How Long Was Beyoncé With Destiny’s Child?
Beyoncé has become one of the largest musical sensations of the modern era; with an eclectic arrangement of music traversing contemporary R&B, hip hop, gospel, and more, the queen consistently tops the Billboard charts. Though she’s now a solo act, with one of the most expansive fan-followings, she wasn’t always out there on her own. You can’t forget her early years when she and the rest of Destiny’s Child harmonized to “Survivor” and and “Say My Name.” So, how long was Beyoncé with Destiny’s Child before the group broke up, and what exactly happened between the members?
Destiny’s Child: A brief history
Destiny’s Child was one of the most popular all-female R&B groups of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. They rivaled the likes of TLC — famous for the hit tune “Waterfalls” — in their prime years of commercial success, as AllMusic.com notes.
Destiny’s Child began to form when Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson met at an audition in Houston, Texas. Both girls were only nine years old; however, Beyoncé’s father saw that, together, they could be the start of something powerful. He chose their name from a Bible passage, then Beyoncé’s best friend — Kelly Rowland — joined the group, and they landed a spot on the 1992 season of Star Search.
Following their appearance on Star Search, LeToya Luckett joined in 1993. For the next few years, the group worked to climb the ladder from success — hoping to make it from Houston’s club scene to Hollywood stardom. In 1997, Columbia Records offered them a deal and, before you knew it, their names were plastered across Billboards everywhere.
Destiny’s Child: The hits
In 1998, the song “No, No, No” hit radios, and it was a hit. Two years later, “Say My Name” made its way to the public and made the group the phenomenon they are remembered as today. However, things started to get a little tense preceding the new millennium. Roberson and Luckett attempted to split with the group’s manager, Matthew Knowles, arguing that he kept too much of the profits and favored his family members over the others.
When the video for “Say My Name” appeared in 2000 — featuring two new members, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin — Roberson and Luckett sued, and as you can assume, they were soon replaced by the two new singers featured “Say My Name.” However, calm waters were not yet in store, for Franklin soon left the group as well! Destiny’s Child became a three-person group featuring Beyoncé, Williams, and Rowland.
The end of Destiny’s Child
Beyoncé soon became the group’s focus, coming to write and produce some of the albums the group released. Rowland began to release some of her own solo work as well, yet it wouldn’t go on to receive the same acclaim as Beyoncé’s independent music. While the group began to go off in independent directions throughout 2002 and 2003, they reunited for an album in 2004. Following this album, they proceeded to follow their independent passions. You can say the group formally split around 2005, but they also reunited again in 2012.
If keeping things simple, and starting with the release of 1998’s “No, No, No,” the group had a strong seven to eight years through 2005. However, if starting with Star Search, in 1992, add six.
