LaTavia Roberson

LaTavia Roberson
Birth name LaTavia Marie Roberson
Born November 1, 1981
Houston, Texas, United States
Genres R&B, soul, dance-pop
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, actress, model
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1990–present
Labels Columbia, Fleet Street
Associated acts LeToya Luckett, Destiny's Child, Girl's Tyme
Website lataviaroberson.com/

LaTavia Marie Roberson (born November 1, 1981) is an American Grammy award winning singer, songwriter, and actress. Roberson 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.

Following her departure from the group, Roberson formed Anjel along with former Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett. After their album was shelved, Roberson went on hiatus and returned to Houston. Roberson also starred in various stage plays including Those Jeans, How to Love, and Not My Family. Roberson has sold over 25 million records with Destiny's Child. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including two Grammy Awards and three Soul Train Music Awards.[1]

Career

1990–1999: Girl's Tyme and Destiny's Child

Main article: Destiny's Child

When LaTavia was nine years old, she auditioned for a girl group to become a rapper and dancer, and was one of the many girls who got through. She met Beyoncé Knowles and became best friends, singing and dancing with other local girls. Initially LaTavia was a rapper and dancer at the time and did not sing; subsequently she had vocal lessons and, after singing at local events, LaTavia got her break when she entered the singing competition TV show Star Search with Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Tamar Davis also LaTavia's cousins, sisters Nikki and Nina Taylor. The group, then named "Girl's Tyme" were heartbroken after losing the competition. The group underwent several name changes: Girl's Tyme, the Dolls, Something Fresh, and Cliché. They were shortly signed to Elektra Records in which LaTavia and Beyoncé made a video for the song "One Time". However the group were dropped by the label. The group was then reduced to a quartet, with best-friend Beyoncé, Rowland, and the Beyoncé's elementary school friend LeToya Luckett. They were signed by Columbia Records in 1997 by the name of Destiny's Child with Beyoncé and Kelly as the lead singers, LaTavia and LeToya performed harmony, background, and occasional lead. In 1998, Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut album Destiny's Child. The singles were "No, No, No" featuring Wyclef Jean and "With Me". Their song "Get on the Bus" featuring Timbaland (which was released as a single in Europe) was featured on the Why Do Fools Fall in Love soundtrack. Destiny's Child toured as an opening act on TLC's FanMail Tour and Christina Aguilera's debut tour.

In 1999, Destiny's Child released their second album, The Writing's on the Wall. 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", "Bug a Boo", "Say My Name", and "Jumpin', Jumpin'".

In January 2000, in the midst of the success of The Writing's on the Wall, Roberson and LeToya Luckett attempted to bring in a third-party mediator to work alongside their manager Mathew Knowles; however, the pair soon found themselves on the outs with Knowles.[2] When the "Say My Name" video debuted in February 2000, they were replaced by two new members, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin.

2000–2009: "Survivor" lawsuit, group diversion and album appearance

Roberson and Luckett filed a lawsuit in March 2000 against Mathew Knowles and the group. This began a media battle in which the two sides exchanged barbs in magazine and newspaper interviews. Near the end of 2000, they 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 filed another suit against Destiny's Child. They claimed that the first single, "Survivor", from Destiny's Child's 2001 album of the same name violated their previous settlement due to its lyrics which they believed referenced the ugly split. LaTavia and ex-member of Destiny's Child LeToya Luckett created a group called Anjel with two other girls. They recorded over 22 tracks but did not release an album. The tracks, however, were leaked on the internet. The band appeared in Jagged Edge's music video "Where the Party At" Remix. The record company was having difficulty so the group then parted ways for solo careers.

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.[3]

In 2009, LaTavia featured in the song "Swagga Check" by Young Sween on his album The Goodie Room, released by Fleet Street Records; the song was mistakenly named "Holdin On to You" on iTunes.

Other ventures

1980s–2009: Face of "Just for Me", Smart Guy, Those Jeans

Prior to joining Destiny's Child, LaTavia was a child model, appearing in commercials such as Soft and Beautiful's Just for Me Hair Care relaxer for kids. Whilst in Destiny's Child, LaTavia and the other members starred in the sitcom Smart Guy as themselves; LaTavia also appeared in various films.

After Destiny's Child, in 2007, LaTavia along with other Destiny's Child past member former bandmate LeToya Luckett 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 a stage play titled Those Jeans. 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". It ran from April 18, 2008 to July 12, 2008.

2010–14: The Real Housewives of Atlanta, stage plays and motherhood

In 2010, LaTavia appeared in The Real Housewives of Atlanta speaking to her then-lawyer Phaedra Parks.

In 2013, LaTavia starred in J. F. Bailey's stage plays How to Love and Not My Family.

On August 21, 2013, LaTavia welcomed her first child, a girl named Lyric Richard, with record producer Don Vito. In 2014, LaTavia was added to the cast of R&B Divas: Atlanta.

Discography

With Destiny's Child

Filmography

Year Title Role Episode
1998 Smart Guy Herself "A Date With Destiny"
2007 Boulevard of Broken Dreams Herself "Episode 2: Destiny's Child/Jonathan Brandis"
2010 Real Housewives of Atlanta Herself 1 episode
2014–present R&B Divas: Atlanta Herself Main Cast

Grammy Awards

References

  1. ↑ http://www.yoraps.com/news1.php?subaction=showfull&id=1426009857&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1& (Group sales coincide because LaTavia and LeToya founded the group , leaving then simultaneously)
  2. ↑ Destiny's Child's Long Road To Fame (The Song Isn't Called 'Survivor' For Nothing) MTV.com
  3. ↑ Latavia Roberson Want To Make A Musical Comeback | Brown Sista Online Magazine

External links