LeToya Luckett
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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 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. As a member of Destiny's Child, she achieved four US Top 10 hit singles, " No, No, No", "
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 ...
", "
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 writin ...
", and won two
Grammy Award 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 ...
s. In the 2000s, she began her solo career after leaving the group and signing a record deal with
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
. Her solo debut album, ''
LeToya LeToya Nicole Luckett (born March 11, 1981) is an American Contemporary R&B, 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 List of best-selling girl gro ...
'' (2006), debuted at number-one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and was certified platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
, that same year. The lead single, " Torn", reached the
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
in the U.S., and set records on
BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
's top ten countdown show '' 106 & Park.'' Luckett was awarded Top Songwriter at the 2006 ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Awards, and was nominated for Outstanding New Artist at the 2007
NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
. Luckett released a second solo album, '' Lady Love'' (2009), which debuted at number-one on the U.S.
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...
chart. Luckett has since become an actress. She landed a leading role in the movie ''
Preacher's Kid Preacher's kid is a term to refer to a child of a preacher, pastor, deacon, vicar, lay leader, priest, minister or other similar church leader. Although the phrase can be used in a purely descriptive way, it may also be used as a stereotype. ...
.'' She was part of the cast of the feature films '' Killers'' and '' From the Rough,'' as well as starring on the second season of the
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TV series '' Treme'', and on the third season of the VH1 TV series '' Single Ladies''. She also had a recurring role in the
OWN Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...
series ''Greenleaf''. Luckett returned to music in 2017, releasing her third studio album, ''
Back 2 Life ''Back 2 Life'' is the third studio album by Jamaican-American singer Sean Kingston. The album was released on September 10, 2013. The album was supported by the single " Beat It" which peaked at number 52 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The a ...
'' (2017), her first
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
release, which peaked at number-four on the U.S.
Independent albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...
chart. The album was preceded by two singles—"
Back 2 Life ''Back 2 Life'' is the third studio album by Jamaican-American singer Sean Kingston. The album was released on September 10, 2013. The album was supported by the single " Beat It" which peaked at number 52 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The a ...
" and "
Used To The habitual aspect is a form of expression connoting repetition or continuous existence of a state of affairs. In standard English, for the present time there is no special grammatical marker for the habitual; the simple present is used, as in ' ...
". Luckett has sold over 25 million records with Destiny's Child on the group's first two albums and singles.


Early life and music career


Early life and career

Luckett was born on March 11, 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. She is the older of two children, with a younger brother named Gavin. She grew up singing in her local Brentwood
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
Church. She also took vocal lessons to become an opera singer. Her father, who was also a singer, was very proud of his daughter's vocal talents and tried to get her in the
music business The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...
. Luckett was given the chance to sing her first solo at the age of five. "The lady just gave me the mic one Sunday and I sang," she recalled. Shortly thereafter, she joined the children's
choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
and began performing in plays at her elementary school. One day, she walked to her desk in class to find a girl sitting there. Luckett asked her teacher to remove the girl,
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 ...
, from her assigned seat. They later became friends and Luckett was invited to join Beyoncé's singing group Girl's Tyme, which later became Destiny's Child.


