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Destiny’s Child is a three-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B group. Originally a quartet, the group eventually became a trio whose members were Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. According to the World Music Awards, Destiny’s Child is the best selling female group of all time. Billboard ranks the group as one of the greatest musical trios of all time. On June 12, 2005, they announced on tour in Barcelona that they would no longer be performing together, but pursuing individual careers in music, theatre, television and film.

Biography

Early years

In 1990, Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson met at elementary school and became friends instantly; the duo loved singing. Beyoncé’s father, Mathew Knowles, set about developing an act based on their singing and rapping, under the name Girl's Tyme, which included R&B singers Keke Wyatt and Támar. As a result 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. They did not win that particular competition, however this had little effect on the group. LaTavia Roberson met Kelly Rowland in school and introduced her to Beyoncé Knowles. In 1993, LeToya Luckett joined the act. The group underwent several name changes — Girl’s Tyme, The Dolls, Something Fresh, and Cliché — before sticking with Destiny’s Child, based on a passage from the Book of Isaiah in the Bible. 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 Immature. In 1997, Destiny’s Child was offered a recording contract by Columbia Records, which they accepted.

Destiny’s Child

The group made their recording debut with "Killing Time," which appeared on the soundtrack for the 1997 film Men in Black. Destiny’s Child released their debut album Destiny’s Child to mixed reviews on February 17 1998. The albums 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 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 number one on the Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and #3 on the Hot 100 chart. The single sold over 5 million copies. However, follow-up singles "With Me Part 1" and "Get On The Bus" failed to reproduce the success of "No, No, No". Although "With Me Part 1" had made a peaked at thirty-five on US Rhythmic Top 40 in 1998. 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 2 million copies worldwide. Destiny’s Child failed awards & nominations. However, Destiny’s Child garned 3 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards in 1998. They won for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo and Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist for the single "No, No, No", and Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Group, Band, or Duo their self-titled debut and was also nominated for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year for "No, No, No".

The Writing’s on the Wall

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 number one Hot 100 hit (and second R&B number one) in the summer of 1999, and paced by its success, the accompanying album, The Writing's on the Wall, entered the Billboard 200 at number six 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.

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 — Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin — 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 number-one 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. After Luckett and Robersons' attempt to launch another girl group, "Anjel", failed, Luckett went solo. In 2006 she found success when her debut album, "LeToya" went to number one on the "Billboard 200", providing the number two R&B smash, "Torn".

In June 2000, the album’s fourth single, "Jumpin' Jumpin'", became a top-five hit; however, another departure came from the ever-evolving girl-group. Farrah Franklin, who had replaced an original member just five months earlier, 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 in the United States alone and sell 12 million units 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 furthered the girls' careers as it was one of the top ten selling albums of 2000.

Now a trio of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams, Destiny’s Child were chosen 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 eleven consecutive weeks at number one (the longest running of 2000 and by a female group). They quickly began work on a new album to capitalize on their success. In February 2001, Destiny’s Child won two 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

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, except for the song "Emotion" (written by Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees), which was a cover of the hit song originally performed by Samantha Sang. This version of Emotion was produced by Mark J. Feist and Beyoncé. "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 — 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 an inaccurate statement, as some of the songs are completely sung/lead by Knowles, including "Brown Eyes, "Perfect Man", "Dance With Me" (in the Australian and U.K. special versions of "Survivor"), and "Dangerously in Love", the song that Beyoncé used for the title and lead track for her solo album, even though it was credited as being sung by Destiny’s Child, while Destiny’s Child are heard in the background. However, the lead vocals on the majority of songs on the album are divided evenly, where Knowles and Rowland sing a verse each and Williams does the bridge, however there were some variations, particularly on "Bootylicious" (where Rowland sings two verses) and "Independent Women Part 1" (where Knowles sings the first and second verses and Rowland 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 last becoming the group’s fourth number-one Hot 100 single. A melismatic cover of the Bee Gees' "Emotion" was also successful, becoming a top-ten pop hit. Survivor sold well, certified 4x platinum domestically and went on to sell over 10 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 double platinum and debuted at number four on the charts. It made a comeback months later, peaking at number eight on the Australian charts. "Independent Women Part 1" reached number four and was certified double platinum, Survivor reached number seven and went platinum, Bootylicious reached number four and went Platinum, "Emotion" reached twenty-two and went Gold, and "Nasty Girl" reached number ten and also went Gold. In total the albums and singles sold more than 450,000 units in Australia, and for the second year running, were one of the top twenty selling artists in Australia (following "the writing’s on the wall" a year earlier). In the U.S., 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. The group also finished the International leg of their successful world tour this year.

