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Bio From AllMusic.Com
Destiny's Child were formed in Houston, TX, in 1990, when original members Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson were just nine years old; the two met at an audition and became friends, and Knowles' father Mathew set about developing an act based on their singing and rapping, taking their name from a passage in the Book of Isaiah. Beyoncé's cousin Kelendria "Kelly" Rowland joined the group in 1992, and shortly thereafter they landed an appearance on Star Search, where they performed a rap song. The quartet's lineup was finalized (for the time being) when LeToya Luckett joined in 1993, and they spent the next few years working their way up from the Houston club scene, eventually opening for artists like SWV, Dru Hill, and Immature. Finally, in 1997, Destiny's Child was offered a recording contract by Columbia.
The group made its recorded debut on 1997's "Killing Time," a song included on the soundtrack of the blockbuster Men In Black. Their self-titled debut album was released in early 1998, featuring production by Wyclef Jean and Jermaine Dupri, among others. Its lead single, the Jean-produced "No No No," was a smash hit, selling over a million copies and topping the R&B charts. The follow-up singles — "With Me" and "Get on the Bus," the latter of which was taken from the soundtrack of Why Do Fools Fall In Love? — didn't quite duplicate the success of "No No No," although Destiny's Child would eventually go platinum (after the group's later success). Destiny's Child re-entered the studio quickly, bringing in producer Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs to handle the majority of their next record. Lead single "Bills, Bills, Bills" became the group's first number one pop 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 charts at number six upon its release.
That was just the beginning of the group's breakout success. The second single, "Bug a Boo," didn't perform as well, but the third single, "Say My Name," was another massive hit, their biggest so far; it hit number one on both the pop and R&B charts for three weeks apiece in early 2000, and made Destiny's Child a pop-cultural phenomenon. However, at the peak of "Say My Name"'s popularity, the group splintered. In December 1999, Roberson and Luckett 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 and niece. 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, the next Destiny's Child single, "Jumpin' Jumpin'," hit the Top Ten, and The Writing's On The Wall went on to sell a whopping eight million copies.
The personnel-turnover drama still wasn't over; in July 2000, just five months after joining, Farrah Franklin split with the group. The official reason was that Franklin missed several promotional appearances and concert gigs, although in later interviews she spoke of too much negativity and too little control in the group environment. Now reduced to a trio, Destiny's Child was tapped to record the theme song for the film version of Charlie's Angels; released as a single in October, "Independent Women, Pt. 1" raced up the charts and spent an astounding 11 weeks at number one. Destiny's Child were now indisputable superstars, the biggest female R&B group on the scene, and they quickly began work on a new album to capitalize. 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 ripping each other publicly.
Beyoncé had long since emerged as the group's focal point, and on the third Destiny's Child album, she assumed more control than ever before, taking a greater hand in writing the material and even producing some of the record herself. While recording sessions were going on, Rowland released the first Destiny's Child solo track; "Angel" appeared on the soundtrack of Chris Rock's Down To Earth. Former members Roberson and Luckett also announced the formation of a trio called, coincidentally, Angel, and Farrah Franklin set about starting a solo career.
Survivor — whose title was reportedly inspired by a DJ's crack about Destiny's Child members voting one another off the island, much like the popular CBS reality series — hit stores in the spring of 2001, and entered the charts at number one. The first two singles, "Survivor" and "Bootylicious," were predictably huge hits, with the latter becoming the group's fourth number one pop single. A cover of Andy Gibb's "Emotion" was also successful, albeit less so, and Survivor sold well — over four million copies — but not as well as its predecessor. 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, shortly after This Is the Remix was released to tide fans over, Roberson and Luckett sued the group again, claiming that some of the lyrics in "Survivor" made reference to them (in violation of the earlier lawsuit settlement). Meanwhile, the first Destiny's Child solo album was released in April; Michelle Williams' all-gospel project Heart to Yours, which featured a duet with gospel legend Shirley Caesar. Meanwhile, Beyoncé won a leading role opposite Mike Myers in the third Austin Powers film, Goldmember, playing blaxploitation-style heroine Foxy Cleopatra; her first solo single, the Neptunes-produced "Work It Out," appeared on the soundtrack, and her full solo album, Dangerously in Love, became a huge hit upon release in mid-2003. Despite much critical speculation, the trio reunited the following year and released Destiny Fulfilled in November 2004. In October 2005, the #1's compilation was issued, followed by the Live in Atlanta DVD and CD sets in 2006 and 2007. - Steve Huey
Beyoncé's Bio From AllMusic.Com
Born in Houston in the fall of 1981, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles started performing at age seven. From dance classes to singing in the church choir, Knowles was a natural. She and cousin Kelly Rowland met Latavia Roberson during this time, and the trio formed a group with Letoya Luckett. Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father and Rowland's legal guardian, signed on to be the girls' manager. This situation would ultimately lead to the formation of one of the greatest female R&B groups of all time — Destiny's Child.
