Teresa LaBarbera Whites
{{short description|American A&R, music executive, talent scout, executive producer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Teresa LaBarbera Whites
|birth_place = Texas, United States
| module = {{Infobox musical artist |embed=yes
|genre = {{hlist|R&B|pop|adult contemporary|rock}}
|label = {{hlist|Columbia|Epic|Jive|Zomba|Bellasonic|Sony|Parkwood|Highbank Entertainment}}
|occupation = {{Hlist | A&R | music executive | talent scout | executive producer}}
|background = person
}}
}}
Teresa LaBarbera Whites is an American A&R, music executive, talent scout, and executive producer, who is best known for discovering Destiny's Child and Jessica Simpson.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qIbXSd2BR2kC&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites+award&pg=PT190 | title=Hitmaker: The Man and His Music | isbn=9781455505432 | last1=Mottola | first1=Tommy | date=January 29, 2013 | publisher=Grand Central | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=April 20, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420153618/https://books.google.com/books?id=qIbXSd2BR2kC&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites+award&pg=PT190 | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/signing-off-6397275 | title=Signing off | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080243/https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/signing-off-6397275 | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/its-a-family-affair/ | title=It's a Family Affair | date=January 20, 2013 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080244/https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/its-a-family-affair/ | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://www.songwriteruniverse.com/whites.htm | title=Teresa LaBarbera Whites 2005 Article - SongwriterUniverse | date=December 4, 2013 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080243/https://www.songwriteruniverse.com/whites.htm | url-status=live }} She is currently the A&R executive for Chloe x Halle.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/chloe-x-halle-rising-star-women-in-music-2020-interview-9492674/ | title=How Chloe x Halle Left Their Mark on R&B by Showing Their 'Imperfect Side' | magazine=Billboard | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080246/https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/chloe-x-halle-rising-star-women-in-music-2020-interview-9492674/ | url-status=live }}
Career
Originally the Southwest regional talent scout for Sony Music in the 1990s, Whites was offered an A&R position with Columbia Records, pitching and signing Destiny's Child and Jessica Simpson to Columbia.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xXeEtRfW5bsC&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites&pg=PA26 | title=Beyoncé Knowles: A Biography | isbn=9780313359149 | last1=Arenofsky | first1=Janice | year=2009 | publisher=Bloomsbury Academic | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=April 7, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407140315/https://books.google.com/books?id=xXeEtRfW5bsC&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites&pg=PA26 | url-status=live }} Over the next eight years, she would organize several multi-platinum projects: The Writing's on the Wall (1999), Sweet Kisses (1999), Survivor (2001), Dangerously in Love (2003), In This Skin (2003), and Destiny Fulfilled (2004). Whites was then offered the Jive/Zomba Vice-President of A&R position, where she would oversee the direction of Nick Lachey's 2006 solo breakthrough album What's Left of Me,{{cite web | url=https://www.mykawartha.com/community-story/3713102-peterbio-rob-wells/ | title=PETERBIO | Rob Wells | date=October 31, 2012 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080242/https://www.mykawartha.com/community-story/3713102-peterbio-rob-wells/ | url-status=live }} as well as various Backstreet Boys, JC Chasez, and Britney Spears projects.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/britney-spears-returns-254594/3/ | title=Britney Spears Returns | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=December 11, 2008 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080241/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/britney-spears-returns-254594/3/ | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-dec-10-ca-women10-story.html | title=Back to labeling it a boys' club | website=Los Angeles Times | date=December 10, 2006 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080241/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-dec-10-ca-women10-story.html | url-status=live }}{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cNGE2uvYQdoC&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites&pg=PT49 | title=Backbeat | magazine=Billboard | date=April 11, 2009 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=April 20, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420153614/https://books.google.com/books?id=cNGE2uvYQdoC&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites&pg=PT49 | url-status=live }}{{cite journal | url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1026/p11s03-almp.html | title=The go-to song guru | journal=Christian Science Monitor | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080253/https://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1026/p11s03-almp.html | url-status=live }} Whites would eventually reunite with Destiny's Child member Beyoncé Knowles in 2011, first becoming Senior Vice-President, A&R of Columbia Records,{{Cite web |url=https://ifpi.at/website2018/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/investing-in-music_embargoed-1pm-uk_12-november-2012.