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 number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart and sold 480,000 copies in the U.S and was certified gold.

Her second gospel album, Do You Know reached number two on the Top Christian Album chart and number three on the Top Gospel Albums chart shortly after its release in January 2004. To date, this album has sold just over 350,000 copies in the U.S.

Williams also received rave reviews after replacing Toni Braxton in the lead role of Aida on Broadway in November 2003. In 2007, Williams will star in the regional production in Chicago of the musical version of The Color Purple (currently on Broadway) as Shug Avery, a glamorous singer known for her sexual desires.

Kelly Rowland

In October 2002, Rowland’s solo debut, Simply Deep featured the number-one Hot 100 hit "Dilemma", a Grammy-winning (Best Rap/Song Collaboration) duet with hip-hop superstar Nelly, Dilemma eventually spent ten weeks at number one. The debut album did achieve moderate success. With "Dilemma" Rowland became the first member of Destiny’s Child to reach number one outside the group. Internationally, Rowland was on a roll, reaching number one in the U.K., where her album was certified platinum, and in several other countries' album charts went gold (Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the U.S.), reaching number three on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart and twelve on the Billboard 200. The album has sold over 500,000 copies receiving gold status in the United States and two million worldwide. In 2003, Rowland made her feature film debut in the horror film Freddy vs. Jason. On July 3, 2007 she released her 2nd studio-album Ms. Kelly, which features Like This, a collaboration with Eve and eleven other tracks.

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". The song was a different style for Knowles and failed to achieve commercial success in the US, (although it was successful overseas), which led her to scrap most of the 45 songs recorded for her solo debut.

Her 2003 solo debut, Dangerously in Love, debuted at number one and sold over four million copies in the United States and eight million worldwide. It yielded the number-one hits "Crazy in Love" featuring hip hop superstar Jay-Z (certified 2x platinum), and "Baby Boy" featuring Sean Paul (certified platinum). Top-five songs "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", the latter also certified gold, followed.

Critically, Knowles has been well-received by many, even netting five 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. Same year, Knowles co-starred in her second feature film, The Fighting Temptations alongside Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr..

In September 2006, Beyoncé continued her success with her sophomore album B'Day. B'Day won one Grammy for "Best Contemporary R&B Album", and Knowles also starred in Dreamgirls, the film production of the 1981 hit Broadway musical.

Destiny Fulfilled

After three years apart, achieving individual success in films, on Broadway, endorsements and with solo albums, the three women of Destiny’s Child reunited with a new album, Destiny Fulfilled. A worldwide concert tour, sponsored by McDonald's, Destiny Fulfilled… and Lovin' It Tour, went to sixteen countries and over seventy-five cities worldwide, starting 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 Beyoncé no longer assumed the central position- this was now occupied by Williams and Rowland, who are the central figure on the cover of Destiny Fulfilled, 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, Knowles and Rowland singing a verse each, and Williams singing the bridge or the third verse, however there were some variations, particularly in "Bad Habit" (in which Rowland sings all the vocals), "Love" (Rowland sings two verses), "Free" and "Through With Love" (in which Knowles sings two verses, Rowland sings the bridge, and Williams sings one verse). In terms of background vocals, most are clearly performed by Knowles and Rowland with Williams singing in a low alto register to provide a full sound, however Knowles voice is the most audible. But in the chorus of the song, "Soldier", Rowland and Williams can clearly be heard as well as Knowles. Knowles, however, continued to 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 ten, reaching number three in February 2005 becoming the group’s tenth top-ten hit. "Lose My Breath" was certified double platinum and "Soldier" was certified platinum by the RIAA. After receiving mixed reviews, , Destiny Fulfilled was certified 3x platinum in early 2005, and has sold over seven million copies worldwide. The album’s third and fourth singles were "Girl" and "Cater 2 U", both of which went gold. 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 group 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 would disband after their world tour ends in the fall of 2005. 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 which was released March 28 2006.

The group released their greatest hits album, #1’s on October 25, 2005. Despite the title of the album, they had only five number-one singles on the billboard chart. The album includes three new songs, one titled "Stand up for Love". 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. #1's reached number six on the official U.K. album top forty, with first week sales over 30,000 and number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 Album chart with sales of 113,000. The album has sold over three million copies worldwide to date.

Mattel released Destiny’s Child Barbie Collector Dolls in August 2005. 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. Knowles 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." On March 28 2006, Destiny’s Child were cemented on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in August they were awarded for winning the Billboard Poll for best music trio ever.

