LeToya Nicole Luckett is an American R&B singer and songwriter. She is a Grammy Award winner and original member of multiplatinum R&B group, Destiny's Child. As a solo artist, Luckett uses her first name only.
Luckett grew up singing in her local church. After her father, also a singer, spread the word that his daughter was talented, Luckett was surprised to have an opportunity to sing her first solo at her church at the age of five. "The lady just gave me the mic one Sunday and I sang," she recalls. Shortly thereafter, she joined the children's choir and began performing in plays at her elementary school, where she met Beyonc? Knowles.
In 1993, Luckett joined the group "Girls Tyme" which later became Destiny's Child (Beyonc? Knowles, LeToya Luckett, Kelly Rowland, and LaTavia Roberson). The quartet underwent several name changes -- Girls Tyme, the Dolls, Something Fresh, and Clich? -? before sticking with Destiny's Child (a phrase that appears in the Book of Isaiah in the Bible). Graduating from the Houston club scene, the group began opening for such acts as Dru Hill, SWV, and Immature. Columbia Records signed Destiny's Child in 1997.
In 1998, Destiny's Child released their platinum-selling self-titled debut album Destiny's Child, which includes the hit singles "No, No, No" produced by Wyclef Jean and "With Me" produced by Jermaine Dupri. They were also featured on the "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" soundtrack with the song "Get On The Bus" featuring and produced by Timbaland. "Get On The Bus" was released as a single in Europe. Destiny's Child toured as an opening act on TLC's Fanmail Tour and also on Christina Aguilera's debut tour.
In 1999, Destiny's Child released their sophomore 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'".
During 2000, in the midst of the success of The Writing's On The Wall, Luckett and other member LaTavia Roberson tried to make a break with manager Matthew Knowles (Beyonc?'s father) over their belief that he was keeping too much of the group's profits and that he favored Beyonc?. The pair said at the time they were only looking to secure outside management, but they soon found themselves on the outs with Knowles. When the "Say My Name" video debuted in February 2000, they were shocked to find themselves replaced by two new members, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin.
Luckett and Roberson did not take the slight lightly, firing off a lawsuit in March against Matthew Knowles and the group and setting off a nasty media battle in which the two sides exchanged barbs in magazines 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 bandmates (though they retained the suit against Mathew Knowles) and required both sides to stop disparaging each other in public.
When it seemed as if all the drama had subsided, shortly following the release of Destiny's Child remix album This Is the Remix in March 2002, Luckett and Roberson filed suit against Destiny's Child again. They claimed that the first single, "Survivor", from the new Destiny's Child album Survivor violated their previous settlement due to its lyrics which they believed to reference the ugly split. The song featured such lyrics as "Now that you out of my life, I'm so much better, You thought that I'd be weak without you, But I'm stronger, You thought that I'd be broke without you, But I'm richer, You thought I wouldn't grow without you, Now I'm wiser, Thought that I'd be helpless without you, But I'm smarter, You thought that I'd be stressed without you, But I'm chillin', You thought I wouldn't sell without you, Sold 9 million".
After several months of media speculation, Luckett and Roberson began auditioning young women for a new female R&B quartet. Naty Quinones and Tiffany Beaudoin made the cut. The group, Anjel, recorded a 22 song demo in Atlanta with the help of Jagged Edge. Unfortunately the production company which handled the group fell through and all the girls from Anjel went their separate ways. However most of the recorded tracks leaked onto the internet.
In 2003, Luckett opened a clothing boutique in Uptown Houston (Galleria area) called "Lady Elle" which is run by herself and her mother Pam Luckett.
In 2004, Luckett decided to pursue a solo career and signed with Capitol Records. She immediately began working her debut solo album and released her first track "You Got What I Need" which was available exclusively on vinyl. Luckett also appeared on Capitol artist Houston's song, "My Promise". That same year, Capitol released the Coach Carter soundtrack which featured Luckett's "What Love Can Do", a track produced by the Corner Boyz.
In 2005, several new tracks leaked onto the internet and receieved some radio play. Tracks inlcude "All Eyes On Me", "I'm Good", "Tear Da Club Up", "Hey Fella", and "No More". Luckett was featured on Slim Thug's album Already Platinum on the song "This Is My Life", produced by The Neptunes. At the end of the year, she released the What It Do! Mixtape which included some freestyles such as "I'm A Queen", "Play", "Outta Control", and an album cut "Gangsta Grillz".
Recently the tracks, featured on the upcoming album, "So Special" and "She Don't" have been leaked on the internet.
Luckett's televised solo debut performance was on Soul Train on February 11, 2006.
Her self-titled debut album is due to be released on July 18, 2006[1] [2]. The first single, "Torn", is a ballad produced by Teddy Bishop. So far, the song has reached number eleven on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, number seventy-seven on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart, number one on BET's 106 & Park countdown, and number nine on Yahoo Music Videos chart.
For her solo debut album Luckett has worked with artists-producers Scott Storch, Jermaine Dupri, Walter Milsap, Jazze Pha, Just Blaze, Gavin Luckett (her brother), Johnta Austin, Teddy Bishop, Bun B, Ebony Eyez, JR., Dave Young, Mike City, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Bryan M. Cox, Pimp C and more.
