LeToya Luckett | |
|---|---|
 Luckett in 2009 | |
| Born | LeToya Luckett (1981-03-11)March 11, 1981 (age 44)[1] Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Other names | LeToya Luckett-Walker[2] |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Destiny's Child |
Musical artist | |
LeToya Luckett-Coles[3] (born March 11, 1981) is an AmericanR&B singer and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a founding member of the R&B girl groupDestiny's Child, one of the world'sbest-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", "Jumpin', Jumpin'", and"Say My Name", sold over 25 million records,[4] and won twoGrammy Awards.[5][6][7] In the 2000s, she began her solo career after leaving the group and signing a record deal withCapitol Records.
Her solo debut album,LeToya (2006), debuted at number-one on the U.S.Billboard 200 chart, and was certified platinum by theRIAA, that same year. The lead single, "Torn", reached theTop 40 in the U.S., and set records onBET's top ten countdown show106 & Park. Luckett was awarded Top Songwriter at the 2006ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Awards.[8] Luckett's second solo album,Lady Love (2009), debuted at number-one on the U.S.Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album included theTank co-penned single "Regret" featuring rapperLudacris. She returned to music in 2017, releasing her third studio album,Back 2 Life (2017), which marked her firstindependent release. The album was preceded by two singles: "Back 2 Life" and "Used To".
As an actress, Luckett made an appearance in the feature filmKillers (2010), and starred in the lead role of Angie inPreacher's Kid (2010). She later portrayed Stacey in the filmFrom the Rough (2011), while subsequently appearing on the second season of theHBO drama seriesTreme (2011–2012). Luckett has also starred in television series, such as theVH1 comedy-dramaSingle Ladies (2014–2015), theOWN dramaGreenleaf (2017–2020), theStarz crime dramaPower Book III: Raising Kanan (2022), and theBET+ drama seriesDivorced Sistas (2025-Present).
LeToya Nicole Luckett was born on March 11, 1981, inHouston, Texas to Pamela and Darrell Luckett.[9][10] She is the older of two children, with a younger brother named Gavin.[11] She grew up singing in her local BrentwoodBaptist 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 themusic business. 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.[12] Shortly thereafter, she joined the children'schoir 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, 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.[9]
In 1993, Luckett joined Beyoncé Knowles,LaTavia Roberson, andKelly Rowland to complete the Houston-based R&B group, Destiny's Child. The roles of the group consisted of Knowles as lead vocalist, Rowland as second-lead vocalist alongside Roberson and Luckett asbackground vocalists with Roberson asalto (and spokesperson) adding the low notes and Luckett as thesoprano adding the high notes to the group's harmony,[13] with occasional leads too. After being signed and later dropped byElektra Records in 1995, the group began working withD'wayne Wiggins and eventually signed withColumbia Records in 1997, but not before signing with group managerMathew Knowles, 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.[14] After graduating from the Houston club scene, the group opened for established acts such asDru Hill,SWV, andImmature, was included on theMen in Black movie soundtrack, and released their 1998 self-titled debut albumDestiny's Child. The album spawned two singles: the platinum "No, No, No Part II" (featuringWyclef Jean) and "With Me". Subsequently, the group made it on the soundtrack album of the romantic dramaWhy Do Fools Fall in Love with the song "Get on the Bus" (featuringTimbaland), and later toured as an opening act onTLC's "Fanmail Tour".
In 1999, the group released their second album,The Writing's on the Wall. 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", "Bug a Boo", "Say My Name", and "Jumpin' Jumpin'". The two singles "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name" were also nominated forGrammy awards, 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.[15][16] When the music video for "Say My Name" debuted in February 2000, they were replaced by two new members,Michelle Williams andFarrah Franklin. Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit against Mathew, Beyoncé, and Kelly, charging them with breach of partnership andfiduciary 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 receivingroyalties for their contributions as founding members of the group. Shortly following the release of Destiny's Child'sSurvivor, 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.[17] The case was again settled out of court.
