Beyonce: From Destiny's Child to Independent Woman
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About this ebook
What began with the highly successful, all-girl group, Destiny’s Child culminated with Beyoncé Knowles becoming one of the most influential solo female musicians today. A feminist in her own right, Beyoncé’s fans see her as a shining example of a strong, independent woman. Even her personal life is of great interest around the world as she holds onto power couple status with her husband, rapper, Jay Z, and recently added another title to her impressive repertoire: mother.
Queen Bey’ jaw-dropping performances, her creativity and personality are revealed through the stories and images of AP journalists.
Read more from The Associated Press
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Beyonce - The Associated Press
Overview
Her fans call her Queen Bey and roar when she sweeps onto the stage with a hand on her hip and looks out into the crowd. She is the fabulous, the fiercest, and the legendary Beyoncé, and she has built an empire on her name and talent.
It began with the highly successful, all-girl group, Destiny’s Child. It took off when Beyoncé Knowles ditched the last name and launched one of the most influential solo careers among female pop artists. She established herself as a highly trained musician and dancer, an actress to be respected, and a savvy businesswoman. Even her personal life is of great interest in the world as she holds onto power couple status with husband and rapper, Jay Z, and recently added another title to her impressive repertoire: mother.
A feminist in her own right, Beyoncé’s fans see her as a shining example of a strong independent woman. Her jaw-dropping performances, her creativity, and Queen Bey personality are revealed through the stories and images of AP journalists.
1
A Star Born Out of Destiny’s Child
Rock Beat: Destiny’s Child
September 10, 1998
By Pauline Arrillaga
1 - AP00040901685Destiny's Child arrives at the VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross
in New York, April 9, 2000. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg)
There's a particular tidbit that record producer Matthew Knowles likes to mention when pitching his fast-rising rhythm and blues group Destiny's Child.
The four girls who form the Houston-based ensemble have performed more than Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston combined, Knowles boasts, and they are only 16 and 17 years old.
He offers this nugget not only to impress but to show that the group's success is due to more than just destiny.
They're not where they are by luck,
Knowles says. The success is because the group has already developed. It's all old hat to them.
Belting out soulful ballads and hip-hop dance tunes might well be old hat, but fame is a new fringe benefit that these ladies have welcomed with the enthusiasm of teen-agers and the humility of professionals.
The group's self-titled debut album, released in February, has gone gold after selling almost 1 million copies worldwide. The first single, No, No, No,
is double platinum with some 2 million copies sold.
Destiny's Child also has been featured on soundtracks for the films Men in Black
and Why Do Fools Fall in Love.
It's a trip, but it's a blessing,
16-year-old Beyoncé Knowles, Matthew's daughter and the lead singer of Destiny's Child, says of the group's success.
Rounding out the quartet are LaTavia Roberson, also 16, Kelly Rowland and LeToya Luckett, both 17.
The group got its start about seven years ago when Beyoncé and LaTavia, then 9, joined a singing and dancing group called Girls Tyme.
With its hip-hop songs and bubble-gum lyrics, Girls Tyme performed at birthday parties, talent competitions and clubs from Houston to Dallas. The group even recorded an album but had no luck in landing a record deal.
Then in 1992, Girls Tyme got its first big break when it won an appearance on the televised talent competition Star Search.
But the group was placed in the rap category and performed its only rap song—not its best. The girls lost to a rock band.
We did not win,
recalls Beyoncé, but that was the turning point in our career.
After the disappointing loss, Beyoncé's father started managing the group and set out to change its image. The dancers were scrapped. LeToya and Kelly came aboard, and the girls began honing their vocal skills.
During the summers, they received voice lessons and rehearsed daily. Once school started, they rehearsed at night and performed on weekends. At the end of their ninth-grade year, they quit school and hired tutors.
All the while, the girls continued recording songs and hunting for a record deal.
Everybody else was outside playing, and we were working. But we still played,
says Kelly. We had to make up our own games, but we made sure we had fun.