1993–2000: Destiny's Child and departure

In 1993, Luckett joined Beyoncé Knowles,
LaTavia Roberson 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, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During her time as ...
, and
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 ...
to complete the Houston-based R&B group, Destiny's Child. The roles of the group consisted with Knowles as lead vocalist, Rowland as second-lead vocalist alongside Roberson and Luckett as background vocalists with Roberson as
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 ...
(and spokesperson) adding the low notes and Luckett as 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, with occasional leads too. After being signed and later dropped by
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 ...
in 1995, the group began working with
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; spec ...
and eventually signed with
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, but not before signing with group manager
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 Beyoncà ...
, Beyoncé's father. According to the E! Television Special, ''Boulevard of Broken Dreams'', Mathew forced the girls to sign management agreements with him before they could sign with the label. Luckett's mother requested the contracts be reviewed by an attorney, but Mathew denied this request. However, Luckett eventually signed with him and joined the group. After graduating from the Houston club scene, the group opened for established acts such as
Dru Hill Dru Hill is an American R&B group, whose repertoire included soul, hip hop soul and gospel music. The group was founded in Baltimore in 1992 and is still active. Dru Hill recorded seven Top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B number-one hits ...
,
SWV SWV (Sisters with Voices) is an American R&B vocal trio from New York City whose members are Cheryl (Coko) Gamble, Tamara (Taj) Johnson, and Leanne (Lelee) Lyons. Formed in 1988 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B g ...
, and
Immature Mature is the adjectival form of maturity, as immature is the adjectival form of immaturity, which have several meanings. Mature or immature may also refer to: * Mature, a character from ''The King of Fighters'' series *"Mature 17+", a rating in ...
, 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) witnesse ...
'' movie soundtrack, and released their 1998 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 album spawned two singles: the platinum " No, No, No Part II" (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". Subsequently, the group made it on the soundtrack album of the romantic drama '' Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' with the song "Get on the Bus" (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 ...
), and later toured as an opening act on
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's "Fanmail Tour". In 1999, the group 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" ...
.'' The album became one of the biggest selling albums released by a female group, and was certified eight times platinum in the USA. As opposed to the first album, Luckett had more contribution to the second album in terms of co-writing. The album spawned 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 writin ...
". The two singles "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name" were also nominated for
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 ...
, which "Say My Name" won in two different categories. The album had also been released in a "Houston Special Edition" which included a bonus track, where Luckett sung lead along with the other members, titled "Can't Help Myself". In late 1999, in the midst of the group's success and rise, Luckett and Roberson asserted that they wanted their own manager because of the increasing lack of communication with manager Mathew Knowles. The pair said they never wanted to fire Knowles, but wanted to secure outside management to represent them. Soon after, Luckett and Roberson found themselves ostracized by the Knowles family and the group's management. When the music video for "Say My Name" debuted in February 2000, they were replaced by two new members, 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 ...
. Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit against Mathew, Beyoncé, and Kelly, charging them with breach of partnership and
fiduciary A fiduciary is a person who holds a legal or ethical relationship of trust with one or more other parties (person or group of persons). Typically, a fiduciary prudently takes care of money or other assets for another person. One party, for exampl ...
duties, and sought unspecified damages. Luckett and Roberson withdrew the case against Beyoncé and Kelly, but continued to sue Mathew. The case was eventually settled, with Luckett and Roberson receiving
royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...
for their contributions as founding members of the group. Shortly following the release of Destiny's Child's '' Survivor'', Luckett and Roberson filed another lawsuit against the group in March 2002. They claimed that the album's lead single, " Survivor", violated their previous settlement due to its lyrics. The case was again settled out of court.


2001–2008: Solo debut, ''LeToya''

After several months of media speculation, it was announced via the MTV News website that Luckett and Roberson had created a new group called Anjel. After several auditions, Naty Quinones and Tiffany Beaudoin were selected as members. The group recorded a 22-song demo in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Georgia, with the help of R&B group Jagged Edge. The group also appeared in Jagged Edge's video for "Where the Party At (Remix)". However, the production company (581 Entertainment) which handled the group collapsed and all the members of Anjel went on to pursue solo projects. The recorded tracks were later leaked onto the Internet. After the Anjel project fell through, Luckett joined with Noontime, an Atlanta-based management/production company. Along with Noontime, she recorded a five-song demo and eventually signed with
