Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child was an American R&B group. Originally a duo and later a quartet, the group eventually became a trio, whose most famous (and final) members were Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The group has record sales of 50 million albums and singles. On June 12, 2005, they announced on tour in Barcelona, Spain, that they will no longer be performing together, instead pursuing individual careers in music, theatre, television and film.

Musical career

Early years

Destiny's Child was formed in Houston, Texas, in 1990, when original members Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson were just nine years old. Knowles' father, Mathew, set about developing an act based on their singing and rapping, under the name Girls Tyme. Because of her father's involvement, Beyoncé Knowles was always the leader of the group. They landed an appearance on Star Search, where they performed a rap song. LaTavia Roberson met Kelly Rowland in elementary school and introduced her to Beyoncé. [1] Rowland eventually moved in with the Knowleses after her mother decided to move back to Atlanta, Georgia. In 1993, LeToya Luckett joined the act. The quartet's lineup was finalized (for the time being). Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother, took their name from a passage in the Book of Isaiah. They spent the next few years working their way up from the Houston club scene, eventually opening for popular R&B artists like SWV, Dru Hill, and . In 1995, Destiny's Child signed with Elektra Records but got dropped. In 1997, Destiny's Child was offered a recording contract by Columbia Records. In their early years Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland were provided an intensive education by the artist and pedagogue David Lee Brewer, who today leads the artist development agency Brewer-International in Berlin, Germany.

Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child's first album, Destiny's Child (From left to right: Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, LeToya Luckett, and Beyoncé Knowles.

The group made their recording debut with "Killing Time," which appeared on the soundtrack for the 1997 blockbuster, Men in Black. Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut album to mixed reviews on February 17, 1998. The album's first single, "No, No, No" featured two completely different versions of the same song. "No, No, No Part 1" and "No, No, No Part 2" were both released simultaneously, however, Part 2 was considered a "remix" version of Part 1. "No, No, No Part 2", featuring The Fugees member Wyclef Jean, quickly climbed to #1 on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and #3 on the Hot 100 chart. The single sold over 1 million copies. However, follow-up singles "With Me Part 1" and "Get On The Bus" failed to reproduce the success of "No, No, No". Destiny's Child eventually went Platinum after later success. Expectations were not high for the group's second album, as most industry critics considered them to be another disposable R&B girl group with one-hit wonder status. The LP Destiny's Child eventually sold more than 3 million copies worldwide.

The Writing's on the Wall

Destiny's Child's second album, The Writing's on the Wall. LaTavia Roberson (top), Beyoncé Knowles (bottom), LeToya Luckett (left), and Kelly Rowland (right).

Destiny's Child re-entered the studio quickly, bringing in a new lineup of producers, including Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Rodney Jerkins, Dwayne Wiggins, Chad Elliot, Daryl Simmons, and Missy Elliott. Critics were generally positive about the album; Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote "The Writing's on the Wall…an assured step forward for the girl group. Not only are they maturing as vocalists, they are fortunate to work with such skilled, talented producers…who all give the quartet rich, varied music upon which to work their charm." Lead single "Bills, Bills, Bills" became the group's first No. 1 Hot 100 hit (and second R&B No. 1) in the summer of 1999, and paced by its success, the accompanying album, The Writing's on the Wall, entered the Billboard 200 at No.6 upon its release on July 27, 1999. The second single, "Bug-a-Boo" hit the Top 40 pop charts, while its music video received heavy rotation on MTV and BET. During international promotions for the album they made the tour diary ‘ASAP' with Burning Vision Entertainment. [2]

The 2000 quartet: (from left to right): Michelle, Beyoncé, Farrah, and Kelly. Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin joined Destiny's Child after members LeToya and LaTavia left

Buoyed by the group's breakout success, two of its original members, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, attempted to split with manager Mathew Knowles, charging that he kept a disproportionate share of the band's profits, attempted to exert too much control, and unfairly favored his daughter. While they never intended to leave the group, relations naturally grew strained, and when the video for "Say My Name" premiered in February 2000, many fans (not to mention Roberson and Luckett) were surprised to find two new members â€" Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin â€" joining Knowles and Rowland. Infuriated, Roberson and Luckett took legal action in March, suing both Knowles and their former bandmates for breach of partnership and fiduciary duties. A war of words followed in the press; meanwhile, Destiny's Child became a pop-cultural phenomenon. "Say My Name" became the group's biggest single to date and third No. 1 single. The abrupt membership changes within the group seemed to only heighten the group's visibility, finally separating them from the endless pack of teen pop starlets.

