Debra is a variant spelling of the feminine given name Deborah.

Debra may refer to:

People[link]

• Debra Bowen (born 1955), American politician, Secretary of State of California since 2007
• Debra Marshall (born 1960), professional wrestling manager
• Debra Messing (born 1968), American actress
• Debra Paget (born 1933), American actress
• Debra Winger (born 1955), American actress
• Debra Wilson (born 1962), American comedienne and actress

Fictional characters[link]

• Debra Barone, from the American television comedy series Everybody Loves Raymond
• Debra Dean, on the British series EastEnders
• Debra Morgan, in Jeff Lindsay's Dexter book series and television show. It's Deborah in the books.

Places[link]

• Debra (community development block), a division in West Bengal, India
• Debra (Vidhan Sabha constituency), an assembly constituency in West Bengal
• Debra, Bangladesh

Other uses[link]

• Debra!, a Canadian children's television show
• "Debra: (song), by the American artist Beck
• DebRA, a British and an American medical charity
• Tropical Storm Debra (disambiguation)

See also[link]

• Debbie

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Debra Killings is an American singer and bass guitarist; notable for an extensive session and background vocal work for LaFace Records & Rowdy Records-based artists such as TLC, Monica and OutKast.

Killings appears on the majority of the recordings in TLC's catalogue singing background vocals, in Monica's first albums (Miss Thang, The Boy is Mine), and has performed both background vocals and bass guitar for several OutKast albums, including ATLiens and Aquemini. She has also released her own album, a gospel LP entitled Surrender. Killings was the singing voice of Paula Patton's character Angel Davenport on the film Idlewild. Killings' recognizable voice is spotlighted in "Moving Cool", the song Angel first performs in the movie.

Television[link]

Killings is a member of Big Jim's Penthouse Playas, the house band on The Mo'Nique Show.

Discography[link]

Album

• Princess & Starbreeze (MCA Records, 1987)
• Modest Fok (East West Records, 1992)
• Surrender (Verity Records, 2005)
• Open Heaven (Hands Up Records Inc., 2008)

Singles

• "Message In The Music"
• "It's Gonna Be Lonely"
• "Love Or The Single Life"

Other Appearances

• "Reset", Outkast on Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
• "Moving Cool", Idlewild Motion Picture (2006)
• Fled Motion Picture Soundtrack (Rowdy) (1996)

External links[link]

• Debra Killings Official Website
• Debra Killings at Allmusic
• Princess & Starbreeze All Music. com [1]
• Modest Fok All Music.com [2]

This article about a United States singer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Deborah Fraser is a South African gospel artist with a solo career spanning close to decade and more than a million units sold, cementing her status as a singer of incomparable power in the tradition of richly melodious, faith-based pleasant music. Born in 1966 in KwaMashu in the KwaZulu Natal province, she started singing at school. Initially staying in Durban, she moved to Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province in 1985 to seek for greener pastures in the recording industry. She started out working with composer, singer and gospel producer Mthunzi Namba who also hails from her province. She rose to prominence after announcing that she is the voice being used in many songs that were only credited to the late Brenda Fassie.

She later featured in the Maria Le Maria project alongside Fassie, Lundi Tyamara and Peter Mokoena in a Chicco Twala-produced album before launching her successful solo career. Deborah was a backing singer for musicians like Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Fassie, Lucky Dube and many others. Together with contemporaries like Stella Khumalo, Mandisa Dlanga and Faith Kekana, they were the busiest session musicians. The quartet worked with every musician who needed to quality voices in their productions and ended up on almost every album produced in the country for the past seventeen years. In the early nineties, she toured around the world with former exiles Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya. She lost her son, Mbuso, after birth in 1996.

Deborah Fraser’s widely publicised marriage to a Nigerian pastor, Sockey Okeke, hit turbulent waters hardly a year after the couple got married in a traditional wedding.^[1] When contacted by Sowetan newspaper, Fraser said she was not prepared to discuss her private life in the newspapers. She is a winner of the first SABC Crown Gospel Music award in the Best Female Artist category, amongst other awards.^[2][3][4]

References[link]

Debra Jean Beasley
2011 Florida DOC mugshot
Born	(1980-08-28) August 28, 1980 (age 31) Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida, U.S.
Charge(s)	Lewd and lascivious battery
Penalty	Community control (3 years) Probation (7 years, terminated early)
Status	Free
Occupation	former teacher
Spouse	Kristian Owen Lafave (divorced)

Debra Jean Beasley, better known under her former married name of Debra Lafave, (born August 28, 1980) is a former teacher at Angelo L. Greco Middle School in Temple Terrace, Florida. She pleaded guilty in 2005 to Lewd or Lascivious Battery. The charges stemmed from a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old student in the summer of 2004.

Early life and education[link]

Lafave graduated from the University of South Florida,^[1] with a degree in English.^[2] After graduation she was hired as an English teacher at a middle school in Temple Terrace, Florida. She married Owen Lafave in 2003 following her first year of teaching.^[3]

The relationship[link]

Lafave had oral sex and sexual intercourse with the student on four different occasions.^[4][5]

Arrest and trial[link]

Tampa county district attorney's office pursued the case after being notified by the 14-year-old boy's mother.^[6] Officers tape-recorded conversations between Lafave and the boy, then arrested her at their next meeting. Two separate sets of charges were filed, because the alleged incidents occurred in two different counties. A trial date was set after the defense would not agree on a plea bargain that involved prison time.

