Then...
Once
upon a time in Houston, Texas there was a little girl who dreamed
of being a star. Her father looked in the Bible’s Book
of Isaiah and found the perfect name for a future superstar
group.
Matthew Knowles formed Destiny’s Child in 1990 when nine-year-olds,
Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson met at an audition.
When the group was first formed, Destiny’s Child consisted
of a singing and rapping act. Two years later Kelly Rowland
joined and LeToya Luckett followed the next year.
Destiny’s Child spent the next couple of years performing
in clubs and rehearsing for long hours—at times in high
heels—in the Knowles basement. After all their hard work,
the girls were finally recognized as an emerging musical sensation
when they opened concerts for the likes of Dru Hill and Immature.
Then in 1997 their lives changed dramatically as Destiny’s
Child landed a recording deal with Columbia records. They entered
the music business with “Killing Time” a song from
the Men in Black soundtrack, but they really turned heads when
Wyclef Jean produced their hit single
“No No No.”
Soon after releasing their self-titled debut album Destiny’s
Child went back into the studio with Kevin “Shek’spere”
Briggs. They released their hugely successful The Writings on
the Wall in 1999, which sold over 8 million copies. “Bills,
Bills, Bills” was the first song to hit the airwaves,
followed by “Bugaboo,” their biggest hit of all
time. Then “Say My Name,” sent Destiny’s Child
into mainstream success. It was a year the ladies would never
forget as their careers and personal lives took a dramatic turn.
As the group moved into superstardom, Beyoncé and Kelly
found their decade long friendship with LeToya and LaTavia crumbling.
The former members charged their manager Matthew (Beyoncé’s
Dad) was withholding profits from them and showing favoritism
towards Beyoncé and his niece, Kelly. So, LeToya and
LaTavia started looking around for a new manager to replace
Matthew only to discover themselves replaced with Michelle Williams
and Farrah Franklin in the “Say My Name” video.
Both ladies filed a lawsuit against Matthew, Beyoncé,
and Kelly for breach of partnership in 2000. Instead of keeping
their comments in the court what ensued was a battle in the
press as both sides dissed each other whenever a microphone
was available.
Eventually
LeToya and LaTavia agreed to a settlement with Beyoncé
and Kelly. There was also an agreement to no longer discuss
the situation in the press. After leaving Destiny’s Child,
the former band mates formed a duo together called Angel, failed,
and faded into obscurity, while Destiny’s Child went on
to fame, fortune, and Grammy nominations.
Beyoncé remembers, “The Grammy was our most memorable
moment. It was the year we had seven number one singles in a
row. We performed for the first time at the Grammy awards and
we were terrified. Madonna was sitting in the front row and
we had to walk down these stairs in stilettos and we were like,
‘Oh God I hope we don’t fall, I hope we sing the
right notes!’ We were so nervous. We all just looked at
each other, held hands, took a deep breath in, exhaled, and
prayed, right there on the stage 30 seconds before the song
started and we killed the performance. And right after we won
best group. It was the most amazing moment.”
Inspite of success, the problems still kept coming. The newest
member Farrah was dropped from the group five months after joining
as a result of missed performances and interviews. At the height
of their success many questioned whether Destiny’s Child
would survive.
Now that you're out of my life / I'm so
much better
You thought that I'd be weak without you / But I'm stronger
You thought that I'd be stressed without you / But I'm chillin'
You thought I wouldn't sell without you / Sold 9 million
I’m a Survivor…
With their song “Survivor,” Destiny’s Child
proved they were here to stay. And with the popularity of songs
like “Bootylicious,” the word and the group’s
phenomena entered everyday vocabulary. Soon after, solo careers
followed in 2002 and fans watched as each member experienced
success. Beyoncé blew up with a hit album winning her
five Grammys, sang at the Oscars, and acted in movies with funny
man, Mike Myers. Kelly and Nelly’s duet hit the charts
and Michelle dominated the gospel circuit. Yet, to re-unite
the group and record their latest album, Michelle, Beyoncé,
and Kelly put their upcoming projects on hold. For them the
group and their friendship came first.
Now...Destiny
Fulfilled
Their time apart helped these ladies mature
and truly appreciate each other’s company. Everyone’s
voice is equally heard on the latest album — Beyoncé
did some of the vocal production and some songwriting —
but the songs show the group has reached a different point in
their lives. And so in 2004, Destiny’s Child decided their
Destiny had been fulfilled, but the idea of a permanent break
up still shocked fans when it was officially announced.
With the end of their last tour as a group, the ladies will
find themselves without each other again. But they are aware
of how hard it’s going to be. Beyoncé says, “I
think the hardest thing (will be) being alone. When you’re
on tour, you’re in the hotel rooms, and you’re tired,
you’re exhausted or you’re lonely, you can’t
just call the room next door and say, girl what you doing what
you watching? Can I come over there?”
Although they are breaking up, Destiny’s Child has created
a legacy and will be remembered alongside groups like The Supremes
and TLC. Destiny’s Child released five albums in six years,
sold over 40 million copies, and created a lasting friendship
through all the drama.
Even though they will never be a trio again their music will
never be forgotten. Michelle says, “We would like to be
remembered as true friends. This is a group we love. And we
love what we do and love doing that with each other. We’d
like to be remembered for trying to empower other women and
for great music. Destiny’s Child was founded on family,
loyalty, and sisterhood and we love music, and we just want
to share our gifts and our blessings with the world.”
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