Destiny's Child's roots can be traced back to when 10-year-old Beyonce Knowles (born September 4, 1981) and LaTavia Roberson (born November 1, 1981) crossed paths in Houston. The founding members of the group first met while auditioning for a children's group. Beyonce's cousin, Kelly Rowland (born February 11, 1981), joined the girls in 1992, and the trio was finally joined by fourth member LeToya Luckett (born March 11, 1981), in 1993. Managed by Music World Management's Matthew Knowles -- who is also Beyonce's father and Kelly's legal guardian -- the four young girls with big dreams became Destiny's Child. Worshipping the moves and voices of R&B legendary groups such as the Supremes and the Jackson 5, the ladies of Destiny's Child started small by performing at local events and moved on to their national television debut with a performance on Star Search. Not only did their strong voices stand out, but their originality, image and refreshing rap performance was only a preview of what the music industry was in store for. Soon enough, the group moved up the ranks, from performing at small-time gigs to becoming the opening act for popular R&B and hip-hop acts like Dru Hill, SWV and Immature.

          While watching alien fighters Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in the 1997 film Men in Black, you may have noticed Destiny's Child crooning in the background. Their single "Killing Time" appeared on the Men in Black soundtrack, and later appeared on their self-titled debut album. Destiny's Child was released February 1998, under the Columbia Records label. The album featured Wyclef Jean, Pras and Jermaine Dupri as collaborating producers, and spawned the hit single "No, No, No," which went platinum. If the three awards that Destiny's Child received at the 1998 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards wasn't enough of an indication of their upcoming success, their next album sure was. The Writing's On The Wall, which was released in 1999, debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and remained in the Top 20 for more than a year after its release. The album spawned four hit singles: "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Say My Name," "Bug A Boo," and "Jumpin, Jumpin." By 2001, the album was certified 7 times platinum and led to a slew of awards and nominations, including two Grammy nominations for "Bills, Bills, Bills" in 1999, two Grammys for "Say My Name" in 2001, and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group. They also contributed to the film soundtracks for 1999's Life and 2000's Romeo Must Die.

          In March of 2000, it was announced that group members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson had left the group. It was later revealed that the two members were unhappy with the management of Matthew Knowles, and left because of creative differences. LeToya and LaTavia took the group and its management to court, while the remaining members found two replacements by February 2000: Michelle Williams (born July 23, 1980) and Farrah Franklin. Just when it seemed like Destiny's Child had seen the last of their troubles, Farrah Franklin left the group in August of that year, leaving Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams (not to be confused with the blonde Dawson's Creek star) as a trio. Their success as a threesome started with "Independent Women Part I," their contribution to the feature film Charlie's Angels in 2000. The movie's soundtrack (which also featured the Destiny's Child track "Dot") and "Independent Women Part I" were both huge hits, and cemented the women of Destiny's Child as a successful trio, like "Charlie's Angels" themselves. Hot off the heels of chart toppers like "Say My Name" and "Independent Women Part I," Destiny's Child released Survivor on May 1, 2001, the first album by Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle, and the first album by a female group to rake in such high sales figures in its first week of release (and of any album on their record label, for that matter). Also known as "DC3," the ladies struck gold with the title track, "Bootylicious" and a cover of the Bee Gees' ballad, "Emotions." Not only had Destiny's Child proved that they "survived" the scandals and bad press that once plagued the group, Survivor went on to sell more than 6 million copies within less than three weeks on the shelves. A Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Survivor" in 2002, was only one among many awards the girls took home, and one of their most impressive feats is the addition of the word "Bootylicious" to the English lexicon and Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an accomplishment Beyonce can be proud of as a songwriter.

          Right after the phenomenal success of Destiny's Child, rumors of a breakup surfaced when Beyonce, known as the group's lead vocalist, was working on solo material. Venturing into film with the hit 2002 blockbuster Austin Powers in Goldmember (she contributed the song "Work It Out" to the soundtrack), Beyonce was on her way to becoming the "It" girl of 2003. After "Bonnie and Clyde '03," a duet with now boyfriend Jay-Z, Beyonce released her debut solo album, Dangerously In Love in June 2003. The album's first single, "Crazy In Love" (featuring Jay-Z) became the anthem of summer 2003, and the album has spawned more hits like "Baby Boy," "Naughty Girl" and "Me, Myself And I." Beyonce, also a Pepsi spokesperson, was the golden girl of the Grammys in February 2004, with five trophies (the most awarded to one artist that night), including Best R&B Album for Dangerously in Love and Best R&B Song for "Crazy in Love." In 2003, Beyonce starred in The Fighting Temptations and is set to co-star in 2005's The Pink Panther. Beyonce may have received the most press and accolades, but the other two members of Destiny's Child were also keeping busy. Both Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland enjoyed solo careers: Williams released Heart To Yours in 2002, and followed it up with a sophomore effort, Do You Know, which dropped in February of 2004. Michelle was also cast as the lead in the Broadway hit, Aida.