In June 2000, the album's fourth single, "Jumpin' Jumpin'" became a Top 5 hit, however, another departure came from the ever-evolving girl-group. Farrah Franklin, who had replaced an original member just five months prior, left the group for various personal reasons. This split was less controversial, while The Writing's on the Wall would eventually be certified 8x platinum domestically and sell over 13 million copies worldwide. In the meantime, toward the end of 2000, Roberson and Luckett dropped the portion of their lawsuit aimed at Rowland and Knowles in exchange for a settlement, though they continued to pursue action against Knowles' father; as part of the agreement, both sides were prohibited from attacking each other publicly. The Writings on the Wall propelled the girls careers as it was one of the top 10 selling albums of 2000 and was the biggest selling album of the year by a female and African-American group.

Now a trio of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams, Destiny's Child were tapped to record the theme song for the film version of Charlie's Angels; released as a single in October 2000, "Independent Women, Pt. 1" raced up the charts and spent an astounding 11 consecutive weeks at No.1 (the longest running of 2000 and by a female group). They quickly began work on a new album to capitalize on their success. In the meantime, Destiny's Child won 2 Grammy awards for "Say My Name", including Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best R&B Song. While speaking with MTV.com, Rowland had this to say about the upcoming album: "I know everybody can relate to this album it's very diverse and inspiring. The year 2000 was very challenging, and I know that gave Beyoncé a lot of inspiration to write songs for the album. We cannot wait for everybody to hear it. It's so empowering for a lot of people who have already heard a little bit of it."

Survivor

Destiny's Child's third album, Survivor

On the third Destiny's Child album, Beyoncé assumed more control than ever before, taking a greater hand in co-producing and co-writing the entire album. "We're excited about the album," Knowles told MTV News shortly before the album's release. She adds, "…I got a chance to co-write and produce all of the songs." "And she did an incredible job," the group's Kelly Rowland added. "But everybody is a part of the music," Knowles said. "Everybody is singing lead on every song, and it's so great â€" because now Destiny's Child is at the point vocally and mentally that it should be at. It's just great to be a part of this group." Arguably, this was clearly an inaccurate statement, as some of the songs are completely sung by Beyonce, including "Brown Eyes", "Perfect Man" and "Dance With Me" (in the Australian and UK special versions of 'Survivor'), as well as "Dangerously In Love"- the song that Beyonce used for the title and lead track for her solo album, even though it was credited as being sung by Destiny's Child. However, the lead vocals, on the majority of songs on the album, are divided evenly, where Beyonce and Kelly sing a verse each, and Michelle does the bridge, however there were some variations, particularly on "Bootylicious" (where Kelly sings two verses) and "Independent Women Part 1" (where Beyonce sings first and second verses, whilst Kelly sings the pre-chorus twice).

Survivor - whose title was reportedly inspired by a DJ's joke about Destiny's Child members voting one another off the island, much like the popular CBS reality series Survivor - hit stores in the spring of 2001, and entered the Billboard 200 at number one, selling over 663,000 copies in its first week sales (the highest ever for a girl-group.) The first three singles, "Independent Women Part I", "Survivor" and "Bootylicious", were predictably huge hits, with the latter becoming the group's fourth No.1 Hot 100 single. An über-melismatic cover of the Bee Gees' "Emotion" was also successful, becoming a Top 10 pop hit. Survivor sold well - certified 4x platinum domestically and going on to sell a total over 12 million worldwide. In the UK, Destiny's Child had two consecutive hit singles at number one which were "Independent Women Part 1" and "Survivor". In Australia, the album was certified 2x platinum and debuted at #4 on the charts. It made a comeback months later, peaking at #8 on the Australian charts. "Independent Women Part 1" reached #4 and went 2x platinum, Survivor reached #7 and went platinum, Bootylicious reached #4 and went Platinum, "Emotion" reached #22 and went Gold, and "Nasty Girl" reached #10 and also went Gold. All Up the albums and singles sold more than 450,000 units in Australia, and for the second year running, were one of the top 20 selling artists in Australia (following "the writing's on the wall" a year earlier)In the US, The LP was the seventh highest selling album of the year.Toward the end of the year, the group released a holiday album, 8 Days of Christmas, and announced plans for a series of side projects, including solo albums from all three members (to be staggered over the next year and a half, so as to avoid competition). In early 2002, a remix compilation titled This Is the Remix was released to tide fans over.