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.[18] After several auditions, Naty Quinones and Tiffany Beaudoin were selected as members. The group recorded a 22-song demo inAtlanta, Georgia, with the help of R&B groupJagged 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 withCapitol Records 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 mateHouston on his debut albumIt's Already Written, "What Love Can Do" on theCoach Carter soundtrack, and on "This Is My Life" with former boyfriend and rapperSlim Thug on his albumAlready Platinum. LeToya'sself-titled debut album was released in July 2006 and debuted at number one on the U.S.Billboard 200 andTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 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 theBillboard 200 and achieve platinum status in the U.S.[19][20][21]
The album is a hip-hop inspired R&B production. Producers includedJermaine Dupri,Scott Storch, Teddy Bishop,B. Cox, and musical guests Slim Thug,Mike Jones,Paul Wall, andBun B. "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 theBillboard charts, peaking at number two on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
AlthoughTorn was still receiving airplay, her second single, "She Don't" was released to radio, and the video premiered onBET'sAccess 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 toBillboard, the song had a 94% chance of becoming a hit, but due to the merger ofCapitol Records andVirgin Records, all promotional money was frozen, therefore the single was never officially released.[22] Luckett was also named "One of the Best New Artists of 2006" by AOL Music, number two onRap-Up magazines' "Top 5 Breakthrough Artists of 2006," and received multiple nominations from theNAACP, the Soul Train Music Awards, and theTeen Choice Awards.[23][24][25][26] BET promoted Luckett on106 & Park,The Center,The Black Carpet, and with a three-part reality series special calledThe 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 hosted a lip-sync contest that awarded those who best performed "Torn" in an online submitted video.[27] In addition to a nationwide radio tour, club performances, a brief European and Asian appearances, Luckett participated in the 2006 "Pantene Total You" Tour, the "Cingular Live in Concert" series, and was invited byMary J. Blige to join her summer tour,The Breakthrough Experience Tour, as her opening act.[28][29][30]
In July 2006, while opening for a Mary J. Blige concert, Luckett announced that her upcoming album would be titled 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.
Luckett's second solo studio album was released on August 25, 2009.[31] Production forLady Love originally began in 2007, with a release scheduled several times in 2008. This was postponed due to lack of funding related to theCapitol Records andVirgin Records merger that had earlier affected the release of her third single "Obvious".[32] In early 2009, the release date forLady Love was announced to be May 19, 2009, then pushed to June 16, and finally set to August 25, 2009.[33] Amidst much anticipation for the album release, Luckett released a five-track sampler on May 19, 2009.[34] The sampler features first single "Not Anymore" and 1 minute 30-second snippets of "Regret", "She Ain't Got...", "Lady Love" and "Matter".[35] The album was released to CD andmusic download on August 25, 2009, in the US and worldwide a day earlier. An explicit version of the album (bearing aParental Advisory 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.[36]"Not Anymore", the lead single, was produced byBei Maejor and co-produced and written byNe-Yo. Released in February 2009,[37] it became the most added song at urban radio, debuting at number ninety-eight on the USBillboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart before peaking at number eighteen and just missing theUSBillboard Hot 100 singles chart, peaking at number 107. A music video for the single was shot on February 13, 2009. Directed byBryan Barber, the music video is set in the 1960s and is split into three 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.[38]
The video was released on March 10, 2009, and peaked at number three on the106 & 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 and Bold. Chosen by fans,[39] it became the first LeToya single to carry aParental Advisory label, though a "clean" version was also released. It became the most added song on rhythmic radio, peaking at number thirty-nine on theBillboardRhythmic Top 40 chart, while peaking at number seventy-five on theBillboard Pop 100 Airplay chart and number twenty on theBillboard Hot Dance Club Play. However, the single was most successful in Japan where it peaked at number forty-nine on theJapan Hot 100. A music video, directed by Bryan Barber, was shot on June 3, 2009 and premiered onYahoo Music on June 30, 2009, featuring guest star Major League Baseball playersOrlando Hudson andMatt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as Baseball Hall of Fame memberDave Winfield.