Meet LaToya Tillis

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful LaToya Tillis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with LaToya below.

Hi LaToya , thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
When I think of hopefulness and confidence about the future, I’m reminded of my grandmother’s favorite phrase “keep living”. Although she passed away in 2018, in times of difficulty or when faced with unexpected challenges, her words still serve as a reminder to stay resilient. Her favorite phrase carried a weight of wisdom gained through years of experience.

Outside of my music career, I have always held a day job to support myself. When the pandemic hit and my job in Ohio was furloughed, I saw an opportunity to pivot and pursue my passion for entertainment in Atlanta, Georgia. I felt the city was poised for growth after the epidemic lifted. Even though I was told I needed to be a local resident to secure a position, I arrived in Atlanta with no job and only my hopes.

After moving and taking on challenging roles, I grew weary. The challenges became so intense I took on a second job working janitorial maintenance at a local church. How did I drift so far from my dreams? The only strength I found was in God and hearing my grandmother’s advice to keep living. Prayer renewed my mental strength and I began applying for better positions that I felt matched my worth. Little did I know, one enigmatic job vacancy would lead me to a life-changing journey. So life changing, in fact, I felt it was a scam and gave the recruiters a hard time.

I could not believe it when I realized it was a genuine opportunity, giving me enough financial stability to confidently let go of both of my jobs. Tears flowed down my face as I realized my grandmother’s words were so true. After numerous heartbreaks from job rejections, after cleaning bathrooms and enduring dictatorial attitudes, I felt freed. My grandmother’s insightful words of wisdom was a beacon of hope, even to this day. Stay encouraged and remain optimistic. Keep moving forward in anticipation of brighter days ahead. Keep living.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a singer/songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma. My mother is Beatrice Johnson, a published writer, and my father is James “Quick” Tillis, former Heavyweight Boxer who fought Mike Tyson for the Heavyweight title in 1986 and played “Buster” in the critically acclaimed movie “The Color Purple”.

I began voice lessons at 6 years old and at the age of 10, I studied classical music under Julliard School alumni Dr. Burton Bailey Parker. Growing up, I performed recorded and performed with various local bands (Leon Rollerson Band) and singing competitions including winning a spot on Lonnie Liggitt’s “Tulsa Best and Brightest” compilation CD in 2005 and 2006. After graduating high school, I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and completed my Bachelors Degree at The Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma in Oklahoma City majoring in Music Business and Performance.

In 2015, I played Effie White at Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s “Dream Girls in Concert” and signed with Magna Talent Agency in 2016-2018 acting in principle roles for commercial and print. In 2023, I was a finalist in Detroit, Michigan’s Masterpiece Sound Studios Cover Song Contest at the Sound Board Theater.

Professionally, I am currently working on a show that will debut later this year that will focus on songs that empower and uplift the audience. My show dates will be listed on my website latoyatillis.com. I am excited to work on show production again and conquer my fears. The new musicians in my band have a similar journey and we’re eager to inspire and let other creatives know it is never too late to follow your dreams.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Just do it! Quincy Jones always says “No paralysis through analysis!”. Whatever your discipline is, make consistent diligence a habit. Everyday you should be doing something within your craft to hone your skills.

2. Practice, practice, practice! Regular people practice till they get it right, professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong. Learning an instrument is extremely helpful. It helps with ear training, theory, and band communication. Practice until the point it becomes second nature.

3. Write the vision and make it plain. Set goals for your career. This helps when you feel like deviating or you become distracted. Always ask yourself, will this decision lead me closer to my short and longterm goals?

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
From my experience, I believe that going all in on your dreams based on your strengths provides you unique opportunities to improve your weaknesses. I have invested in learning my craft and have found some of my best teachers came from the shows I was apart of rather than in the classroom. The greatest teachers and mentors I have ever had were themselves artist who helped me sharpen my performances during our rehearsals.

I was apart of a theater production and had very little experience but was casted alongside veteran thespians. One day the lead character invited me to her home to rehearse. The lessons she taught me in those few hours were so prolific that it enhanced my performance drastically. If I would’ve waited until I took acting lessons, I would not have auditioned and in turn never met her. I did not even have a headshot at the time. I went in with passion for the role alone and was casted which afforded me the chance to gain some of the most valuable advice I ever received.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Beatrice Johnson Simon Hurst Solid State Studio Masterpiece Sound Studios

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