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080244/https://ifpi.at/website2018/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/investing-in-music_embargoed-1pm-uk_12-november-2012.pdf |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D0b70DQT1HkC&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites+award&pg=RA5-PA53 | title=Executive Turntable | magazine=Billboard | date=8 January – 26 March 2011 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=April 7, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407040705/https://books.google.com/books?id=D0b70DQT1HkC&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites+award&pg=RA5-PA53 | url-status=live }} and then becoming the A&R executive for Knowles' label imprint Parkwood Entertainment, overseeing song selection for her eponymous fifth album, Lemonade, and several other projects.{{cite web | url=https://www.complex.com/music/2018/12/how-beyonce-pulled-off-secret-album | title='Beyoncé' 5 Years Later: How to Keep a Secret for the Queen | website=Complex Networks | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131093908/https://www.complex.com/music/2018/12/how-beyonce-pulled-off-secret-album | url-status=live }}{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/beyonces-biggest-project-yet-ceo-1474567777 | title=Beyoncé's Biggest Project Yet: CEO | newspaper=Wall Street Journal | date=September 22, 2016 | last1=Shah | first1=Neil | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080245/https://www.wsj.com/articles/beyonces-biggest-project-yet-ceo-1474567777 | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/jgmqdg/beyonce-book | title=Beyoncé book: How Beyoncé created an empire | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080242/https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/jgmqdg/beyonce-book | url-status=live }}{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/beyonce-lemonade-album-features-the-weeknd-diplo-kendrick-lamar-more-7341787/ | title=Beyonce's 'Lemonade': A Deep Dive into the Star-Studded Album's Credits | magazine=Billboard | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131080245/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/beyonce-lemonade-album-features-the-weeknd-diplo-kendrick-lamar-more-7341787/ | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-beyonce-sandcastles-berry-20160613-snap-htmlstory.html | title=How a homeless songwriter's story of heartbreak made it into Beyonce's album | website=Los Angeles Times | date=June 15, 2016 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=August 27, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827091820/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-beyonce-sandcastles-berry-20160613-snap-htmlstory.html | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ScqFpB4lJg4C&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites+award&pg=RA10-PA22 | title=The Billboard Q&A: Beyoncé | date=April 2, 2011 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=April 7, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407040707/https://books.google.com/books?id=ScqFpB4lJg4C&dq=Teresa+LaBarbera+Whites+award&pg=RA10-PA22 | url-status=live }}
In 2022, Whites parted ways with Parkwood Entertainment to become CEO and owner of her own music agency Highbank Entertainment. Her first project was to oversee Chloe Bailey's 2023 debut solo album In Pieces.{{Cite web|url=https://schedule.sxsw.com/2024/speakers/2199605|title=Teresa LaBarbera|website=SXSW 2024 Schedule|access-date=February 24, 2024|archive-date=February 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224213901/https://schedule.sxsw.com/2024/speakers/2199605|url-status=live}} In 2025, Whites reunited with Simpson, helping to manage and oversee her 2025 comeback project Nashville Canyon, P.1.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/jessica-simpson-interview-nashville-canyon-1235300818/|title=Jessica Simpson Finally Takes Control|first=Marissa R.|last=Moss|date=March 21, 2025|website=Rolling Stone}}
Selected executive production and A&R credits
Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Apple Music, and AllMusic.
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Ceremony ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"| Result !Ref/Notes |
| 2009
| Album Of The Year - English (Circus) | {{Nominated}} | style="text-align:center;"| Note: Executive Producer Album Award |