Destiny’s Child was an American R&B girl group comprising lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny’s Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girls’ Tyme, comprising Knowles, Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett. After years of performing underground, they signed to Columbia Records and changed their name. Destiny’s Child was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their best-selling second album, The Writing’s on the Wall, which contained the number-one singles “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Say My Name”.
Despite critical and commercial success, the group was plagued by internal conflict and legal turmoil, as Roberson and Luckett attempted to split off the group’s manager Mathew Knowles. They were soon replaced with Williams and Farrah Franklin; however, in 2000, Franklin also parted with the group, leaving them as a trio. Their third album, Survivor, which contains themes the public interpreted as a channel to the group’s experience, contains the worldwide hits “Independent Women”, “Survivor” and “Bootylicious”. In 2002, Destiny’s Child announced a hiatus, allowing its members to attain individual success. They re-united with 2004’s Destiny Fulfilled, and a year later during their world tour, announced that the group would disband and its members would pursue solo careers.
Throughout their career, the group released four studio albums and achieved four US number-one singles. They had sold over 40 million records worldwide as a group, 50 million including their solo album sales before their disbandment, becoming one of the best-selling recording artists in the U.S. Billboard magazine ranks the group as one of the greatest musical trios of all time, and inducted the group in 2008 into the All time Hot 100 Artist at 68th place. In 2005, the World Music Awards recognized them as the World’s Best-selling female group of all time.
In 1990, Beyoncé Knowles met rapper LaTavia Roberson while in an audition for a girl group. Based in Houston, Texas, they were joined to a group that performed rapping and dancing. Kelly Rowland, who relocated to Knowles’ house because of family issues, joined them in 1991. Originally named Girl’s Tyme, they were eventually cut down to six members including Támar Davis and sisters Nikki and Nina Taylor. With Knowles and Rowland, Girl’s Tyme attracted nationwide attention: west-coast R&B producer Arne Frager flew to Houston to see them. He brought them to his studio, The Plant Recording Studios, in Northern California, with focus on Knowles’ vocals because Frager thought she had personality and the ability to sing. With efforts to sign Girl’s Tyme to a major record deal, Frager’s strategy was to debut the group in Star Search, the biggest talent show on national TV at the time. However, they lost the competition because, according to Knowles, their choice of song was wrong; they were actually rapping instead of singing.
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