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
in 2003. Soon after, she began working on her debut solo album. The first promotional song, " You Got What I Need", was released in 2004, followed next year by " All Eyes on Me". She was featured on "My Promise" with her label mate
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 ...
on his debut album '' It's Already Written,'' "What Love Can Do" on the ''
Coach Carter ''Coach Carter'' is a 2005 American biographical teen sports drama film starring Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Thomas Carter (no relation). The film is based on the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter (played by J ...
'' soundtrack, and on "This Is My Life" with former boyfriend and rapper
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 ...
on his album ''
Already Platinum ''Already Platinum'' is the debut album by American rapper Slim Thug. The album was released on July 12, 2005 on Pharrell and Chad Hugo's Star Trak label. The original release date was slated for February 2005, but heavy bootlegging and numerous ...
.'' LeToya's self-titled debut album was released in July 2006 and debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...
charts. ''LeToya'' was certified gold after one month and by December 2006, the album had been certified platinum. Luckett and Beyoncé Knowles are the only members of Destiny's Child to have an album debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 and achieve platinum status in the U.S. The album is a hip-hop inspired R&B production. Producers included
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 ...
,
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 Ph ...
, Teddy Bishop, B. Cox, and musical guests Slim Thug, Mike Jones,
Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse Records, and has released several albums under the label and collabor ...
, and
Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with ...
. " All Eyes on Me" was originally chosen as Luckett's debut single, but " Torn" was ultimately selected instead. The ballad (produced by Teddy Bishop) was released in March 2006 and became an R&B hit. The song climbed the ''Billboard'' charts, peaking at number two on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
. Although ''Torn'' was still receiving airplay, her second single, "
She Don't "She Don't" is a R&B song written by Walter Milsap and Candice Nelson for LeToya Luckett's self-titled debut album ''LeToya'' (2006). It was produced by Walter Misap and released as the album's second single in the summer of 2006. Although the son ...
" was released to radio, and the video premiered on
BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
's ''Access Granted'' in July 2006, featuring Slim Thug. The single received moderate success, reaching number 17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. In November 2006, " Obvious" was selected as the third single. According to ''Billboard'', the song had a 94% chance of becoming a hit, but due to the merger of
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
and
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
, all promotional money was frozen, therefore the single was never officially released. Luckett was also named "One of the Best New Artists of 2006" by AOL Music, number two on ''Rap-Up'' magazines' "Top 5 Breakthrough Artists of 2006," and received multiple nominations from the
NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...
, the Soul Train Music Awards, and the
Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
. BET promoted Luckett on ''106 & Park,'' ''The Center,'' ''The Black Carpet,'' and with a three-part reality series special called ''The H-Town Chick'' which aired from May to July 2006. The series chronicled Luckett's experiences during her summer promotional tour and insight about her life since Destiny's Child. BET also hosted a contest that gave fans the opportunity to decide the final outcome of the "Torn" video.
Cingular AT&T Mobility LLC, also known as AT&T Wireless and marketed as simply AT&T, is an American telecommunications company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T Inc. and provides wireless services in the United States. AT&T Mobility is the th ...
hosted a lip-sync contest that awarded those who best performed "Torn" in an online submitted video. In addition to a nationwide radio tour, club performances, a brief European and Asian appearances, Luckett participated in the 2006 "
Pantene Pantene () is a brand of hair care products owned by Procter & Gamble. The product line was first introduced in Europe in 1945 by Hoffmann-La Roche, which branded the name based on panthenol as a shampoo ingredient. It was purchased by Procter ...
Total You" Tour, the "Cingular Live in Concert" series, and was invited by
Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
to join her summer tour, ''The Breakthrough Experience Tour,'' as her opening act. In July 2006, while opening for a Mary J. Blige concert, Luckett announced that her upcoming album was going to be named Lady Love, she then introduced and performed two new songs "Lady Love" and "Don't Let Me Get Away". On December 10, 2007, a buzz track, Swagger, that features rappers such as Slim Thug, Killa Kyleon and Bun B leaked onto the Internet. In 2008, Luckett was featured on Webbie's single "I Miss You" which was a moderate success.