Destiny's Child made its debut 1990 and within ten years, the vocal act had experienced personal and political highs and lows that fueled the group's desire to make it big. Destiny's Child sold 33 million albums worldwide by 2002 and earned a slew of Grammys and additional music awards. "Jumpin' Jumpin'," "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Say My Name," and "Survivor" were smash hits, and the group appeared unstoppable.
In 2001, Knowles, Rowland, and Michelle Williams allowed themselves a break from the singing group and tried their hands at individual solo careers. Before landing several movie roles, Knowles became the first African-American female artist and second woman ever to win the annual ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year Award. An appearance in the MTV drama Carmen: A Hip Hopera quickly followed, but it was her role as Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember in 2002 that eventually moved Knowles from the stage to the screen. Her first single, "Work It Out," coincided with the release of the Mike Myers comedy and cemented Knowles' celebrity status. A guest spot on Jay-Z's "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" was equally popular when it appeared in October. In 2003, she shed her last name and rejoined Jay-Z for her proper debut single, the funkadelic "Crazy in Love," as the press and fans christened her a bona fide star. Beyoncé Knowles' debut album, Dangerously in Love, which appeared in June 2003, featured collaborations with Sean Paul, Missy Elliott, and OutKast's Big Boi, and romantic interest Jay-Z, the album spawned a total of four Top Ten singles and garnered the singer five Grammys. Destiny's Child reconvened the following year to release Destiny Fulfilled; upon completing the resulting tour, the group issued one final album, a greatest-hits compilation entitled #1's, and subsequently disbanded. Beyoncé turned her full attention to her burgeoning solo career, releasing the sophomore effort B'day in September 2006 and, three months later, turning in an award-winning performance for the movie musical Dreamgirls. The singer then embarked on the "Beyoncé Experience" concert tour, releasing a live DVD in November 2007.
The following year proved to be another busy one as Beyoncé Knowles landed the role of Etta James in Cadillac Records, a musical biopic that explored the heyday of Chicago's Chess Records. Shooting commenced in February 2008, with Beyoncé also serving as co-executive producer. One month before the film's December release, the singer released her third studio album, I Am...Sasha Fierce. The double-disc effort emphasized her two distinct personalities, allowing Beyoncé to explore both mainstream sounds and traditional R&B. - MacKenzie Wilson
Kelly Rowland's Bio From AllMusic.Com
Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, Rowland began singing as soon as she heard the vocal beauty of Whitney Houston. She was only four at the time, but Houston's 1985 self-titled debut was enough to motivate the little girl. Performances with the church choir followed, but Rowland's developing interest in music blossomed when she and her family moved to Houston, TX. She befriended another inspiring singer, Beyoncé Knowles, and the two became fast friends. In the mid-'90s, the two girls formed Destiny's Child. Destiny's Child made an impressive debut in 1997 with first single "No No No"; their self-titled full-length followed the next winter and went platinum before the year's end. Two more albums followed — The Writing's On The Wall (1999) and Survivor (2001) — earning Destiny's Child countless fans across the globe as well as millions of records sold.
Upon the success of Survivor, Rowland followed her bandmates in taking some time off. During that time, Rowland began writing material for her first solo album. In 2002, Rowland's stylish R&B solo debut, Simply Deep, was released on Columbia. "Dilemma," the album's first single, featured a duet with southern rapper Nelly. It had a two-month stay at number one during fall 2002. Her second solo album, the oft-delayed and more R&B-oriented Ms. Kelly, didn't materialize until July 2007.- MacKenzie Wilson
Michelle Williams' Bio From AllMusic.Com
LeToya's Bio From AllMusic.Com
Farrah Franklin's Bio From Wikipedia
Franklin was born in Fresno, as well as partially being raised there and Los Angeles. Growing up, she performed in various church choirs and in off broadway musicals. In addition to performing, Franklin regularly mentored under privileged girls at Penny Lane, one of the largest group homes in Los Angeles, in her spare time—something that she reportedly continues to do this day.
