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. Previously the A&R executive for Beyoncé and Chloe x Halle, she has recently reunited with Simpson.
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. 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, as well as various Backstreet Boys, JC Chasez, and Britney Spears projects. Whites would eventually reunite with Destiny's Child member Beyoncé Knowles in 2011, first becoming Senior Vice-President, A&R of Columbia Records, 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.
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. In 2025, Whites reunited with Simpson, helping to manage and oversee her 2025 comeback project Nashville Canyon, P.1.
Selected executive production and A&R credits Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Apple Music, and AllMusic. Artist Year Album Label Three On A Hill 1989 Three On A Hill Independent Release Destiny's Child 1998 Destiny's Child Music World / Columbia Records Destiny's Child 1999 The Writing's on the Wall Columbia Records Jessica Simpson 1999 Sweet Kisses Columbia Records Destiny's Child 2001 Survivor Columbia Records Destiny's Child 2001 8 Days of Christmas Columbia Records Jessica Simpson 2001 Irresistible Columbia Records Various Artists 2001 MTV's Hip Hopera: Carmen MTV / Music World / Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Solange Knowles 2002 Solo Star Music World / Columbia Records Destiny's Child 2002 This Is the Remix Music World / Columbia Records Michelle Williams 2002 Heart to Yours Sanctuary Records / Columbia Records Kelly Rowland 2002 Simply Deep Music World / Columbia Records Jessica Simpson 2002 This Is the Remix Columbia Records Beyoncé 2003 Dangerously in Love Music World / Columbia Records Jessica Simpson 2003 In This Skin Columbia Records Various Artists 2003 The Fighting Temptations (Music From The Motion Picture) Music World / Columbia Records Rose Falcon 2003 Rose Falcon Columbia Records Michelle Williams 2004 Do You Know Columbia Records Jessica Simpson 2004 ReJoyce: The Christmas Album Columbia Records Destiny's Child 2004 Destiny Fulfilled Columbia Records / Sony Urban Music Backstreet Boys 2005 Never Gone Jive Records Dirtie Blonde 2006 Dirtie Blonde Jive Records Nick Lachey 2006 What's Left of Me Jive Records / Zomba Britney Spears 2007 Blackout Jive Records / Zomba Backstreet Boys 2007 Unbreakable Jive Records JC Chasez 2007 Story Of Kate (Shelved) Jive Records Amie Miriello 2008 I Came Around Bellasonic / Jive Records Britney Spears 2008 Circus Jive Records / Zomba Backstreet Boys 2009 This Is Us Jive Records / Sony Music Allison Iraheta 2009 Just Like You 19 Entertainment / Jive Records Bowling for Soup 2009 Sorry for Partyin' Jive Records / RCA Records Beyoncé 2011 4 Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records Beyoncé 2013 Beyoncé Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records MKTO 2014 MKTO Columbia Records Katharine McPhee 2015 Hysteria eOne Beyoncé 2016 Lemonade Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records The Carters 2018 Everything Is Love Roc Nation / Parkwood Entertainment / Sony Music Beyoncé 2019 HΘMΣCΘMING: The Live Album Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records Beyoncé & Various Artists 2019 The Lion King: The Gift Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records Chloe x Halle 2021 Ungodly Hour: Chrome Edition Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records Chlöe 2023 In Pieces Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records Jessica Simpson 2025 Nashville Canyon, Pt. 1 Nashville Canyon Records Jessica Simpson 2025 Nashville Canyon, Pt. 2 Nashville Canyon Records Beyoncé 2026 B'Day: 20th Anniversary Edition Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
Awards and nominations Year Ceremony Award ResultRef/Notes 2009 Premios Oye! 2009 Album Of The Year - English (Circus) Note: Executive Producer Album Award
References