2009–2013: ''Lady Love''

Luckett's second solo album was released on August 25, 2009. Production for ''Lady Love'' originally began in 2007, with a release scheduled several times in 2008. This was postponed due to lack of funding related to the
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
and
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
merger that had earlier affected the release of her third single " Obvious". In early 2009, the release date for ''Lady Love'' was announced to be May 19, 2009, then pushed to June 16, and finally set to August 25, 2009. Amidst much anticipation for the album release, Luckett released a five-track sampler on May 19, 2009. The sampler features first single "
Not Anymore "Not Anymore" is a song recorded by American singer LeToya Luckett released as the lead single taken from her second studio album ''Lady Love (LeToya album), Lady Love'' (2009). The song was written by Ne-Yo and produced by Bei Maejor. It was digi ...
" and 1 minute 30-second snippets of "
Regret Regret is the emotion of wishing one had made a different decision in the past, because the consequences of the decision were unfavorable. Regret is related to perceived opportunity. Its intensity varies over time after the decision, in regard ...
", " She Ain't Got...", "Lady Love" and "Matter". The album was released to CD and
music download A music download (commonly referred to as a digital download) is the digital transfer of music via the Internet into a device capable of decoding and playing it, such as a personal computer, portable media player, MP3 player or smartphone. Thi ...
on August 25, 2009, in the US and worldwide a day earlier. An explicit version of the album (bearing a
Parental Advisory Advisory (abbreviated PAL) is a warning label introduced by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1985 and adopted by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2011. It is placed on audio recordings in recognition of profan ...
label) was also made available. To celebrate the album's release, LeToya hosted an album-release party at Cain in New York City on August 27, 2009. "
Not Anymore "Not Anymore" is a song recorded by American singer LeToya Luckett released as the lead single taken from her second studio album ''Lady Love (LeToya album), Lady Love'' (2009). The song was written by Ne-Yo and produced by Bei Maejor. It was digi ...
", the lead single, was produced by
Bei Maejor Brandon Michael Green (born July 23, 1988), better known by his stage name Maejor (formerly Bei Maejor and later Maejor Ali), is an American record producer, singer, and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. Green has written and produced songs f ...
and co-produced and written by
Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...
. Released in February 2009, it became the most added song at urban radio, debuting at number ninety-eight on the US ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart before peaking at number eighteen and just missing the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, peaking at number 107. A music video for the single was shot on February 13, 2009. Directed by
Bryan Barber Bryan Barber (born December 20, 1970) is a music video and motion picture filmmaker. He has directed many music videos for popular artists, including Outkast's " The Way You Move" and "The Whole World". Barber is known for sprinkling scenes fro ...
, the music video is set in the 1960s and is split into 3 sections/time periods – 1961, 1964 and 1968. The sets, costumes and props change accordingly in each section to show the trends, fashions and styles of those particular years. The video was released on March 10, 2009, and peaked at number three on the 106 & Park video countdown. " She Ain't Got..." the album's second single, was produced by Cory Bold and written by LeToya, Andre Merritt,
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
and Bold. Chosen by fans, it became the first LeToya single to carry a
Parental Advisory Advisory (abbreviated PAL) is a warning label introduced by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1985 and adopted by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2011. It is placed on audio recordings in recognition of profan ...
label, though a "clean" version was also released. It became the most added song on rhythmic radio, peaking at number thirty-nine on the ''Billboard''
Rhythmic Top 40 The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...
chart, while peaking at number seventy-five on the ''Billboard'' Pop 100 Airplay chart and number twenty on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play. However, the single was most successful in Japan where it peaked at number forty-nine on the
Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
. A music video, directed by Bryan Barber was shot on June 3, 2009, and premiered on
Yahoo Music Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds of ...
on June 30, 2009, featuring guest star Major League Baseball players
Orlando Hudson Orlando Thill Hudson (born December 12, 1977) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball from 2002–2012 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, ...
and
Matt Kemp Matthew Ryan Kemp (born September 23, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He began his professional career in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2003, and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Dodgers fr ...
of the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as Baseball Hall of Fame member
Dave Winfield David Mark Winfield (born October 3, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder. He is the special assistant to the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Over his 22-year career, he play ...
. "
Regret Regret is the emotion of wishing one had made a different decision in the past, because the consequences of the decision were unfavorable. Regret is related to perceived opportunity. Its intensity varies over time after the decision, in regard ...
", featuring rapper
Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
, was produced by
Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...
and Jerry "Texx" Franklin and written by Tank, LeToya, Franklin, K. Stephens, J. Valentine, R. Newt and C. Bridges. Released as the third single – based only on
downloads In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote ...
and
airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
– "Regret" peaked at number eight on the US ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and debuted at number one-hundred on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making it LeToya's first single since her debut; " Torn", to enter the US Hot 100, peaking at number seventy-eight. It also peaked at number forty-two on the ''Billboard'' Radio Songs chart and was listed at number six on
AOL Music AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
's "Top R&B Songs of 2009" list. The music video for "Regret" was premiered on
BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
's '' 106 & Park'' on November 11, 2009, before being ranked at number twenty-three on '' BET: Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown''. "
Good To Me "Good to Me" is a song recorded by American singer LeToya Luckett released as the fourth and final single taken from her second studio album Lady Love (2009). The song was written by Durrell Babbs, Jerry N Franklin, Johnnie Newt, Robert Newt, K ...
", produced by
Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...
and Jerry "Texx" Franklin and written by Tank, Franklin, K. Stephens, R. Newt and J. Valentine, was released as the album's fourth and final single. Though the song failed to chart, a music video directed by makeup artist AJ Crimson and co-starring model-actor Keston Karter was released on February 11, 2010.


2014–present: ''Back 2 Life'' and upcoming fourth studio album

In January 2014, Luckett announced the title of her third studio album '' Until Then'' 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- ...
, with a planned 2016 release. On February 11, 2014, Luckett released the first promo single Don't Make Me Wait from "Until Then". A remix featuring rapper T.I. was released on March 10, 2015. On January 5, 2015, Luckett released a track "I'm Ready" on her YouTube channel. On January 16, 2015, Luckett released "Together" inspired to end illegal gun violence in America in recent partnership with the Caliber Foundation. On December 7, 2016, she released the single ''
Back 2 Life ''Back 2 Life'' is the third studio album by Jamaican-American singer Sean Kingston. The album was released on September 10, 2013. The album was supported by the single " Beat It" which peaked at number 52 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The a ...
'', with an accompanying music video released on January 10, 2017. On April 10, 2017, Luckett posted on her Twitter page that her third studio album would be released on May 12, 2017, with the album title changing from "Until Then" to "
Back 2 Life ''Back 2 Life'' is the third studio album by Jamaican-American singer Sean Kingston. The album was released on September 10, 2013. The album was supported by the single " Beat It" which peaked at number 52 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The a ...
". On April 17, 2017, ''Used To'', a second single from the album, was released.