Solo projects after Survivor

Michelle Williams

Williams became the first member of Destiny's Child to have a solo project released. Heart To Yours, a contemporary gospel collection, reached No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart and sold 300,000 copies in the U.S.. Her second gospel album, Do You Know reached the No. 2 slot on the Top Christian Album chart and No. 3 on the Top Gospel Albums chart shortly after its release in January 2004. Williams also received rave reviews after replacing Toni Braxton in the lead role of Aida on Broadway in November 2003. To date this album has sold just over 100,000 copies in the U.S..

Kelly Rowland

In October 2002, Rowland's solo debut, Simply Deep featured the No.1 Hot 100 smash hit, "Dilemma", a Grammy-winning (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration) duet with hip-hop superstar Nelly, Dilemma eventually spent 10 weeks at #1. The debut album did achieve moderate success. With "Dilemma" Rowland became the first member of Destiny's Child to hit No. 1 outside of the group. Internationally, Kelly was on a roll, hitting the No. 1 slot on the U.K., where her album was certified platinum, and in several other countries' album charts when Gold in Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand Canada and in the U.S. peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart and No. 12 on the Billboard 200. Simply Deep is certified gold in the US. The album has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States and 1.5 million worldwide [3]. In 2003, Rowland made her feature film debut in the horror flick "Freddy Vs. Jason".

Beyoncé Knowles

In 2001, Knowles co-starred with Mekhi Phifer in MTV's remake of Bizet's Carmen, Carmen: A Hip Hopera. In 2002, Knowles co-starred with Mike Myers in the box-office blockbuster Austin Powers in Goldmember. She recorded a single for its soundtrack called "Work It Out", it was a different style for Knowles and the song flopped in the US (although it was successful overseas), which led her to scrap most of the 45 songs recorded for her solo debut.

Her breakout solo success has far eclipsed the other two Destiny's Child members. Her 2003 solo debut, Dangerously In Love, debuted at No. 1 and sold over four million copies in the United States and eleven million worldwide. It yielded the No. 1 hits "Crazy In Love" featuring hip hop superstar Jay-Z (certified 2x platinum), and "Baby Boy" featuring Sean Paul (certified platinum). Top 5 songs "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", the latter also certified gold, followed.

Critically, Knowles has been well-received by many, even netting 5 Grammy awards in one night, for Dangerously In Love, tying the record for most Grammys received in one night by a female with Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, and Norah Jones.

Knowles is dating rapper Jay-Z, although their much talked about romance remains a mystery to most. Both Knowles and Jay-Z refuse to comment on the relationship. In September 2003, Knowles co-starred in her second feature film, The Fighting Temptations alongside Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr.

Destiny Fulfilled

Destiny's Child's fourth and final studio album, Destiny Fulfilled

After three years apart, achieving individual success in movies, on Broadway, endorsements and with solo albums, the three women of Destiny's Child reunited with a new album, Destiny Fulfilled. The album is claimed to have been written and recorded in three weeks, which is an achievement on its own. A world tour, sponsored by McDonald's, "Destiny Fulfilled ...and Lovin' It", hit 16 countries and over 75 cities worldwide, kicking off in Hiroshima, Japan on April 9, 2005, and ending in Vancouver, Canada; stops included Australia, Europe, and the U.S. and Canada. "Lose My Breath" the album's first single, produced by Rodney Jerkins, became the group's ninth Top 10 Hot 100 hit. The album saw the trio shift to a harder, 'urban' sound and was released in November 2004. The album also saw greater equality in the trio, with each member contributing to writing on all tracks on the album, as well as becoming executive producers aside Matthew Knowles. This was also evident in the photography, as Beyonce no longer assumed the central position- this was now occupied by Kelly and Michelle- who is the central figure on the cover of the 'Destiny Fulfilled' album, as well as a lot of the accompanying photography and posters promoting the album. In terms of lead vocals, on nearly all tracks, these are divided evenly, where Beyonce and Kelly do a verse each, and Michelle does the bridge, however there were some variations, particularly in "Bad Habit" (where Kelly sings all verses and possibly all vocals), "Love" (kelly sings 2 verses), "Free" and "Through With Love" (where Beyonce sings 2 verses). In terms of background vocals, most are clearly performed by Beyonce and Kelly, however Beyonce is a lot more audible. But in the chorus of the song, "Soldier", you can clearly hear both Kelly and Michelle, as well as Beyonce. Beyonce however continued be the central figure of Destiny's Child, as she co-produced most of the tracks, alongside producers such as Rodney Jerkins, Mario Winans, Erron Williams, Rockwilder, Rich Harrison and Brian Michael Cox. The second single, "Soldier" featuring rappers T.I. and Lil Wayne quickly entered the Top 10, peaking at No.3 in February 2005 becoming the groups tenth Top 10 hit. "Lose My Breath" was certified 2x platinum and "Soldier" was certified platinum by the RIAA. Despite receiving worldwide mixed reviews, Destiny Fulfilled was certified 3x Platinum in early 2005 and has sold over 8 million copies worldwide. The album's third and fourth singles were "Girl" and "Cater 2 U," both of which went Gold by the RIAA respectively. In Australia, New Zealand and across Europe the album was certified Platinum.Destiny Fulfilled was one of the best selling albums of 2005 and it pushed the ladies back into the position of the best selling female group and American group of the year.

