Destiny's Child, The #25 Female Artist of the Rock Era

This group from Houston, Texas started out as Girl's Tyme with Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett, among others.  Producer Arne Frager flew to Houston to see the group, and brought them to his studio, The Plant Recording Studios, in California.  Frager strived to get the group a recording contract through an appearance on the television show Star Search.

Girl's Tyme did not win the competition, but Knowles's father, Mathew, volunteered to manage the group.  The group performed local gigs and took vocal and dance lessons. 

After much training, Girl's Tyme began opening for groups such as SWV and Dru Hill.  The girls changed their name to Something Fresh, then Cliché, the Dolls, and then to Destiny.    They signed a recording contract with Elektra Records, but were dropped before they could release an album.

In 1996, the group changed their name to Destiny's Child and signed a new deal with Columbia Records.  They had recorded some tracks, including "Killing Time", in Oakland, and it was included on the "Men In Black" Soundtrack. 

Destiny's Child released their self-titled album in 1998.  The remixed version of "No, No, No" hit #1 on the R&B chart and #3 overall in the United States, #3 in The Netherlands, #5 in the U.K. and #7 in Canada.

Although the debut sold over one million copies, follow-up singles were not successful, so Destiny's Child began working on a second album.  The group released The Writing's on the Wall, which made them stars.  The album reached #5 and the lead single got them going.  "Bills, Bills, Bills" gave Destiny's Child their first #1, also reaching #6 in the U.K., #7 in Canada and #8 in the Netherlands.  The song earned Grammy Award nominations for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and the group won a BMI Pop Award for Most Performed Song.

The second single, "Bug A Boo", achieved spotty success in Europe, but was a mid-charter in most places.  "Say My Name" fared much better, reaching #1 for three weeks in the U.S. and also topping the Australian chart, and reaching #3 in the U.K., #4 in Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands and #10 in France.  The group won Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance.  Destiny's Child won an MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video and another BMI Pop Award for "Say My Name".

The red-hot single was largely responsible for a surge in the album's sales, eventually lifting the album to eight million units sold in the U.S. alone and 15 million worldwide.  The group chose "Jumpin', Jumpin'" as the follow-up, and it reached #2 in Australia, #3 in the United States, #5 in the U.K. and the Netherlands and #6 in Canada and New Zealand.

Destiny's Child was a big winner at the Billboard Music Awards, earning six trophies:  Top Pop Artist, Top Pop Artist-Duo/Group, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist-Duo/Group, Top Hot Dance Maxi-Single Sales Artist and Top Hot Dance Maxi-Single Sales Artist-Duo/Group.  The group also won Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for Favorite Group and Favorite Group-R&B.

However, Roberson and Luckett attempted to split from group manager Mathew Knowles, alleging favoritism of Knowles and Rowland.  Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin soon replaced Roberson and Luckett, but when Franklin left, Destiny's Child became a trio.  Roberson and Luckett filed a lawsuit and the group was affected by the turmoil. 

Destiny's Child began opening in concert for both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.  In 2000, the group recorded the theme song for the movie Charlie's Angels.  "Independent Women Part 1" shot up to #1 and spent 11 consecutive weeks at #1 and became one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.  It also reached #1 in the U.K. and New Zealand, #2 in Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland, #3 in Australia and Canada and #10 in Germany.  The huge hit helped the soundtrack sell 1.5 million copies. 

Destiny's Child received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Song Written for a Motion Picture for "Independent Women".  They then released the album Survivor in 2000.  Knowles began to assume more control, co-writing nearly the entire album and also co-producing it.  The title hit topped the charts in the U.K. and Ireland, and peaked at #2 in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands, #3 in New Zealand, #5 in Switzerland, #7 in Australia and #8 in Germany.

"Survivor" captured the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, the MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video, and helped the album debut at #1 with over 663,000 copies sold its first week.  "Bootylicious" gave the album three consecutive Top 3 songs, hitting #1 in the U.S., #2 in the U.K., #3 in the Netherlands, #4 in Canada, Australia and New Zealand and #5 in Ireland.

