D'atra Hicks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids D'atra Hicks
Born	Deitra Cherelle Hicks (1967-12-27) December 27, 1967 (age 57) Harlem, New York City, U.S.
Education	Harry S. Truman High School
Occupation	Actress singer
Family	Taral Hicks (sister)
Musical career
Genres	R&B soul pop gospel
Years active	1985–present
Labels	Capitol Digital Jukebox
Associated acts	Cheryl Pepsii Riley Chandra Currelley Tamela Mann

D'Atra Hicks (born Deitra Cherelle Hicks on December 27, 1967) is an American actress and singer. She is famous for her role as Jackie Simmons in the 2002 stage play Madea's Family Reunion by Tyler Perry.

Hicks also acted in other popular plays. She played Nurse Trudy in the 2006 play What's Done in the Dark. In 2009, she played Niecy in the play Laugh to Keep from Crying.

Early Life and Career

D'Atra Hicks was born in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City. As a child, she started singing in the choir at her grandfather's church. This was her first experience performing for an audience.

When she was a teenager, Hicks and her older sister, Miriam, started a singing group called "The Hicks Sisters." They recorded a demo, which is a sample recording used to show off a musician's talent.

Breakthrough on Broadway

The sisters' demo recording was heard by producers for the Broadway musical Mama, I Want to Sing!. The producers were very impressed with D'Atra's powerful voice.

In 1986, they offered her the main role of Doris Winter in the play. She performed in this role for four years, until 1990. The musical was a huge success and became the most popular off-Broadway black musical in history. "Off-Broadway" refers to theaters in New York City that are smaller than the large Broadway theaters.

Music and Acting Career

Hicks performing in Tyler Perry's stage play Laugh to Keep from Crying in 2009.

While she was starring on Broadway, Hicks signed a record deal with Capitol Records in 1989. On September 9, 1989, she released her first album, called D'atra Hicks. The album was popular and appeared for ten weeks on the Top R&B Albums chart, reaching number 63.

After her success in music, Hicks continued to act. She appeared in several stage plays written and directed by Tyler Perry. In the play Laugh to Keep from Crying, she played a character named Neicey.

Television Appearances

Hicks on the Bravo reality TV series Your Husband Is Cheating On Us in 2018.

In 2018, Hicks was part of a reality TV show on the Bravo network called Your Husband Is Cheating On Us. The show followed a group of actors, including Hicks and the singer Ginuwine, as they worked together on a new play.

Hicks also sang on the 2018 album The UnSung Hits Vol. 1 by gospel singer Earnest Pugh.

Personal Life

Hicks is the older sister of Taral Hicks, who is also an actress and singer. D'Atra Hicks has one child, a son named Diamond Grant, with actor Tony Grant.

Appearance on Divorce Court

Hicks appeared on the TV show Divorce Court with actor Loren Harper. They appeared on the show twice, once in 2010 and again in 2017.

Some sources say their appearances were just for television. They may have been acting out a story for the show, like a comedy scene, rather than being in a real-life situation.

Chart History

Here is a look at how D'atra Hicks's music performed on the charts.

Albums

Singles