged Edge. They also appeared in the music video for Jagged Ege's "Where the Party At" remix. The group made one live appearance in 2001 on Good Day, NY; where they talked about the album they were working on and sang part of their song "Missing You". The production company that handled the group fell through and the members went separate ways.
Their label was 581 Entertainment, ran by Jagged Edge under
So So Def Recordings
So So Def Recordings is an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and owned by producer Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B and bass music. So So Def has managed artists such as Bow Wow, Kris Kross, TL ...
, while it was still under
Columbia. So So Def owner
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ.
Early life
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
's decision to leave Columbia caused problems with 581 Entertainment. Before Dupri's move, Anjel's project was on track to be released. The members decided to look into individual projects while group business issues were being handled. In 2003, the record company folded and the group broke up. The group never released Heavenly and split up, before actually recording a full album. The tracks were later leaked on the internet.
2004–2012: Personal endeavors and solo career
In 2005, LaTavia got invited to replace
Kandi in the group
Xscape, but passed on the opportunity due to her priority to take care of her family at home in Houston.
In July 2006, it was confirmed by LaTavia herself, that she had been secretly recording her debut album on and off since March 2006. She collaborated with producers such as
Scott Storch
Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots.
Early life
Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phila ...
and hoped to work with Houston rappers
Mike Jones and
Slim Thug
Stayve Jerome Thomas (born September 8, 1980), better known by his stage name Slim Thug, is an American rapper. He initially gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the hit single by rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'". In July 2005, h ...
in the future, but was quick to point out it was in no way an attempt to recreate the success of former bandmate
LeToya Luckett
LeToya Nicole Luckett (born March 11, 1981) is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a founding member of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. As a me ...
. Her album called 'Black Summer's Night', a mix of
hip-hop meets
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
, with help from
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
,
Polow da Don
Jamal Fincher Jones (born October 15, 1977, or 1978), professionally known as Polow da Don, is an American record producer and rapper.
Jones has produced a variety of singles for a multitude of artists including "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj (2014) ...
, and
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), better known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a part of southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi.
B ...
of
Outkast, was supposed to appear sometime in 2009 . Unfortunately, she never managed to complete this album, so it was never released.
In 2007, LaTavia and the other former members LeToya Luckett and
Farrah Franklin
Farrah Laron Franklin (born May 3, 1981) is an American R&B singer and actress. She is also a former member of the girl group Destiny's Child. Along with Michelle Williams, she replaced the group's original members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya L ...
appeared in the TV series
''Boulevard of Broken Dreams'' telling their side of the story about what happened during their time with Destiny's Child.
In 2008, LaTavia was in the stage play ''Those Jeans'', which ran from April 18 to July 12. It was described as "a truly well written love story, about a fashion designer and a high fashion photographer, looking for love in all the wrong places".
In 2009, LaTavia featured on the song "Swagga Check" by Young Sween from his album ''The Goodie Room'', released by Fleet Street Records; the song was mistakenly named "Holdin on to You" on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
.
In 2010, LaTavia appeared on ''
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
''The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' (abbreviated ''RHOA'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on October 7, 2008. Developed as the third installment of ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has aired fourteen season ...
'' speaking to her then-lawyer
Phaedra Parks
Phaedra Creonta Parks (born October 26, 1973) is an American television personality, attorney, businesswoman, author, actress and mortician.
She is best known for appearing on Bravo's '' The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' from 2010 until 2017. Pr ...
. During this episode, Roberson talked about how she dealt with alcoholic problems and getting in trouble with the law for a
DWI.
2013–2015: ''R&B Divas'', stage plays and motherhood
In 2013, LaTavia starred in J.F. Bailey's stage plays ''How to Love'' and ''Not My Family''.
That same year, she became a mother for the first time. In 2014, Roberson was added to the main cast of ''
R&B Divas: Atlanta'' season 3, and her main storyline included being afraid to sing on the show, as she felt she wasn't ready to do so, despite the show being called R&B Divas. Season 3 of R&B Divas consisted of eleven episodes starring LaTavia (including the reunion shows). To promote R&B Divas, she appeared on
the Wendy Williams Show
''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show is distributed by Debmar-Me ...
in May 2014. In 2015, Roberson announced she had gotten into the hair business with Luxury Hair Direct, which specializes in hair extensions. She also became involved with the charity 'Saving Our Daughters'.
