Brettina grew up in a show business family. Her mother is the gospel singer Leona Coakley-Spring. Her uncles are Theo and Kirk Coakley of the funk, disco, and R&B; band T‑Connection. Others in her family are actors and musicians too. She was destined for a show business career.

She was born in the Bahamas in Nassau, the capital city. She began singing in early childhood. She spent several years of her childhood in Chicago, where she continued singing, acted in local theater, and appeared in national television commercials.

Her mother brought her and her brothers back to the Bahamas during her school years, to make sure she didn't lose touch with her island-nation homeland. After a brief struggle to adapt to the strict school discipline, she thrived, regained her Bahamian accent, and won the Miss Bahamas Talented Teen competition.

Her family returned to the United States before she finished school, settling in Seattle, where she made the transition back to US school culture. She continued her education at the University of Washington, where she studied cross-cultural communications and arts.

For some years she was unable to visit the Bahamas, and over time she lost her accent. She became homesick, which was the inspiration for several of her songs.

She moved to the Los Angeles area to pursue an entertainment career. She is a jazz singer, performing mainly in Los Angeles and Seattle. As an actor, she has performed in television advertisements. With her exotic beauty, she has also worked as a print model.

With her birthplace, years of school, and family in the Bahamas, it feels like home. With her years in Seattle, and many family and friends there, that feels like home too. And living in metropolitan Los Angeles, that's home now. With that background, maybe it's best if she calls all three places "home".