Shortly before the trial was scheduled to begin, the boy's mother learned that it was to be covered by Court TV and agreed to a plea bargain with no prison time in order to avoid her young son having to testify in court.^[7] Lafave pleaded guilty under the agreement and was sentenced to three years of Community Control (house arrest), seven years of probation, and forced to register as a sex offender, along with various other requirements.^[8] There was widespread skepticism as to whether a man guilty of lewd or lascivious battery would have received similar treatment.^[7][9]

On December 8, 2005, the judge in the second county refused to accept plea-agreement terms that included no prison time and set a trial date for April 10, 2006. The prosecutor in that case later dropped the charges.^[10]

Physical appearance[link]

Commentators have claimed that the attention given to this particular case arises from Lafave's physical beauty.^[11][12] Provocative modeling photographs of Lafave have circulated on the Internet since she first gained notoriety.^[12]

The Tampa Police Department also came under scrutiny when it was revealed they took graphic nude photos of Lafave while she was in stirrups in a jail cell. John Gillespie, the lead detective who requested the nude photos of Lafave, was arrested before the trial in an unrelated prostitution sting.^[13]

Aftermath[link]

Lafave later attributed her indiscretions to bipolar disorder, which is associated with intense and irregular mood swings, and with hypersexuality and poor judgment during manic episodes.^[14]

She was arrested on December 4, 2007, for violating her probation by speaking with a 17-year-old female restaurant co-worker.^[15][16] The court ruled, however, that the violation was neither willful nor substantial, and did not revoke her probation. In July 2008, within the terms of her plea deal, LaFave petitioned to convert the remainder of her house arrest to probation, having satisfied other terms such as sex offender therapy and community service. Her petition was granted and her house arrest ended four months early.^[17] On October 29, 2009, it was announced that Lafave was allowed to have contact with some children.^{[18][dead link]}

Lafave's ex-husband appeared on numerous talk shows regarding how his then-wife's crime had affected their relationship. He features in the documentary After School, which focuses on teacher/student relationships.

On September 22, 2011, LaFave moved to end her probation four years early, on account of having completed all other obligations, as well as recently becoming a mother. Her petition was granted and her probation ended that day. The victim's family stated that they would appeal the decision.^[19]

See also[link]

• Sexual harassment in education
• Statutory rape
• Age of consent
• Pamela Rogers Turner
• Mary Kay Letourneau

References[link]

External links[link]

• Debra Lafave at the Internet Movie Database
• CNN: Guilty of sex with student, teacher avoids prison
• NBC Interview with Matt Lauer
• The Smoking Gun
• Debra Beasley's Sexual Offender Information Flyer

Deborah Cox
Cox in June 2011
Background information
Born	(1974-07-13) July 13, 1974 (age 37)
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	R&B, pop, soul
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Arista (1995–2000) J (2000–2003) Decca (2007) Deco Recording Group (2008–present)
Website	DeborahCox.com

Deborah Cox (born July 13, 1974) is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. Her 1998 song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart (14 weeks), a record held for nearly eight years. She has achieved eleven number-one hits on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. She is often cited as Canada's top R&B artist.^[1]

Early life[link]

Deborah Cox was born in Toronto to parents of Afro-Guyanese descent, grew up in Scarborough, Toronto and attended John XXIII Catholic Elementary School and Earl Haig Secondary School.^[1] She began singing for TV commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows with the help of her mother. She performed in nightclubs as a teenager, and began to write music around the same time.^[2] Cox entered the music industry in the early 1990s, performing as a backup vocalist for Celine Dion for six months.^[1][3] After receiving many rejection letters from Canadian record labels that claimed their "quota" had been reached, Cox moved to Los Angeles in 1994 with producer and songwriting partner, Lascelles Stephens.^[1][3]

Career[link]

[edit] 1995–1997: Deborah Cox

In 1995, label executive Clive Davis signed Cox to Arista Records, and she released her self-titled debut album the same year. After middling success, Cox released a non-album single for the soundtrack to the 1997 movie Money Talks, titled "Things Just Ain't The Same". A dance mix of the song topped the U.S. dance charts and was included on her second album, 1998's One Wish.

[edit] 1998–2001: One Wish

The first single from that album, "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here", spent fourteen weeks at #1 on the Hot R&B charts in the USA, as well as eight consecutive weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album went platinum, becoming Cox's biggest-selling album to date. Cox then recorded a new song, "Absolutely Not", for the soundtrack to Dr. Dolittle 2. Remixes of the song repeated the success of One Wish's singles on the dance charts, and the Chanel mix of "Absolutely Not" was included on her third album. After One Wish, Cox appeared on the single "Same Script, Different Cast" by Whitney Houston from Whitney: The Greatest Hits.