The album did not win any of the Grammy awards for which it was nominated.During this time, Destiny's Child was named the Best Selling Female Group of All Time by the World Music Awards.

Final destiny and the future

On June 13, 2005, it was announced the group will disband after their world tour ends in the fall of 2005. [4] It was decided that the split would occur after the very last concert in Vancouver, Canada. The group first appeared on MTV's Total Request Live on June 21, 2005 to officially confirm their split. Their management decided to document their final tour for a special farewell DVD to be released March 28, 2006. It must be noted that Beyoncé herself has been quoted as saying that the breakup of the group is not permanent and she would not rule out any future Destiny's Child projects.

The group released their greatest hits album, # 1's on October 25, 2005, [5][6], which includes three new songs. One of the new songs is titled Stand Up For Love [7]. Lyrically the song is the anthem for World Children's Day, but relates to troubled times such as third world poverty, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the late 2004 tsunami. "Stand Up For Love" was Destiny's Child's last single. Number 1's charted at #6 on the official UK album top 40 with first week sales over 30,000 and #1 on U.S. Billboard 200 Album chart with sales of 113,000.

Mattel released Destiny's Child Barbie Collector Dolls in August 2005. With Destiny's Child's recent breakup announcement, this trio of dolls is expected to become a major collector's item. In November 2005, Destiny's Child helped Wal-Mart kick off an intensive holiday campaign with television ads with the group celebrating the holidays with family and friends. Destiny's Child's last televised performance was at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game on February 19 in Houston, Texas. Beyoncé told MTV News, "Every time we go on someone's television show, they want to be the person to say it's the last show. But we've said a million times, 'It's not the last show!' Because we're gonna sing together again, again and again. We love each other and we're friends. It's the last album, but it's not the last show." [8] On March 28th, 2006, Destiny's Child received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Philanthropy

David Foster and his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies wrote Destiny's Child's last single Stand Up For Love for World Children's Day, an event which takes place annually around the world on November 20 to raise awareness and funds for children's causes worldwide. Over the past three years, more than $50 million has been raised to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children's organizations. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 program.

Beyoncé Knowles, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, along with Mathew Knowles, Tina Knowles and Solange Knowles-Smith recently announced the formation of the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing for Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas area. The Survivor Foundation extends the philanthropic mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center For Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston.

Discography

For a detailed look at the group's discography, see Destiny's Child discography.

Awards

Destiny's Child receives a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. The group was honored at a ceremony on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 in the pouring rain. (From left to right: Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams.

For a detailed look at the group's awards, see Destiny's Child awards and accolades.

Miscellaneous

Tours
*"Boyz 2 Men Tour" as opening act: 1998
*"TLC: Fanmail Tour" as opening act: 1999
*"Christina Aguilera Tour" as opening act: 1999
*"European Tour": 2000
*"TRL Tour": 2001
*"World Tour" : 2002
*"Destiny Fulfilled… and Lovin' It" (sponsored by McDonald's) Tour: 2005

Books
*Soul Survivors: 2002

DVDs
*The Platinum's on The Wall: 2001
*Destiny's Child World Tour: 2003
*Beyoncé Live At Wembley (Beyoncé): 2004
*Destiny's Child: Destiny Fulfilled CD/DVD 2005 Tour Edition: 2005
* #1's: 2005
*Destiny's Child: Live In Atlanta: 2006 debuted at #1(2 weeks)

Bold textNotable Performances2002 Grammy Music AwardsStar-Spangled Banner at 2006 NBA All-Star Game

See also

*List of best selling music artists
*List of number-one hits (United States)
*List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
*List of number-one dance hits (United States)
*List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
*List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
*Gemini's Twin

External links

*Official Website
*Official Fanclub MyDestinysChild.com