Destiny's Child Singers to Pursue Solo Projects

Dec. 6, 2001 -- The three "bootylicious" vocalists from the Grammy-winning R&B act Destiny's Child are parting ways to pursue solo projects for the near future, theysaid in a television interview aired Wednesday.

"Well, Destiny's Child put out four albums in four years,which is unbelievable," lead singer Beyonce Knowles told cablenetwork E! Entertainment Television in an interview conductedlast week. "We've been working ... nonstop. So I think Destiny'sChild is gonna take a little break." She added, "I think the great thing about us doing this is wewill all have to develop individually. You're in a group and it'skind of like your girls are like your security blanket."

No Timetable for Reunion

Asked when they would regroup, bandmate Kelly Rowland saidthere was no time table. "You know how the Beatles broke off — they all did theirsolo projects and they came back together and they were evenstronger," she said in a mistaken reference to the Fab Four'ssplit. Three of the Beatles reunited in the studio years after John Lennon's death to record two songs from demo tapes he hadrecorded, blending their own voices with his. Destiny's Child — comprised of Knowles, Rowland and MichelleWilliams — has become a dominant pop music force since thespring of 2000. A string of multi-platinum albums and such hitsingles as "Say My Name," "Jumpin', Jumpin'," "Survivor" and"Bootylicious" have kept the glittery threesome at the top of thecharts and made them a constant MTV presence. But it was barely two years ago that Destiny's Child, whichbegan more than a decade ago as a foursome in Houston, emerged asa reconstituted trio following the acrimonious departure of twoco-founding members of the group.

The 1999 sophomore album "The Writing's On the Wall," poweredby the hit "Say My Name," took off about the time LaTaviaRoberson and LeToya Luckett left the group. "Say My Name" went onto earn a Grammy for best R&B group performance with vocals andbest R&B song. The group's third album of new material, "Survivor," debutedin May at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and has sold more than 3million copies. It was followed by a holiday album, "8 Days ofChristmas," in late October.