In 1999, Franklin was hired to be an extra in the music video for Destiny’s Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills.” It was there that she became acquainted with group members Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé Knowles. At the time she was in a fledgling singing group called Jane Doe, which was in the process of disbanding. In December, Matthew Knowles invited Franklin and Michelle Williams to join Destiny's Child—replacing previous group members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett respectively. The two were introduced in February 2000, via the music video for “Say My Name.” Franklin toured and performed with the group, and also appeared in the music video for “Jumpin' Jumpin'.” Franklin contributed backing vocals to the remixes of "Jumpin' Jumpin'," "Independent Women Part I" (which were claimed to be removed before the album release), "Dot", and "Dance With Me." Farrah recorded some songs with Destiny's Child on the re-issue of their second album "The Writings On The Wall", while touring with Christina Aguilera.
In July, after a five month stint with Destiny’s Child, Franklin was dismissed from the group; learning of her firing from an MTV news report. Shortly thereafter, group member Beyoncé Knowles stated in an interview that Farrah had missed three major dates and expressed a disinterest in continuing on with the group, leaving them with no other choice but to terminate her.
After departing from Destiny’s Child, Farrah forged ahead with a solo career—focusing on her music career. She signed to Fo-reel Entertainment in 2002, where she recorded a song entitled "Get At Me" with Method Man, but later was dropped. She was then sign to the Fabolous Street Label. After being dropped, Farrah then started working heavily on acting. She starred in The Brewster Project. She later won a Best Supporting Actress award from the Independent Film Awards for her work in the film. Recently, Farrah has finished shooting an independent thriller film called Eyes of Darkness, which also features rapper Jayo Felony. Before joining Destiny’s Child, Franklin also made an appearance in the 1999 feature film, Trippin' . Farrah has also been working on her modeling career and has modelled for Russel Simmons' fashion line, Def Jam University and has been featured on the covers of Teen People, Ebony, Cosmo Girl, Vibe, and Today's Black Woman among others.
Farrah is also continuing her career as a recording artist, and is reportedly working on an album and shopping for a label. In early 2007, Farrah appeared with other former members of Destiny Child in The E! special The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams a documentary of life in Destiny Child's and the issues which she had to faced; She has also been featured in music videos by Destiny Child's (with the original Destiny's Child lineup) and musicians Mr. Cheeks, and R.L. Huggar.
Official Sites: Destiny's Child (Columbia Records), Destiny's Child's MySpace, Beyoncé (Sony Music), Beyoncé's MySpace, Kelly Rowland (Sony Music), Kelly Rowland's MySpace, LeToya, LeToya's MySpace, LaTavia Roberson's MySpace, Farrah Franklin, Farrah Franklin's MySpace, Michelle Williams & Michelle Williams' MySpace
Original (1990-1991):
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (Born September 4, 1981 in Houston, TX)
LaTavia Marie Roberson (Born November 1, 1981 in Houston, TX)
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (Born September 4, 1981 in Houston, TX)
LaTavia Marie Roberson (Born November 1, 1981 in Houston, TX)
Kelendria "Kelly" Trene Rowland (Born February 11, 1981 in Atlanta, GA)
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (Born September 4, 1981 in Houston, TX)
LaTavia Marie Roberson (Born November 1, 1981 in Houston, TX)
Kelendria "Kelly" Rowland (Born February 11, 1981 in Atlanta, GA)
LeToya Luckett (Went solo as LeToya) (Born LeToya Nicole Keyshia Luckett, March 11, 1981 in Atlanta, GA)
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (Born September 4, 1981 in Houston, TX)
Kelendria "Kelly" Rowland (Born February 11, 1981 in Atlanta, GA)
Michelle Williams (Born Tenitra Michelle Williams, July 23, 1980 in Rockford, IL)
Farrah Destiny Franklin (Born on May 3, 1981 in Fresno, CA)
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (Born September 4, 1981 in Houston, TX)
Kelendria "Kelly" Rowland (Born February 11, 1981 in Atlanta, GA)
Michelle Williams (Born Tenitra Michelle Williams, July 23, 1980 in Rockford, IL)
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child - The Writing's On The Wall
Destiny's Child - Love:Destiny
Destiny's Child - #1s
Beyoncé - I Am...Sasha Fierce (Deluxe Edition)
Beyoncé - Revolution (Deluxe Edition)
Michelle Williams - We Break The Dawn (Single)
Ali & Gipp - Kinfolk (LeToya)
Avant - My Thoughts (Kelly Rowland)
The Best Man (Beyoncé)
Big Mike & Big Stress - R&B Jumpoff Volume 48 (Beyoncé)
Big Momma's House