[40][41]"Regret", featuring rapperLudacris, was produced byTank 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 ondownloads andairplay – "Regret" peaked at number eight on the USBillboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and debuted at number one-hundred on theBillboard 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 theBillboardRadio Songs chart and was listed at number six onAOL Music's "Top R&B Songs of 2009" list.[42] The music video for "Regret" was premiered onBET's106 & Park on November 11, 2009, before later being ranked at number twenty-three on theirBET: Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown."Good To Me", produced byTank 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 on February 1, 2010. 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.[43][44][45]
In January 2014, Luckett announced the title of her third studio albumUntil Then onThe Wendy Williams Show, with a planned 2016 release.[46][47]
On February 11, 2014, she released the promotional single "Don't Make Me Wait".[48] A remix featuring rapperT.I. was released on March 10, 2015.[49] On January 5, 2015, Luckett released a track "I'm Ready" on her YouTube channel.[50] On January 16, 2015, Luckett, inspired to end illegal gun violence in America, released "Together" in partnership with the Caliber Foundation.[51][52]
On December 7, 2016, she released the single "Back 2 Life",[53] with an accompanying music video released on January 10, 2017.[54] 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 fromUntil Then toBack 2 Life.On April 17, 2017, "Used To", a second single from the album, was released.[55]
Luckett's first role on television was onthe WB showSmart Guy in 1998 with Destiny's Child.[56][57] She also had an appearance in the 1999 movieBeverly Hood.[58] She has been a student atTasha Smith's acting workshop. Since 2008, Luckett has been acting in plays, television and movies. She was cast inJD Lawrence's stage playRumors, as the character Michelle, and hit the road from January 31, 2008, to March 2, 2008.[59] Luckett was also the star of the moviePreacher's Kid, released in January 2010.[60]
Luckett appeared in the movieKillers, released on June 4, 2010, along withAshton Kutcher,Katherine Heigl,Tom Selleck andUsher. She then finished shooting the 2011 movieFrom the Rough, alongsideTaraji P. Henson andTom Felton. For the second season, Luckett was cast in theHBO drama seriesTreme.[61] In 2013, Luckett landed a recurring role on theVH1 television seriesSingle Ladies.[62] In 2015, she was cast in the first season of the HBO seriesBallers, before landing a recurring role in the second season ofRosewood the next year.[63][64] In 2017, Luckett began playing a recurring role on theOWN TV seriesGreenleaf.[65]
In June 2021, Luckett was cast as Leah Franklin Dupont on the short-livedFox seriesOur Kind of People; the role was later recast prior to the show airing.[66][67] In 2022 and 2023, she starred in television movies for OWN, Lifetime and BET, respectively:The Great Holiday Bake War,Line Sisters andA Miracle Before Christmas.[68][69][70] In 2022, she was also cast as Kenya Pierce (Jukebox's mother and Marvin's ex who left the family to make it as a professional singer in Los Angeles) in the second season ofPower Book III: Raising Kanan.[71]
In 2024, she starred in the BET thrillerOne Night Stay.[72] On May 5, 2025, it was announced that Luckett would star as Rasheda in theBET+ orderedDivorced Sistas (a spin-off series fromSistas), which follows five close friends as they navigate life, love and the challenges that come with divorce, marriage and dating.[73]
Luckett has had two web series of herself on YouTube. In 2006, she didH-Town Chick; and in 2012, she didLife, Love & Music.
A three-episode series[74] on YouTube featuring the singer explaining her role in Destiny's Child and discussing her first self-titled albumLeToya.
A six-episode series[75] on YouTube giving an inside look at the singer's life and the recording process of her third album.
In 2015, Luckett and motivational speaker Rob Hill Sr. got engaged, after a year of dating, and secretly wed in January 2016. They divorced after two months of marriage.[76]
In August 2017, Luckett announced her engagement to entrepreneur Tommicus Walker.[77] They were married in a lavish ceremony at Villa Antonia in Austin, Texas on December 10, 2017.[78] They have two children, a daughter and a son, together.[79][80] On January 11, 2021, the couple announced their divorce.[81] Luckett confirmed that she and Walker were no longer married in July 2021.[82]
In 2022, Luckett began dating entrepreneur Taleo Coles, whom she married on July 27, 2024, in Houston, Texas.[83][84]
In 2010, Luckett became the new face of Luster's Hair Care replacingKaryn White. She appeared on the product line's boxes, billboards and commercials.