Acting career

Luckett's first role on television was on
the WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
show ''
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 ...
'' in 1998 with Destiny's Child. She also had an appearance in the 1999 movie ''Beverly Hood''. She has been a student at Tasha Smith's acting workshop. Since 2008, Luckett has been acting in plays, television and movies. She was cast in JD Lawrence's stage play ''Rumors'', as the character Michelle. She hit the road from January 31, 2008, to March 2, 2008. Luckett was also the star of the movie ''
Preacher's Kid Preacher's kid is a term to refer to a child of a preacher, pastor, deacon, vicar, lay leader, priest, minister or other similar church leader. Although the phrase can be used in a purely descriptive way, it may also be used as a stereotype. ...
'', released in January 2010. She appeared in the movie ''Killers (2010 film), Killers,'' released on June 4, 2010, along with Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck and Usher (entertainer), Usher. Luckett then finished shooting the 2011 movie '' From the Rough,'' alongside Taraji P. Henson and Tom Felton. For the second season, Luckett was cast in the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
drama series '' Treme''. In 2013, Luckett landed a recurring role on the VH1 television series '' Single Ladies''. In 2016, she was cast in the second season of ''Rosewood (TV series), Rosewood.'' In 2017, Luckett began playing a recurring role on the OWN TV series Greenleaf (TV series), Greenleaf.


Webisodes

LeToya has had two web series of herself on YouTube. In 2006, she did ''H-Town Chick''; and in 2012, she did ''Life, Love & Music.''


2006: ''H-Town Chick''

A three-episode series on YouTube featuring the singer explaining her role in Destiny's Child and discussing her first self-titled album ''LeToya (Album), LeToya''.


2012: ''Life, Love and Music''

A six-episode series on YouTube giving an inside look at the singer's life and the recording process of her third album.


Personal life


Relationships

In 2015, Luckett and motivational speaker Rob Hill Sr. reportedly got engaged, after a year of dating, and secretly wed in January 2016. It was later alleged by TMZ that the pair had called it quits, after only two months of marriage. In August 2017, LeToya announced her engagement to entrepreneur Tommicus Walker via Instagram. They were married in a lavish ceremony at Villa Antonia in Austin, Texas on December 10, 2017. In June 2018, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child together. In October 2018, Luckett revealed on her Instagram that the two were expecting a baby girl. Their daughter was born on January 4, 2019. In March 2020, the couple announced they were expecting a baby boy, their second child together. They welcomed their son on September 14, 2020. On January 11, 2021, the couple announced their divorce. Luckett confirmed that she and Walker were no longer married in July 2021.


Endorsements

In 2010, Luckett became the new face of Luster's Hair Care replacing Karyn White. She appeared on the product line's boxes, billboards and commercials.


Lady Elle Boutique

In 2003, Luckett became the owner of Lady Elle Boutique, an upscale women's boutique. She originally opened this clothing boutique in the Uptown Park shopping center in her hometown of Houston, Texas as Lady L Boutique but later renamed it to Lady Elle Boutique. In 2008, the singer opened the store's second location in The Galleria (Houston, Texas), The Galleria in Houston.


Philanthropy

After the release of her first solo album, Luckett became involved in philanthropic activity. She has participated in various events like the "Women in Entertainment Empowerment Summit". She was also part of the national tour of the "Hip-Hop Summit Action Network 'Get Your Money Right' a Financial Empowerment Summit." She visits schools to motivate and encourage children to study and to further their education after graduation. She also speaks on the subject of violence and domestic abuse.


Discography

Studio albums * ''
LeToya LeToya Nicole Luckett (born March 11, 1981) is an American Contemporary R&B, 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 List of best-selling girl gro ...
'' (2006) * '' Lady Love'' (2009) * ''
Back 2 Life ''Back 2 Life'' is the third studio album by Jamaican-American singer Sean Kingston. The album was released on September 10, 2013. The album was supported by the single " Beat It" which peaked at number 52 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The a ...
'' (2017) 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)


Filmography


Film


Television


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Luckett, LeToya LeToya Luckett, 1980s births 1981 births Living people Actresses from Houston African-American actresses African-American choreographers American choreographers African-American Christians African-American female dancers American female dancers Dancers from Texas African-American dancers African-American women singer-songwriters African-American record producers Record producers from Texas American child singers American dance musicians American women pop singers American film actresses American hip hop singers American musical theatre actresses American philanthropists American contemporary R&B singers American soul musicians Capitol Records artists Columbia Records artists American women record producers Destiny's Child members Grammy Award winners Musicians from Houston 20th-century African-American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers Singer-songwriters from Texas