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Strength & Loyalty Promo (Kelly Rowland)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Strength & Loyalty Left-Overs (Kelly Rowland)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - The Book Of Thugs (Kelly Rowland)
Cadillac Records (Deluxe Edition) (Beyoncé)
DJ Smallz & LeToya - Dirty RNB 14 (LeToya & Beyoncé)
Down To Earth (Kelly Rowland)
Jermaine Dupri Presents 12 Soulful Nights
50 Cent - Power Of The Dollar
50 Cent - That's What's Up
Ghostface Killah - Go In (Beyoncé)
Ghostface Killah - Pretty Toney B-Sides (Beyoncé)
Houston - It's Already Written (LeToya)
Jay-Z - The Blueprint˛: The Gift & the Curse (Beyoncé)
Jay-Z - Kingdom Come (Beyoncé)
Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom (Beyoncé)
Life
Lloyd Banks - Mo' Money In The Bank (Beyoncé)
Men In Black
Merry Fucking Christmas 3: The True Meaning Of Christmas (Thug Radio Mixtape)
Merry Fucking Christmas 4: It's All About Poo (Thug Radio Mixtape)
Merry Fucking Christmas X: Apaplectic Opulence Of Merriment & Joy (Thug Radio Mixtape)
NFL Jams
The PJs
Promo Only Urban Club April '08 (LeToya Luckett)
Put Yourself Out - Grand Theft Audio 2 (Beyoncé)
Romeo Must Die
Sixx John - The Matrix Mixtape Volume 2 (Beyoncé)
So Amazing: An All Star Tribute To Luther Vandross (Beyoncé)
Justin Timberlake - Futuresexy/Lovesounds (Beyoncé)
Usher - Confessions (Special Edition) (Beyoncé)
Usher - Here I Stand (Beyoncé)
Luther Vandross - Dance With My Father (Beyoncé)
Why Did I Get Married? (Beyoncé)
Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Destiny's Child rose to become one of the most popular female R&B groups of the late '90s, eventually rivaling even TLC in terms of blockbuster commercial success. Their accomplishments came in spite of several abrupt personnel changes, which were accompanied by heated, well-publicized feuds in the media and the courts. In fact, for a time, Destiny's Child were known for that drama just as much as their music. Once the group stabilized again, though, they emerged with even more hitmaking power than ever before.
Beyoncé Knowles is one of the many impressive artists of the new millennium, but an individual in her own right. She's praised for her wildly inventive presentations in music and film, and respected for her down-to-earth persona. With her grace, beauty, charm, and gift for entertaining, Knowles has become a star and an American icon.
Kelly Rowland rose to fame with the success of Destiny's Child during the late '90s. During that time, Destiny's Child catapulted into the new millennium as one of the best-selling female musical groups in history. Rowland, who was barely in her twenties, had been imagining such stardom for a long time.
Michelle Williams began singing in her church choir, performing her first solo on "Blessed Assurance" at the age of seven at the St. Paul Church of God in Christ in her hometown of Rockford, IL. As she grew up, she sang with the gospel groups United Harmony and Chosen Expression, but doubted she would be able to make a career as a singer and attended two years of college. In May 1999, however, she passed an audition to become a backup singer for Monica and toured with her through October. Then in January 2000, she was invited to join Destiny's Child. Becoming a member of the rapidly emerging superstar group, she was first heard on their number one single "Independent Women Part I" and went on to participate in their massively successful 2001 album Survivor, the holiday release 8 Days of Christmas, and the remix album This Is the Remix. In April 2002, she became the first member of Destiny's Child to issue a solo album, the gospel collection Heart to Yours. - William Ruhlmann
Part of the original lineup of the superstar group Destiny's Child, LeToya Luckett, who as a solo artist chose to go by her first name only, didn't just sit around after she and Latavia Roberson left the group shortly after the release of 1999's The Writing's On The Wall (neither singer was seen in the "Say My Name" video, which came as a surprise to both of them). She started up another group with Roberson, Anjel, which dissolved before a record ever came out, opened up an upscale boutique in her hometown of Houston, TX, and lived briefly in Los Angeles, where she signed to Capitol in 2003. Her first promotional single, "U Got What I Need," was released in 2004, followed the next year by "All Eyes on Me" (that same year LeToya also appeared on the Coach Carter soundtrack with her song "What Love Can Do"). In the spring of 2006 "Torn" hit radios, and in July her self-titled debut — which contained all of the singles she had previously released — finally came out. - Marisa Brown
Farrah Destiny Franklin (born on May 3, 1981 in Fresno, California to an Italian father and an African American mother) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, model and used to be a member of Destiny's Child.

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