Mini- Reunion

On Wednesday February 28, 2007 on MTV’s TRL, Beyoncé Knowles announced that for the re-release of her album B'Day she would have a music video for every song on the b-side and that Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland were featured in the video for "Get Me Bodied." Recently in another appearance on the broadcast show she was asked by a VJ what was going on with Destiny’s Child and she answered with, "Actually I just did a video with them..."

Knowles explained that doing the choreography rehearsals brought out the kids in them and that they were all 'goofy' during rehearsals. The video is for "Get Me Bodied" and will feature Beyoncé, Kelly, Michelle, and Beyoncé’s sister Solange. The video was released on the B'Day Anthology Video Album in early April 2007. She said, "It felt like old times..." Later in the episode she quoted that Destiny’s Child could reunite in 2007 to make a song or single/video.

On Tuesday, June 26, 2007, Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle made a mini-reunion at the 2007 BET Awards. Beyoncé performed Get Me Bodied with special guests Michelle, Solange, and Mo'Nique. Then, Kelly performed Like This with Eve. After the performance, they all danced to Like This.

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.

Knowles, Rowland, along with Mathew Knowles, Tina Knowles, and Solange Knowles, 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

Albums

• Destiny’s Child (February 17, 1998)
• The Writing's on the Wall (July 27, 1999)
• Survivor (May 01, 2001)
• Love: Destiny (2001)
• 8 Days of Christmas (October, 2001)
• This Is The Remix (March 12, 2002)
• Destiny Fulfilled (November 15, 2004)
• #1's (October 25, 2005)

Awards

• Destiny’s Child awards and accolades
• Destiny’s Child Grammy nominations

Pop culture references

The band’s seemingly frequent lineup changes prompted Saturday Night Live to spoof the band with their recurring sketch Gemini’s Twin, a band featuring two core singers, and a third rotating spot (which would be occupied by the current show’s host). When Destiny’s Child was the musical guest on May 5 2001, they appeared as a rival band known as Serendipity’s Coincidence.

Tours

• "Boyz 2 Men Tour" as opening act: 1998
• "TLC: FanMail Tour" as opening act: 1999
• Britney Spears' Hawaii concert, as part of the Crazy2k Tour: 2000
• Christina Aguilera’s Sears & Levis US Tour as opening act: 2000
• "European Tour": 2000
• "TRL Tour": 2001
• "World Tour" : 2002
• "Destiny Fulfilled… and Lovin' It Tour" (sponsored by McDonald's): 2005

Books

• Soul Survivors: 2002

DVDs

• The Platinum's on the Wall: 2001
• Destiny's Child World Tour: 2003
• 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)

Number-one singles (United World Chart)

(Three Number-ones in a row)

• "Independent Women Part I"
• "Survivor"
• "Bootylicious"

• "Lose My Breath"

Number-one singles (Billboard Hot 100)

• "Bills, Bills, Bills"
• "Say My Name"
• "Independent Women Part I"
• "Bootylicious"

Notable performances

• 2001 "Emotions" performed at Kodak Theatre
• 2001 Grammy Awards
• 2005 "Cater 2 U" at the BET Awards '05
• 2005 World Music Awards tribute to Destiny’s Child performed by Amerie, Rihanna & Teairra Marí
• 2006 "Star-Spangled Banner" at NBA All-Star Game
• 2007 BET Awards but not as Destiny's Child and featuring Solangé Knowles

See also

• List of Hip Hop Musicians from Houston, Texas
• 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
• Houston hip hop

References

1. "Sony BMG Music. Retrieved December 28 2006
2. "Destiny’s World Domination." Yahoo News Retrieved December 28, 2006.
3. "Destiny’s Child Ruled at World Music Awards". Softpedia. Retrieved December 28, 2006.
4. Greatest Trios of All Time
5. Isaiah 65:11 ends with the word "Destiny" in both the New International Version and the New American Standard Bible . "Child" was reportedly added by Mathew Knowles, though a similar word appears in Isaiah 65:8 ("descendants" in NIV; "offspring" in NASB).
6. http://www.riaa.com/

External links

• Destiny’s Child MySpace
• Official Website

• Misplaced Pages articles needing copy edit from May 2007
• Destiny's Child
• 1990s music groups
• 2000s music groups
• African American musicians
• American pop music groups
• American rhythm and blues musical groups
• BRIT Award winners
• Girl groups
• Grammy Award winners
• Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Musical groups established in 1990
• Texas musical groups
• Trios