LeToya Luckett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids LeToya Luckett
Luckett in 2009
Born	LeToya Luckett (1981-03-11) March 11, 1981 (age 44) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Other names	LeToya Luckett-Walker
Occupation	Singer actress
Years active	1993–present
Spouse(s)	Rob Hill Sr ​ ​ (m. 2016; div. 2016)​ Tommicus Walker ​ ​ (m. 2017; div. 2021)​ Taleo Coles ​ (m. 2024)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	R&B
Labels	Columbia Capitol eOne Music

LeToya Luckett-Coles (born March 11, 1981) is an American R&B singer and actress. She became famous in the late 1990s as a founding member of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child. This group was one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.

As a member of Destiny's Child, LeToya had four US Top 10 hit songs. These included "No, No, No", "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Jumpin', Jumpin'", and "Say My Name". The group sold over 25 million records and won two Grammy Awards. In the 2000s, LeToya started her solo career. She left the group and signed a record deal with Capitol Records.

Her first solo album, LeToya (2006), reached number-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It was certified platinum by the RIAA in the same year. The first song from the album, "Torn", reached the Top 40 in the U.S. It also set records on BET's top ten countdown show 106 & Park. LeToya was named Top Songwriter at the 2006 ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Awards.

LeToya's second solo album, Lady Love (2009), also debuted at number-one. This time, it topped the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album featured the song "Regret" with rapper Ludacris. She returned to music in 2017 with her third album, Back 2 Life. This was her first independent release. The album had two main songs: "Back 2 Life" and "Used To".

As an actress, LeToya appeared in the movie Killers (2010). She also played the main character, Angie, in Preacher's Kid (2010). She later acted as Stacey in the film From the Rough (2011). She also appeared in the HBO drama series Treme (2011–2012). LeToya has starred in other TV shows too. These include the VH1 comedy-drama Single Ladies (2014–2015). She was also in the OWN drama Greenleaf (2017–2020). More recently, she appeared in the Starz crime drama Power Book III: Raising Kanan (2022).

Early Life and Music Beginnings

LeToya Nicole Luckett was born on March 11, 1981, in Houston, Texas. Her parents are Pamela and Darrell Luckett. She has a younger brother named Gavin. LeToya started singing at her local Brentwood Baptist Church. She also took vocal lessons to become an opera singer. Her father, who was also a singer, was very proud of her talent. He tried to help her get into the music business.

LeToya sang her first solo at age five. She remembered, "The lady just gave me the mic one Sunday and I sang." Soon after, she joined the children's choir. She also started performing in plays at her elementary school. One day, she met Beyoncé Knowles in class. They became friends, and LeToya was invited to join Beyoncé's singing group, Girl's Tyme. This group later became Destiny's Child.

Music Career Highlights

Joining Destiny's Child

In 1993, LeToya joined Beyoncé Knowles, LaTavia Roberson, and Kelly Rowland. Together, they formed the Houston-based R&B group, Destiny's Child. Beyoncé was the lead singer. Kelly Rowland was the second lead singer, along with LaTavia Roberson and LeToya. LeToya and LaTavia sang background vocals. LaTavia sang the low notes, and LeToya sang the high notes. They sometimes sang lead parts too.

After being signed and then dropped by Elektra Records in 1995, the group worked with D'wayne Wiggins. They eventually signed with Columbia Records in 1997. Before that, they signed with group manager Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father. LeToya's mother wanted a lawyer to review the contracts. However, Mathew did not allow this. LeToya still signed and joined the group.

The group performed in Houston clubs and opened for famous acts. They were on the Men in Black movie soundtrack. In 1998, they released their first album, Destiny's Child. This album had two hit songs: "No, No, No Part II" (with Wyclef Jean) and "With Me". The group also contributed to the Why Do Fools Fall in Love soundtrack. They toured as an opening act for TLC's "Fanmail Tour".

Success and Changes in Destiny's Child

In 1999, Destiny's Child released their second album, The Writing's on the Wall. This album became one of the best-selling albums by a female group. It was certified eight times platinum in the USA. LeToya helped write more songs on this album compared to the first one. The album had four hit songs: "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Bug a Boo", "Say My Name", and "Jumpin' Jumpin'". "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name" were nominated for Grammy awards. "Say My Name" won in two different categories. The album also had a "Houston Special Edition" with a bonus song called "Can't Help Myself," where LeToya sang lead.

In late 1999, LeToya and LaTavia Roberson wanted their own manager. They felt there was a lack of communication with Mathew Knowles. They said they did not want to fire him, but wanted outside help. Soon after, LeToya and LaTavia felt left out by the Knowles family and the group's management. When the music video for "Say My Name" came out in February 2000, they were replaced. Two new members, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin, appeared in the video.

LeToya and LaTavia filed a lawsuit against Mathew, Beyoncé, and Kelly. They later dropped the case against Beyoncé and Kelly, but continued to sue Mathew. The case was settled, and LeToya and LaTavia received royalties for their work as founding members. After Destiny's Child released Survivor, LeToya and LaTavia filed another lawsuit in March 2002. They said the song "Survivor" broke their earlier agreement because of its lyrics. This case was also settled out of court.

