Biography
Singer Nita Whitaker entered the world in Shreveport, Louisiana, as the youngest member of a family of four. Green Whitaker, her father, performed with the Spiritual Jubilee vocal ensemble. During childhood she joined her two sisters to create the gospel trio known as the Whitaker Sisters. While enrolled at Northeast Louisiana University she pursued classical vocal training and completed a B.S. in nursing. In 1984 she claimed the Miss Louisiana crown. After relocating to Los Angeles she wed session vocalist Don LaFontaine and raised two daughters; there she captured the Star Search amateur title for thirteen straight weeks and earned grand-champion status. She later joined the vocal collective Next Millennium, which secured an Atlantic Records deal and prepared an album that remained unreleased before the group disbanded. Her singing on the demo tape of “I, Who Have Nothing” for Whitney Houston earned her a brief screen role in the 1992 feature The Bodyguard. Additional small parts followed in film and on television, yet her most substantial work occurred onstage in touring productions of Sweeney Todd and Ragtime plus the Gamble & Huff revue Me and Mrs. Jones, where she portrayed the title character; the show opened in Philadelphia in 2001 en route to Broadway. In 1994 Whitaker issued her self-titled debut album, then released One Voice seven years later.
Albums