2016–present: Web-series, films, return to music, sports
In 2016, Roberson started an online YouTube-based series called 'The Online Diary of LaTavia Roberson.'
In 2017, she made her film debut as actress in the horror movie ''But Deliver Us from Evil'', starring
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts (born April 18, 1956) is an American actor. His career began with a leading role in ''King of the Gypsies'' (1978) for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He was nominated again at the Golden Globes fo ...
.
She also appeared in two additional movies ''Dirty South House Arrest''
and ''The Hills''.
In spring of 2017, LaTavia confirmed she is set to release her autobiography, ''I Am LaTavia'', which she described as a memoir to her fans.
She engaged in a feud with ''People Magazine'' after alleging they misquoted and misrepresented her interview online.
Roberson released her first song as a solo artist, "Best Time of Your Life", which is an
EDM
EDM or E-DM may refer to:
Music
* Electronic dance music
* Early Day Miners, American band
Science and technology
* Electric dipole moment
* Electrical discharge machining
* Electronic distance measurement
*Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...
track, on June 23, 2017.
In November 2018, she founded Roberson Sports Management, with plans of representing rising boxers. Roberson also launched a boxing magazine called ''Slugfest Magazine''. The first issue, featuring
Roy Jones Jr.
Roy Levesta Jones Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American former professional boxer who holds dual American and Russian citizenship. He competed in boxing from 1989 to 2018, and held multiple world championships in four weight classes, inc ...
, was published in March 2019.
"Survivor" lawsuit
In March 2000, Roberson and Luckett filed a lawsuit against Mathew Knowles and the group. This began a media battle in which the two sides exchanged barbs in magazine and newspaper interviews. Roberson and Luckett agreed to a settlement that required them to drop the part of their lawsuit that targeted their former group members (though they retained the suit against Mathew Knowles) and required both sides to stop disparaging each other in public. Roberson and Luckett later filed another suit against Destiny's Child. They claimed that the first single, "
Survivor", from the group's 2001 album
of the same name, violated their previous settlement. As evidence, Roberson and Luckett cited lyrics, such as "thought I wouldn't sell without you, sold nine million", which they believed referenced the ugly split. In July 2002, Destiny's Child again settled out of court with the pair.
Personal life
In 2010, Roberson revealed that she had suffered with an alcohol problem after Destiny's Child. This led to Roberson being arrested for
driving while intoxicated
Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
. Roberson sought treatment, which led to her recovery, and is using the experience to help others. On August 21, 2013, Roberson gave birth to a daughter with producer
Don Vito
Vincent Roy Margera (July 3, 1956 – November 15, 2015), commonly known as Don Vito, was an American reality television personality. He was known for his appearances in ''Viva La Bam'', '' Jackass'', ''Haggard'', and the ''CKY'' series alongs ...
. In 2016, she suffered the late term pregnancy loss of a baby girl. On September 23, 2019, Roberson's management team announced via Instagram that she had given birth to a boy, her second child with Don Vito.
Discography
Studio albums with Destiny's Child
* ''
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
'' (1998)
* ''
The Writing's on the Wall
''The Writing's on the Wall'' is the second studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child, released in Japan on July 14, 1999, and in the US on July 27, 1999, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Missy Elliott, Kevin "She'kspere" ...
'' (1999)
Collaborative albums
* ''Heavenly'' (2003)
(unreleased album with Anjel)''
Singles
* 2009 – "Swagga Check"
(Young Sween featuring LaTavia Roberson)
* 2017 – "Best Time of Your Life"
* 2017 – "Baby Love Crazy"
(Darryl Allen featuring LaTavia Roberson)
* 2018 – Nia featuring Bryant McCarty, Latavia Roberson and Dajione – "Lord's Prayer"
(gospel song)
Filmography
Plays
* ''Those Jeans'' (2008)
* ''How to Love'' (2013)
* ''Not My Family'' (2013)
Book
* ''I Am LaTavia, My Story. My Destiny.'' (TBA)
Grammy Awards
* 2001, Best R&B Song ("
Say My Name
"Say My Name" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, ''The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins I ...
")
* 2001, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Say My Name")
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberson, Latavia
1981 births
American women pop singers
American contemporary R&B singers
Destiny's Child members
Living people
Musicians from Atlanta
Musicians from Houston
Singers from Texas
21st-century African-American women singers
American contraltos