Solo Career: LeToya

After leaving Destiny's Child, LeToya and LaTavia formed a new group called Anjel. They recorded many songs, but the company handling the group closed down. All members of Anjel then pursued solo careers.

LeToya later signed with Capitol Records in 2003. She began working on her first solo album. Her self-titled debut album, LeToya, was released in July 2006. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. LeToya was certified gold after one month and platinum by December 2006. LeToya and Beyoncé Knowles are the only members of Destiny's Child to have a solo album debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and reach platinum status.

The album featured a hip-hop inspired R&B sound. The song "Torn" was released in March 2006 and became an R&B hit. It reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Her second song, "She Don't", was released in July 2006. It reached number 17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Her third song, "Obvious", was chosen in November 2006. However, due to a merger between record labels, the song was never officially released.

LeToya was named "One of the Best New Artists of 2006" by AOL Music. She also received nominations from the NAACP, the Soul Train Music Awards, and the Teen Choice Awards. BET promoted LeToya with a three-part reality series called The H-Town Chick. This series showed LeToya's experiences during her summer tour and her life after Destiny's Child.

Lady Love and Back 2 Life

LeToya's second solo album, Lady Love, was released on August 25, 2009. The album's release was delayed several times due to funding issues. In May 2009, LeToya released a five-song sampler. The album was released on CD and for music download on August 25, 2009.

"Not Anymore" was the first song from the album. It was released in February 2009 and became a popular song on urban radio. A music video for the song was released on March 10, 2009. It showed different time periods from the 1960s. "She Ain't Got..." was the album's second song. It was chosen by fans and became popular on rhythmic radio. A music video for this song was released on June 30, 2009.

"Regret", featuring rapper Ludacris, was the third song. It became very popular, reaching number eight on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It also entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number seventy-eight. The music video for "Regret" premiered on BET's 106 & Park on November 11, 2009. "Good To Me" was the fourth and final song from the album, released on February 1, 2010.

In January 2014, LeToya announced her third album would be called Until Then. She released the song "Don't Make Me Wait" in February 2014. A remix with rapper T.I. was released in March 2015. On December 7, 2016, she released the song "Back 2 Life". The music video for it came out on January 10, 2017. On April 10, 2017, LeToya announced her third album's title changed to Back 2 Life, released on May 12, 2017. "Used To" was a second song from this album, released on April 17, 2017.

Acting Career

LeToya's first TV role was on the WB show Smart Guy in 1998 with Destiny's Child. She also appeared in the 1999 movie Beverly Hood. Since 2008, LeToya has been acting in plays, TV shows, and movies. She starred in the movie Preacher's Kid, released in January 2010.

LeToya appeared in the movie Killers, released on June 4, 2010. She also filmed the 2011 movie From the Rough. For the second season, LeToya was cast in the HBO drama series Treme. In 2013, LeToya got a recurring role on the VH1 TV series Single Ladies. In 2015, she was cast in the first season of the HBO series Ballers. The next year, she had a recurring role in the second season of Rosewood. In 2017, LeToya began a recurring role on the OWN TV series Greenleaf.

In June 2021, LeToya was cast in the Fox series Our Kind of People. In 2022 and 2023, she starred in TV movies for OWN, Lifetime, and BET. These included The Great Holiday Bake War, Line Sisters, and A Miracle Before Christmas. In 2022, she was also cast as Kenya Pierce in the second season of Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

In 2024, she starred in the BET Thriller One Night Stay. In May 2025, it was announced that BET+ ordered Divorced Sistas. This is a spin-off series from Sistas, starring LeToya as Rasheda. The show follows five friends as they deal with life, love, and the challenges of divorce, marriage, and dating.

Online Series

LeToya has had two online series on YouTube. In 2006, she made H-Town Chick. In 2012, she created Life, Love & Music.

H-Town Chick

This was a three-episode series on YouTube. LeToya explained her role in Destiny's Child and talked about her first album, LeToya.

Life, Love and Music

This was a six-episode series on YouTube. It gave viewers a look into LeToya's life and how she recorded her third album.

Personal Life

Relationships and Family

In 2015, LeToya and motivational speaker Rob Hill Sr. got engaged. They had been dating for a year. They secretly married in January 2016 but divorced after two months.

In August 2017, LeToya announced her engagement to businessman Tommicus Walker. They married in Austin, Texas, on December 10, 2017. They have two children together, a daughter and a son. On January 11, 2021, the couple announced their divorce. LeToya confirmed they were no longer married in July 2021.

In 2022, LeToya began dating businessman Taleo Coles. They married on July 27, 2024, in Houston, Texas.

Business and Charity Work

In 2003, LeToya became the owner of Lady Elle Boutique. This is a fancy women's clothing store. She first opened it in Houston, Texas, as Lady L Boutique, but later changed the name. In 2008, she opened a second store in The Galleria in Houston.

After her first solo album, LeToya became involved in charity work. She has participated in events like the "Women in Entertainment Empowerment Summit". She was also part of the "Hip-Hop Summit Action Network 'Get Your Money Right' a Financial Empowerment Summit."

She visits schools to encourage children to study and continue their education. She also speaks about violence and domestic abuse.

Discography

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: LeToya Luckett para niños