FAMILY & FRIENDS, FUN PAGE! for LaTonya

My name is LaTonya, I grew up in southeast Houston, "THE HOOD". I have been singing since the age of 4. My entire life I have always been surrounded by musicians, singers, directors, song writers and preachers. I was one of the youngest musicians for Donald Ray Edwards and the Heavenly Voices Community Choir. Thanks, Uncle D.D. for the exposure at age 13. We rehearsed at First Missionary Baptist Church every week, off Cullen and Briscoe Street. We were the 105-voice community choir (purple and black robes) that sang all over the Houston area, during my high school years...late 80's. "YOU SHOULD BE A WITNESS" was our theme songs. !! SANG SOPRANOS!! My husband and I also were members of Johnny Branch and the Annointed Sounds of Praise...(Much love to Piper - one of our organists at the time.) Over the last 30 years, I have spent countless hours in choir rehearsals, midnight musicals, anniversary programs, overnight practices and musician rehearsals. I remember late nights out to eat at restaurants after church, endless studio sessions and learning background vocals for various groups. I will never forget church fellowships, road trips, inner city carpooling from one church to the next and one-on-one time WITH PEOPLE LIKE: Bruce Linscomb, Kathy Taylor, Yolanda Adams, Chris "Daddy" Dave (who played drums for Kathy Taylor back in the day), Keith Jeffrey Parker (RIP),Leo "Bubba" Taylor (see you this year in Florida - GMWA), Darrell Rushing, V. Michael McKay "Uncle Mike", Eugene Williams (RIP), Shirley Joiner, Arthur "PAPA" Holmes, Charles Tyrone, Paul Jones (RIP), Dr. Theola Booker, Willie Thorton, Kim Burrell and Kevin Jordan, and many more...(Kevin, thanks for all of the times you came to my granny's house around the corner from First Missionary to teach me, Donna and Tracie, songs and bang on our piano:)I have also had the awesome opportunity to travel all over the United States with Pastor Caslin of New Deliverance Church (a true prayer warrior and powerful deliverance preacher). Traveling from revival to revival, God has blessed me to have met and shared a lot of time with several well known prophets, prophetess(s), bishops, apostles, evangelists and pastors. These experiences have added great spiritual insight to my music ministry. Being a musician from family of some SHO' NUF singin' folks has allowed me the awesome opportunity to also share the stage with some wonderful folks: Andrew Gouche, Shirley Ceasar, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Pace Sisters, Faye Bailey-Johonson, Walter and Edwin Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Richard Smallwood, Pastor John P. Kee, Donald Lawrence, and more...numerous quartet groups, preachers, musicians, directors. Much love to Jay Terrell. Thank you for allowing me to sing the solo on your song, "He's Able", GMWA Live in Kansas City (track 9). All of these wonderful people have helped to shape my style of singing and playing keys. I am a strong, dependable alto in the GWMA Houston Chapter, GMWA Texas Mass Chapter, GMWA National Women's Choir and GMWA National Mass Choir. (Thank you Elder Ronald Materre, Dr. Rodena Preston, Dr. Theola Booker and others for always blessing my music ministry.