          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.

          Rowland experienced some success of her own, thanks to "Dilemma," her hit duet with Nelly that was also featured on her solo debut, Simply Deep (2002). Rowland also appeared in the 2003 slasher flick, Freddy vs. Jason. Right before the girls of Destiny's Child took on solo projects, they released This Is The Remix in 2002, a compilation of remixes of their biggest hits.One of this year's most hotly-anticipated new releases, Destiny Fulfilled is the Grammy-winning trio's first full-length album since 2001's #1 smash Survivor(which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide) and the best-selling seasonal collection 8 Days Of Christmas. "Lose My Breath," the first focus track from Destiny Fulfilled, is already a Top 5 record on the Billboard Hot 100. Destiny Fulfilled showcases the signature vocal harmonies and distinctive solo voices of Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle on 11 brand-new Destiny's Child tracks, each one pulsing with contemporary rhythms and unforgettable hooks, chronicling an emotional journey across the turbulent landscape of romance, from the exhilarating intoxication of falling in love through the heartbreak of loss to the growth and serenity of acceptance.

          With Beyonce acting as one of the producers on each of the album's tracks, and songs co-written by all three of the group's members, Destiny Fulfilled is the most personal--and most hand's-on--record that Destiny's Child has ever recorded. Destiny Fulfilled is executive produced by Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams & Mathew Knowles. Beyonce is a producer on all of the album's tracks, coming up with the concepts, vocal arrangements and being a tireless mastermind in the studio.With lyrical themes drawn from the members' personal experience and musical support from some of the hottest producers in the business--including Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Rich Harrison, Andre Harris & Vidal Davis, 9th Wonder, Bryan Michael Cox, Kendrick Dean, Rockwilder, Mario Winans, and Erron Williams--Destiny Fulfilledis a celebration of the growth of Destiny's Child as singers, as songwriters, as artists, and as women. The songs on Destiny Fulfilled are: "Lose My Breath," "Soldier" (featuring T.I. and Lil Wayne), "Cater 2 U," "T-Shirt," "Is She The Reason," "Girl," "Bad Habit," "If," "Free," "Through With Love," and "Love." After completing work on Survivor(which won the Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals Grammy) and 8 Days of Christmas in 2001, Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle each took some time to explore their individual identities in a series of highly-successful solo projects. In April 2002, Michelle Williams became the first member of Destiny's Child to have a solo project released when Heart To Yours, a contemporary gospel collection, debuted at #57 on the Top 200 album chart.

          Heart To Yours reached #1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart. Michelle's second gospel album, Do You Know reached the #2 slot on the Top Christian Album chart and #3 on the Top Gospel Albums chart shortly after its release in January 2004. Michelle earned rave reviews after replacing Toni Braxton in the lead role of "Aida" on Broadway in November 2003.Released in October 2002, Kelly Rowland's solo debut, Simply Deepbecame an international smash, hitting the #1 slot on the UK and several other countries' album charts while peaking in the states at #3 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart. Simply Deep featured the #1 Billboard Hot 100 smash hit, "Dilemma," Kelly's Grammy-winning (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration) duet with hip-hop superstar Nelly. Beyonce's burgeoning career as an actress began in 2001 with the lead role in the MTV film "Carmen: A Hip Hopera." She displayed her comedic prowess as "Foxxy Cleopatra" in 2002's "Austin Powers In Goldmember," starring Mike Myers.She starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in 2003's "The Fighting Temptations." Her latest film projectis a prequel to "The Pink Panther," starring Steve Martin as "Inspector Clouseau" and Beyoncé as "Xania." Beyonce toured America for the first time as a solo artist in support of her #1 multi-platinum debut solo album, Dangerously In Love, which earned her five 2004 Grammy Awards including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best R&B Song for "Crazy In Love," her smash single featuring Jay-Z.

          With her five Grammy win, Beyoncé tied the record set by Lauryn Hill in 1999--and later tied by Alicia Keys (2001) and Norah Jones (2002)--for the most Grammys to be won in a single year by a female artist. As a founding member of Destiny's Child and co-writer and co-producer of many of the group's hit recordings, Beyoncé became one of the most widely-recognized and highly-respected women in pop music. When Beyonce won the 2001 ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year Award, she became the first African-American woman--and the second woman ever--to receive that honor. Destiny's Child has sold more than 40 million records worldwide, with solo recordings by Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle bringing the total up to an astounding 50 million. The members of Destiny's Child, individually and collectively, have earned a phenomenal 31 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum RIAA certifications since the group's recorded debut in November 1997. Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle have used the lessons learned during their own solo excursions to create the most unified and powerful Destiny's Child album to-date. With Destiny Fulfilled, the group delivers on the promise of its earlier recordings to breath new fire into the worlds of contemporary pop and R&B music.