Destiny's Child was an American R&B group. Originally a quartet, the group eventually became a trio consisting of 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. [1][2][3] Billboard ranked the group as one of the greatest musical trios of all time.
[4][5]. On June 12, 2005, the three announced
in Barcelona that they would no longer be performing together after completing their tour, and
will pursue their individual careers in music, theatre, television, and film.
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. 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[6]. 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
The Writing’s on the Wall (1999)
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. [2]
The 2000 quartet; from the "Say My Name" music video shoot. From left to right: Williams, Knowles, Franklin, and Roland
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.
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 over 13 million units worldwide. [7]. 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."
Solo projects after The Writings on the Wall
After only a few short months as a member of Destiny's Child Franklin abruptly left the group. Since then she has been
continuing her career as a recording artist, and has worked on recording her first studio
album while also searching for a record label to release her debut. On 29 January
2007 Franklin appeared with other former members of Destiny's Child, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia
Roberson, in The E! special The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams [8][9], a documentary of the lifestyle and
issues which she had to face during her membership and departure from the famous girl group. Franklin has also been featured in
music videos by artists such as Mr. Cheeks and R.L.
Huggar. She is expected to be featured on Erin Bria Wright debut single "Candy Girl".
After her departure from the group LeToya Luckett formed the girl-group Anjel in 2000 with
fellow Destiny's Child alumna LaTavia Roberson. The group eventually disbanded in 2003
before releasing their debut album. After the Anjel project fell through, Luckett signed with Noontime, an Atlanta-based
management/production company. After making the deal with Noontime, she recorded a five song demo and later signed with
Capitol Records that same year. After which Luckett appeared on the albums of many
R&B and Hip-Hop artists such as MIMS, Houston, Bun B, Slim Thug, Diddy and several other artists.
Before LeToya released her album in July 2006, however, she released her first single "U Got What I Need". This song was
included on her album.
Her self-titled debut album, was released in July 2006 and debuted at number one on
the U.S. Billboard 200 and Top
R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, outselling the compilation Now That's
What I Call Music! and Pharrel Williams' debut album. The album was
certified gold after one month and as of December 2006, the album has been certified platinum. The album's lead single,
"Torn", also became a smash hit reaching number two on the Billboard
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Luckett is the second member of Destiny's
Child, after Beyoncé Knowles, to have an album debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and achieve platinum
status.[10][11][12]
On 29 January 2007 Luckett appeared with other former
members of Destiny's Child, LaTavia Roberson and Farrah Franklin, in The E! special The Boulevard
Of Broken Dreams [8][9], a documentary of the lifestyle, issues, and successes which she endured during and after
her membership of the famous girl group.
After her departure from the group LaTavia Roberson formed the girl-group Anjel in 2000 with
fellow Destiny's Child alumna LaToya Luckett. The group eventually disbanded in 2003
before releasing their debut album. After the Anjel project fell apart she took a long break.
In July 2006, it was confirmed by Roberson herself that she has been secretly recording her debut album on and off since March of that same year. So far she has collaborated with producers such as
Scott Storch. Presently, she is in the studio working on her self-titled debut that may be
released sometime in 2007 with help from Swizz Beatz, Polow
Da Don and Andre 3000 of OutKast.
On 29 January 2007 Roberson appeared with other former
members of Destiny's Child, LeToya Luckkett and Farrah Franklin, in The E! special The Boulevard
Of Broken Dreams [8][9], a documentary of the lifestyle, successes, and trails which she had to face during and
after her membership from the famous girl group.
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
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.
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 2.5 million worldwide.[3]
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. Like
This peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The album Ms. Kelly debuted at #6 on
the Billboard 200 Album Chart. The video for her second single, "Ghetto" premiered on
BET's Access Granted on September
10, 2007. The song "Work" will be
released as her second international single. She is also planning a re-release for early 2008.
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 eleven 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 second 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.
In September 2007 Beyonce confirmed her next album will be released in the summer of
2008. It is rumored to have collaborations with Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, and Jay Z. It also will produced by the master of
beats Timbaland
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 on November
15, 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. Destiny Fulfilled was one of the best selling albums of 2005, selling over 7 million copies worldwide, and 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.[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 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.[5][6] The album includes three new songs, one 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.
#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 3 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."[8] 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- Reunions
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.
Additionally, during the Septermber 2, 2007 Los Angeles stop of The Beyoncé
Experience tour, Beyoncé invited Kelly and Michelle out to sing a brief snippet of the Destiny's Child single "Survivor."
They also sang happy birthday to Beyonce.
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
-
Awards
Tours
Books
- Soul Survivors: 2002
- Yes, Yes, Yes: The Unofficial Autobiography
- Destiny's Child: The Unofficial Autobiography
DVDs
Notable performances
References
- ^ "Sony BMG Music. Retrieved December 28 2006
- ^ "Destiny’s World Domination." Yahoo News Retrieved December 28, 2006.
- ^ "Destiny’s Child Ruled at World Music Awards". Softpedia. Retrieved December 28, 2006.
- ^ Keith Caulfield. Ask Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-09-09.
- ^ Greatest Trios of All
Time
- ^ Isaiah 65:11 ends with the word "Destiny" in both the New International Version and the New American
Standard Bible [1]. "Child" was
reportedly added by Mathew Knowles, though a similar word appears in Isaiah 65:8 ("descendants" in NIV; "offspring" in
NASB).
- ^ http://www.riaa.com/
- ^ a b c YouTube: The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - Destiny's Child. YouTube (Sep 29 2007). Retrieved on
2007-09-29.
- ^ a b c
The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - Destiny's
Child. IMDB (Sep 29
2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-29.
- ^ LeToya Rolls With
Houston Hip-Hoppers. MTV (Mar 21 2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
- ^ For
The Record: Quick News On. MTV (Mar 21 2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
- ^