[edit] 2002–2005: The Morning After and acting career

Cox's third album The Morning After was released in November 2002 on J Records.

On February 17, 2004, she made her Broadway debut in the Elton John-Tim Rice musical Aida, returning to recording only to release a dance remix of "Easy As Life" as a single.

Cox also has been involved in a number of movies and soundtracks. In 2000, she played Niko Rosen in Love Come Down. In 2001, her hit song "Absolutely Not" was featured in Dr. Dolittle 2. In 2005, in the movie Blood of a Champion she played the role of Sharon, and again in 2005, her voice was featured in the movie Hotel Rwanda in the song "Nobody Cares".

To sustain demand for Cox's club appearances, while focused on her family and new album projects, she released a dance single titled House Is Not a Home on Nervous Records in January 2006. Later in the year, the song "Definition of Love" was used in the movie Akeelah and the Bee, but was not released as a single.

[edit] 2006–2007: Destination Moon

Between 2005 and 2006 Deborah recorded her fourth album, called Destination Moon. It is a tribute to jazz singer Dinah Washington and was released on June 19, 2007.

Cox performed the Canadian national anthem at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans. She contributed the song "This Gift" to the soundtrack of the 2008 movie Meet the Browns and was part of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour 2008. Deborah has also starred in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" along side Golden Brooks and Darius McCrary.

[edit] 2008–2009: The Promise

In early 2008, Cox & Stephens created the Deco Recording Group, her very own independent label, which is distributed through Image Entertainment. Soon she started recording songs for a new album.

Her fifth R&B studio album, The Promise, was released on November 11, 2008. The first single "Did You Ever Love Me" was released to radio on August 26, 2008 and peaked at #69 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. The song "Beautiful U R" has been released digitally to iTunes and Amazon.com on September 16, 2008. It has recently reached #3 on the Canadian Radio Chart becoming her most successful single in nearly ten years. It also peaked at #3 on the Canadian Hot AC Chart (January, 2009 Chart) and hit #1 on the US Dance chart becoming her tenth song to do it. Deborah has also appeared during her promotion for "The Promise" with interviews on Entertainment Tonight Canada, E-Talk, CHUM FM, Proud FM, various CBC radio shows, and over 70 interviews across the country. The video for "Beautiful U.R." is directed by Lil X, and has been serviced on November 15, 2008. The song was certified gold for digital downloads in January, 2009. "Saying Goodbye" was sent to Urban/AC radios in February, while "The Promise" is scheduled to be released as a single in July. Cox joined forces with Kenny Lattimore for the "Timeless Promise Tour" in July 2009.

The Promise debuted and peaked at #106 on the US Top 200 and on #14 on the US R&B Album Chart selling 6,419 copies in its first week. As of September 19, 2009 it has sold about 38,700 copies in the US.

In April 2009, she was featured on the single "Leave The World Behind". The house track was produced by four DJs — Axwell, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Laidback Luke. It peaked at #40 on the US Dance chart.

2010–present: The Queen Project & Untitled Dance Album[link]

In September 2009 it was announced she would be joining Kelly Price and Tamia to form the super group The Queen Project. In a February 2012 interview with Seattle Gay News, Cox confirmed that those plans were on hold, due to scheduling issues. "Each of us has moved on and we are all doing our own projects now." She also noted that she is currently working on a dance album. "My fans have been hounding me about another 'remixed' album."^[4]

In December 2011 Deborah achieved her 11th number 1 with "If It wasn't for Love"

Personal life[link]

Cox currently lives in Miami, Florida. She is married to her high school sweetheart and manager, Lascelles Stephens.^[5] They have three children: son, Isaiah (born July 1, 2003), and two daughters, Sumayah (born June 29, 2006), and Kaila Michelle (born February 23, 2009).^[6]

Discography[link]

• 1995: Deborah Cox
• 1998: One Wish
• 2002: The Morning After
• 2007: Destination Moon
• 2008: The Promise

Awards and nominations[link]

1996

• Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording (Deborah Cox).
• Nominated: American Music Award for Favorite New Artist – Soul/Rhythm & Blues.

1997

• Nominated: Juno Award for Best Female Vocalist.

1998

• Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording ("Things Just Ain't the Same").
• Won: Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Female ("Nobody's Supposed to Be Here").

1999

• Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording (One Wish).
• Nominated: Juno Award for Best Female Vocalist.
• Won: Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year ("Nobody's Supposed to Be Here").

2000

• Nominated: Genie Award for Best Original Song ("Our Love" and "29").
• Nominated: Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo ("Same Script, Different Cast" feat. Whitney Houston).
• Nominated: Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist ("We Can't Be Friends")

2002

• Nominated: Juno Award for Best Dance Recording ("Absolutely Not").

2008

• Nominated: Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year (Destination Moon).
• Received a star on walk of fame, in Toronto's Scarborough Town Centre.

2009

• Nominated: Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (The Promise).

See also[link]

	Book: Deborah Cox
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Deborah Cox

• Official website
• Deborah Cox at MySpace
• Deborah Cox at the Internet Movie Database
• Discography
• Deborah Cox at Southern Decadence