Destiny's Child hauled in nine Billboard Music Awards for Survivor--Group/Duo of the Year, Singles Artist of the Year, Top Pop Artist, Top Pop Artist-Duo/Group, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist-Duo/Group, Top Hot Top 40 Artist, Top Hot Dance Maxi-Single Sales Artist and Top Hot Dance Maxi-Single Sales for "Independent Women Pt. 1".  The group also captured American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo or Group and Favorite Soul/R&B Album, and World Music Awards for World's Best-Selling Artist or Group, World's Best-Selling Pop Group and World's Best-Selling R&B Group.

Survivor has sold four million copies in the United States and 12 million worldwide, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Album.  The group released a fourth single, "Emotion", a cover of the #1 Samantha Sang hit from 1978.  #2 in New Zealand, #3 in the U.K., #7 in The Netherlands, #9 in Ireland and #10 in the U.S.

After the 9/11 murders in New York City and Washington D.C., Destiny's Child canceled a European tour and performed a concert benefit for survivors.  In October, the group released a Christmas album, 8 Days of Christmas.  The group did an amazing A Cappella version of "Carol Of The Bells".

In late 2000, members of the group began working on solo albums.  Williams released her solo album Heart to Yours in 2002, a #1 Gospel album.  The group released their official autobiography, Soul Survivors.  Rowland earned a Grammy Award for her collaboration with Nelly on "Dilemma".  Knowles starred in the movie Austin Powers in Goldmember, and recorded a solo single, "Work It Out" for the soundtrack.  Rowland released her solo album Simply Deep in 2002. 

Knowles combined with then-boyfriend Jay-Z on the hit "03 Bonnie & Clyde", and then released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, in 2003.  Williams starred in the Broadway musical Aida, and then released her second Gospel album, Do You Know, in 2004.

Destiny's Child received a special Artist Achievement Award at the Billboard Music Awards.  After a three-year hiatus, the group reunited in 2004 to record their final album, Destiny Fulfilled.  Each member helped write the majority of the songs and acted as executive producers.  The album hit #2, selling 497,000 copies its first week. 

Destiny Fulfilled sold three million copies in the United States and eight million worldwide.  The opening single "Lose My Breath" hit #1 in Switzerland, #2 in the U.K., #3 in the United States, Germany and Australia, #4 in New Zealand and the Netherlands and #8 in France.  It earned Destiny's Child a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, and they won an ASCAP Pop Music Award for Most Performed Song.

"Soldier" (with T.I. and Lil' Wayne) was a #3 smash in the U.S. and Australia, and reached #4 in the U.K. and New Zealand, #6 in Ireland and #10 in the Netherlands.  The song was nominated at the Grammys for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and earned the group another ASCAP Pop Music Award for Most Performed Song.

Destiny Fulfilled earned the group a 14th Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album.  A third single, "Girl", peaked at #5 in Australia, #6 in the U.K. and The Netherlands and #8 in Ireland.

The single "Cater 2 (sic) U (sic)" reached #2 in Ireland, #3 on the R&B chart and #14 overall in the U.S., #7 in New Zealand and #9 in France, and earned Grammy nominations for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance.

The awards continued to pour in.  Destiny's Child won four more World Music Awards the following year:  World's Best-Selling Female Group of All-Time, a special Legend Award, World's Best-Selling Pop Group and World's Best-Selling R&B Group.  They also won American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo or Group and Favorite Soul/R&B Album, and Billboard Music Awards for Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Group of the Year and Dance Club-Play Artist of the Year.

On June 11, 2005, the group announced their official breakup and went their separate ways.  The released their compilation #1's in October and lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the World Children's Day.  The trio reunited for a performance at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.

In 2006, Destiny's Child received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   

Destiny's Child has sold over 60 million albums worldwide.  They won three Grammy Awards among 14 nominations and captured 16 Billboard Music Awards and seven World Music Awards.  They hit the Top 10 an astonishing 77% of the time (10 out of 13 Top 40 hits), and landed four #1 songs in their career.