Deneka Lashea

In high school, this native Memphian competed in ACT-SO winning in both classical and contemporary categories. Known for her rich, powerful vocals, she was voted Most Talented in her student body. Deneka had big dreams of pursuing her music career after high school.  However, fate had another plans as the then 18 year-old Deneka discovered she was pregnant.  “I felt very afraid, confused and alone. I felt like I had to give up on my dream of singing.”  Outside “support” didn’t help much, the previous encouragements of studying music abroad and recording an album quickly turned to going to community college and studying dental assistance.

 

“No one could see both,” Deneka remembers.  “Becoming a mother at my age with dreams as big as mine was like a death sentence. Where I am from, nobody thought it could or should be done.”  After the birth of her son, Timothy, Deneka tried to get back in the studio, only to be further discouraged by producers who wanted her to “sing more like Janet Jackson.” Deneka recalls. “I tried, but that wasn’t me. I had my own style.”  The producers also begin to develop issues with Deneka’s size.  “ I wasn’t obese, but I wasn’t skinny either.  I didn’t look like Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton or En Vogue – all of the female singers who were out at that time. I looked like me and I sounded like me.”  She eventually parted ways with those producers and went back to school.

 

Over the next few years, Deneka focused on raising her son and begin to teach him everything she could about music. She earned an associates degree in business administration and began working in property management. She also began performing on stage again with Theatre Memphis where she was cast in Ain’t Misbehavin' and The Wiz.

 

As she started to slowly step back into the spotlight on her own, something else was also happening - the ones that recognized and encouraged her talent, who loved and supported her for who she was, regardless of her size – were growing up.

 

Her younger sister, DeAara Lewis, begin to produce independent and her son, Timothy “Royal T.” Love was learning how to produce and arrange music. “Everything just naturally came together. My sister and I financed a music studio for my son and myself to make music whenever we choose, and I get to produce music for her films as well as my own projects.  My son and I also work together regularly and he has become quite the artist and producer.” 

 

She is so inspired that she is now back in the studio working on her first album and collaborating with her son on his debut album as well as her sister for a number of music projects. 

 

“Even though things didn’t take off the way I wanted, they seem to be even better because I get to do what I love most with my family.”

 

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