Destiny's Child are one of the international stars attending the San Remo's songs festival. In the background, two unidentifed backing singers. From left in front row, Kelly Rowland, Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Williams of the U.S. pop group Destiny's Child sing during the Festival di San Remo songs contest in San Remo, Italy, March 8, 2002. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Their luck finally changed after a representative from Columbia Records saw the group perform at a Houston expo. Afterward, they were invited to perform in a showcase of up-and-coming stars and, in 1996, Columbia signed them to its label.
After two years in the studio, the album Destiny's Child
was released.
John Moran, owner of Digital Services Recording in Houston, likens the group's deal with Columbia to a baseball player coming out of high school and going directly to the major leagues.
It's impressive that they were signed directly to Columbia,
said Moran, whose studio was used by Destiny's Child to record its early material.
Also impressive is the lineup of stars who pitched in on the album. Wyclef Jean of the rap group the Fugees collaborated with the girls on No, No, No.
Dwayne Wiggins of the rhythm and blues group Tony, Toni, Tone produced several tracks, as did Vincent Herbert, who has produced hits for Toni Braxton.
With its studio backing and talent, Destiny's Child is destined for big things, says Moran, who describes the quartet as a young Supremes. The group also could help expand the image of Houston's music scene, known more for its rap artists.
There is an intangible quality that is evident in most people who can be described as stars—presence. They have that,
Moran says. And the girls themselves work very, very hard and have been doing so for many, many years. That is the major key.
The group has no plans to slow down.
After three months on tour with the award-winning Boyz II Men, the girls are getting ready to go back on tour this month. Each is learning to play an instrument, and work on the next album begins in February.
Despite the hard work and nonstop lifestyle, the members of Destiny's Child says their success has been a blessing—one they won't soon take for granted.
We appreciate everything, and we do understand that all of this can be taken away the next day,
says Beyoncé. You can be No. 1 and then the next week, nothing.
Destiny’s Child settles lawsuits
July 24, 2002
By Pam Easton
Two former members of the R&B group Destiny's Child have settled their lawsuits against the group's current members, its manager and Sony Music.
3 - AP02010905316Destiny's Child, from left, Kelly Rowland, Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Williams, hold up the two American Music Awards they won for favorite soul/R&B band and favorite pop/rock album at the 29th American Music Awards in Los Angeles, January 9, 2002. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Two former members of the R&B group Destiny's Child have settled their lawsuits against the group's current members, its manager and Sony Music.
Terms of the settlement, announced Wednesday, were not disclosed.
LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson were original members who quit the group in 2000. They later sued lead singer Beyoncé Knowles, her father and group manager Matthew Knowles, original member Kelly Rowland and Sony Music for breach of contract, defamation, libel and fraud.
Luckett and Roberson left over unhappiness with Matthew Knowles' control after their original manager died in 1997. Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams replaced the pair; Franklin dropped out months later and the group has since performed as a trio.
But hard feelings arose this year over the 2001 single Survivor.
It includes the lines: You thought that I'd be stressed without you/ But I'm chillin'/ You thought I wouldn't sell without you/ Sold 9 million.
Luckett and Roberson contended the song was a violation of a previous settlement with Beyoncé Knowles and Rowland which precluded either party from making any disparaging public comments.
4 - AP00112901986The vocal trio Destiny's Child performs in New York's Rockefeller Center during festivities before the Center's famed Christmas tree was illuminated, November 29, 2000. (AP Photo/Ed Bailey)
Beyoncé Knowles, who co-wrote Survivor
said the song was about everybody who ever discouraged the group.
I've had people from school who said we weren't going to make it. We had a label that dropped us,
she said about the group formed in Houston when she was eight. For me, I have no problems with anybody. ... I was 17 when [they left]. It was a long time ago ... It's silly.
Luckett and Roberson had sought unspecified damages. Their attorney, Warren