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 inThe Galleria in Houston.
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".[85] She was also part of the national tour of the "Hip-Hop Summit Action Network 'Get Your Money Right' a Financial Empowerment Summit."[86][87]
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.[88]
Studio albums
| with Destiny's Child Main articles:Destiny's Child discography andsongs
|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Beverly Hood | Girl #3 | |
| 2010 | Preacher's Kid | Angie King | |
| Killers | Amanda | ||
| 2012 | Note to Self | Paula Whittaker | |
| 2014 | From the Rough | Stacey | |
| Where's the Love? | Rose | TV movie | |
| Heavenly Match | Reverend LaRonda "Ronnie" Mason | TV movie | |
| Drumline: A New Beat | Dr. Nia Phillips | TV movie | |
| Seasons of Love | Kyla Morris | TV movie | |
| 2015 | Love Is a Four-Letter Word | Tandi | TV movie |
| Lucky Girl | Selena Jackson | ||
| 2016 | Addicted to You | Indigo Brown | TV movie |
| 2018 | Down For Whatever | Tracy | TV movie |
| Rosalind | Phoebe | Short | |
| 2019 | All the Way with You | Andrea | |
| 2020 | Until We Meet Again | Tiffany | |
| 2021 | Lust: A Seven Deadly Sins Story | - | TV movie |
| 2022 | Line Sisters | Valerie | TV movie |
| The Great Holiday Bake War | Brianna | TV movie | |
| A Miracle Before Christmas | Mercedes Wright | TV movie | |
| 2023 | Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé | Herself | Cameo |
| 2024 | One Night Stay | Milan | TV Movie |
| TBA | Dionne | Dionne Warwick | [89] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Smart Guy | Herself | Episode: "A Date With Destiny" |
| 1999 | Pacific Blue | Herself | Episode: "Ghost Town" |
| 2004 | Liquid Assets | Herself | Episode: "Beyonce's Millions" |
| 2006 | Soul Train | Herself | Episode: "Donell Jones/Le Toya Luckett" |
| 2007 | Blvd. of Broken Dreams | Herself | Episode: "Destiny's Child/Jonathan Brandis" |
| 2011-12 | Treme | Alison Myers | Recurring Cast: Seasons 2–3 |
| 2012-13 | For Richer or Poorer | Kya Wilson | Main Cast |
| 2013 | Second Generation Wayans | Rochelle | Recurring Cast |
| Regular Show | Jennifer | Episode: "The Thanksgiving Special" | |
| 2014-15 | Single Ladies | Felicia Price | Main Cast: Seasons 3-4 |
| 2015 | Ballers | Tina | Recurring Cast: Season 1 |
| Truth Be Told | Charlene | Episode: "The Wedding" | |
| 2016 | Here We Go Again | Maddy Walker | Main Cast |
| Real Husbands of Hollywood | Herself | Episode: "Fifty Shades of Brown" | |
| 2016-17 | Rosewood | Tawnya | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| 2017 | Hip Hop Squares | Herself/Contestant | Episode: "Jazmyn Simon vs LeToya Luckett" |
| Face Value | Herself | Episode: "Loni Love Vs. LeToya Luckett" | |
| 2017-19 | Black Music Honors | Herself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host |
| 2017-20 | Greenleaf | Rochelle Cross | Recurring Cast: Seasons 2 & 5, Main Cast: Season 3 |
| 2018 | Unsolved | Sharitha Golden | Episode: "Wherever It Leads" |
| 2018-21 | T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle | Herself | Main Cast: Seasons 1-3 |
| 2019 | Black Love | Herself | Recurring Cast: Season 3 |
| 2021 | Celebrity Stash | Herself | Episode: "LeToya Luckett Takes Us on A Trip Down Memory Lane" |
| 2022 | Power Book III: Raising Kanan | Kenya Pierce | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| 2022-23 | Black Music Honors | Herself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host |
| 2025 | Divorced Sistas | Rasheda | Main Cast (Also An Exec. Producer) |
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