Virtue

It all began at Oakwood College in 1994 when Karima Trotter Kibble recruited her sister Ebony Trotter Holland and friend Shavonne Floyd Sampson to sing at the popular Friday night youth service called AYS. From this point on they began singing at other campus and community events and named themselves Endurance. Shortly after, Negelle Sumter was introduced to the girls by a mutual friend and became the fourth member. Singing just for fun, these girls had no idea that they would become one of Gospel’s leading female groups.

Tara Griggs Magee, Vice President of Verity Records heard about the group and began attending their rehearsals. Impressed and moved by their talent, she prayerfully decided that this group needed to be heard by the world, so they became one of the first acts that she signed.   In searching for a name she wanted something different; a name that would suggest purity, class, beauty, brains, and talent, but most importantly, a name that would personify the Biblical description of the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. Hence the name Virtue was born.

In 1997, the first debut self-titled album Virtue drew much attention with standout cuts like “Greatest Part of Me”, “I Must Tell Jesus”, and “Let the Redeemed” and received  both Stellar and Dove nominations. Enjoying the success of the first album, the group was set to release another album in 1999. Not long after the release of their second album Get Ready, which includes the popular hits “Get Ready”, and “Angels Watching Over Me”, the group experienced its first member change. Shavonne Sampson decided to trade in the road life to become a full-time mother. Convinced that it was God who brought Virtue together, Ebony, Karima and Negelle prayed for a new member. Little did they know the member was with them all along!

Baby sister of Ebony and Karima, and devoted fan of Virtue, Heather Trotter was the answer to their prayer. Growing from changes and experience, Virtue was learning the lesson of

total dependence on God. This lesson would come in handy when after recording songs  for their third project Virtuosity, group member Negelle Sumter announced that she wanted to purse other interests and become a full-time mother as well.

Now the group is comprised of Ebony Trotter Holland, Karima Trotter Kibble, and Heather Trotter, all blood sisters and natives of New Orleans, Louisiana.  “Who would have thought that Virtue would end up being the Trotter Sisters”, exclaims Karima. “He knows the plans for our lives, we just have to put our trust in Him,” adds Ebony. As a result, this ministry has evolved into a more personal one. They share their testimony of struggling to grow up in a single-parent home in the hopes of offering encouragement to single-parents and children growing up in the same circumstances. Also they don’t hesitate to reveal that being in the industry is hard. “We’ve been through so much in our individual lives and careers that we just want to share what we’ve learned to help others think more positively and keep fighting to win”, says Heather.

With the fourth album Free, the message that Virtue wants to share with the world, this time around, is that freedom and success is within your reach because Jesus made it possible when He died for us on Calvary. He wants you to be free of all negativity!  With this album Virtue invited the listener to grow with them, and to realize that the blessed things in life are truly FREE!

Virtue recently signed a new recording contract with DarkChild Gospel, Inc.  They’re currently working on their next CD, with an expected release date in the Summer of 2005.  It will be written and produced by the DarkChild team who has had multi-platinum success working with  artists such as Kirk Franklin, Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and “KiKi” Sheard just to name a few.

For more information, visit www.virtuegirls.com