LaTavia Marie Roberson (born November 1, 1981) is an American R&B singer. She 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. During her time as a member, Roberson recorded two studio albums, sold over 25 million records and won two Grammy Awards and three Soul Train Music Awards. Following her departure from the group, Roberson briefly formed the girl group Anjel, which also included former Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett. Roberson has starred in various stage plays including Those Jeans, How to Love, and Not My Family. In 2014, she became a main cast-member for R&B Divas: Atlanta alongside singers such as Angie Stone, Keke Wyatt and long-time friend Meelah of 702. Roberson was born on November 1, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Cheryl Lastrap and Terry Roberson. In the 1980s, before joining Destiny's Child, Roberson was a child model, appearing in commercials such as Soft and Beautiful's Just for Me Hair Care relaxer for kids. When LaTavia was eight years old, she auditioned to be a rapper and dancer in a local girl group and was one of many girls selected. She met Beyoncé Knowles at this audition, and the two became best friends. Singing and dancing with other young girls, LaTavia and Beyoncé made a video for a song called "One Time" which almost led to them becoming a duo. LaTavia then met Kelly Rowland in elementary school; she was in the third grade while Rowland was in the fourth grade. After hearing Rowland sing, LaTavia told her to try out for the group, which she did. Initially, due to her duties as a rapper and dancer, LaTavia did not sing; subsequently, she had vocal lessons and began singing at local events. LaTavia got her break when she entered the singing competition TV show Star Search, alongside Beyoncé, Kelly, Tamar Davis and LaTavia's cousins Nikki and Nina Taylor. The group, then named Girl's Tyme, were heartbroken after losing the competition to Skeleton Crew. Beyonce's father Mathew Knowles began managing the group and changed the line-up, reducing it to a quartet, consisting of LaTavia, Beyoncé, Kelly, and Beyoncé's elementary school friend LeToya Luckett. The group also underwent several name changes: The Dolls, Something Fresh, Cliché, and Destiny. ... Source: Article "LaTavia Roberson" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
