Beyoncé’s creative skills and hard work date back to that pivotal talent show. Born Sept. 4, 1981, in Houston, the young artist-in-training grew up listening to a variety of musical influences, including Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross and Rachelle Ferrell. She and friend LaTavia Roberson were only 9 years old when the group that led to Destiny’s Child was initially established in 1990 with Mathew Knowles as manager. The duo expanded into a trio after Kelendria “Kelly” Rowland joined in 1992. A year after that, the group became a quartet with the addition of LeToya Luckett.
Throughout the course of several name changes — Girls Time, the Dolls and Cliché — the group rehearsed and played everything from luncheons and fashion shows to church gigs and Tina Knowles’ hair salon. Those experiences not only honed Beyoncé’s talent and work ethic, they also planted the seeds for the singer’s future business acumen.
“I think we certainly played a part,” Mathew Knowles says. “Tina had her own salon and there were many nights when she came home Tuesday through Saturday at 7 or 8. And I was working hard at Xerox. I think all of the girls saw that drive. They saw our successes and also our failures.”
The fledgling Destiny’s Child experienced its share of disappointments before grabbing the gold ring. The act competed on “Star Search” and lost. However, the exposure led to a record/production deal through Elektra Records.
The relationship with Elektra ended after two years, without a record. But things began clicking after Knowles approached an earlier suitor, Columbia Records. Destiny’s Child signed with the label in 1997.
Destiny’s Child scored its first No. 1 when “No, No, No” — the first single from the act’s 1998 self-titled debut album — reached the pinnacle of Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Two follow-up singles didn’t fare as well. But the stage was set for a platinum-certified future when Destiny’s Child teamed with producer Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs. The result was the group’s first top five pop hit and second R&B chart-topper in 1999: “Bills, Bills, Bills.”
The act’s second album, “The Writing’s on the Wall,” yielded two more hits (“Say My Name” and “Jumpin’, Jumpin’ “), opening the door to a storied career.
“There are moments that just stick out from working with the group in the beginning,” says Lisa Ellis, former president of Sony Urban Music. “Beyoncé was always so brave and prepared to be the star she is today, even at 16 and 18 years old. She’s always pushing the envelope and very competitive but with humility and kindness; the epitome of a professional and human being.”
The year after “Wall” brought a lineup change as well as a turning point in Beyoncé’s career. Destiny’s Child now was a trio, with the departure of original members Roberson and Luckett and the addition of Michelle Williams. And the group exploded in popularity thanks to the 2000 release of its next single, “Independent Women Part I.”
The song, used as the theme in the film “Charlie’s Angels,” spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and also marked Beyoncé’s emergence as a songwriter. She added production credits to her growing résumé with the group’s third album, “Survivor,” released in 2001.
In 2004, the act released “Destiny Fulfilled” and, a year later, the trio disbanded, closing a significant chapter in girl-group history. To date, Destiny’s Child has sold 16.9 million albums in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. (Worldwide, according to Sony, Destiny’s Child and Beyoncé cumulatively have sold 100 million units, including albums, physical and digital singles, and music DVDs).
During the three-year hiatus between the “Survivor” and “Fulfilled” albums, each of the members of Destiny’s Child recorded solo albums.
