Kelly Rowland

Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland was born February 11, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia. The daughter of Doris Rowland Garrison and Christopher Lovett, who were married after Kelly was born.[3] When she was seven, her mother took her and left her father, who was an abusive alcoholic.[4][5]

She relocated to Houston, Texas, and met Beyoncé Knowles. The two became best friends and became half of the original Destiny's Child. The other members were LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett. It took six years for the group to get their first record deal. They were dropped from the label only to be picked up by Columbia Records. They became highly successful and two members left the group leaving Knowles and Rowland as a duo until they could find new talent. In early 2000, Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams joined the group but five months later Franklin departed the group.

As a trio, Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle released their first number one album with two more number one singles. Kelly, who sang second lead vocals since the beginning of Destiny's Child had a lot of solo singing on this album alongside Beyoncé. On their final studio album Destiny Fulfilled each member had equal parts in the lead vocals. They released their #1's album, which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide, before going solo. They have sold over 100 million records as Destiny's Child and were named The World's Best-Selling Female Group Ever. They were also the Best-Selling R&B Group of 2005, and the Best-Selling Pop Group of 2005.

Destiny's Child was originally signed by Elektra Records in 1995, but were dropped before they could release their debut album. The quartet was signed to Columbia Records the following year, and their career took off. Destiny's Child rose to fame in 1998 with the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit, "No, No, No Part 2". Even after much publicized turmoil involving group members, Destiny's Child (eventually a trio consisting of original members Rowland and Knowles, with Michelle Williams), managed to become the most successful R&B/pop acts in the late '90s/early '00s, earning four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, several top 10's, and two Billboard 200 number-one albums. The group also earned number-ones on various other Billboard and non-Billboard charts.

Rowland and Destiny's Child toured as an opening act for Christina Aguilera after their 1998's Platinum-selling self-titled debut album Destiny's Child was released. Their debut album was produced by Wyclef Jean and Jermaine Dupri and featured the Platinum-selling single "No, No, No Part 2". Destiny Child's second album, The Writing's on the Wall, released in 1999, featured two number-one hits: "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name". "Bug a Boo" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'" were also popular singles from the album. "Say My Name" won two awards at the 2001 Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" and "Best R&B Song" – the latter of which was awarded to the songwriters, which included Rowland.

Their next album, Survivor, proved to be another smash, going to number one on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, as well as the Canadian albums chart. Two singles from the album went to the top of the Hot 100: "Independent Women Part I" and "Bootylicious", with the album's title track reaching number two. "Independent Women Part I" had been the theme song for Charlie's Angels in late 2000, before the album's 2001 release. The title track "Survivor" would win the group their third Grammy for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals". The album's fourth single, "Emotion", was a cover of the Bee Gees' hit of the same name; it continued the group's impressive string of top 10 hits.

After the three year hiatus that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Rowland rejoined Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Williams for Destiny's Child's fourth (and final) studio album, Destiny Fulfilled, released November 2004. The album hit number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned the hits "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "Girl", and "Cater 2 U". Afterwards Rowland and the other two-thirds of Destiny's Child embarked on a world tour sponsored by McDonald's titled Destiny Fulfilled and Lovin' It, in 2005, visiting over 70 cities throughout Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America from April to September. Shortly before the end of the European leg of the tour, at a concert in Barcelona, Spain on June 13, 2005, Kelly announced that the group was to go their separate ways the following September.

In October 2005, the group released their final album, entitled #1's, including all of Destiny's Child's number-one hits and most well-known songs. The collection also included three new tracks, one of which is the final single "Stand Up for Love". It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart and number six on the UK Top 75 Singles. At the 2005 World Music Awards, Destiny's Child were given the award for the biggest-selling girl group of all time.

Rowland's first solo album, Simply Deep was released in October 2002 domestically and February 2003 internationally. The album featured a range of "alternative R&B music", widely influenced by rock and pop music, and yielded the BAM & Ryan number-one hit "Dilemma", a Grammy-winning ("Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" in 2003) duet with rapper Nelly, which eventually spent ten weeks on top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Other production was among contributed by Brandy, Mark J. Feist, Robert "Big Bert" Smith, Rich Harrison, Solange Knowles, Alonzo Jackson, Damon Elliot Leli and Sean Okundaye. While the album entered the top 10 on the majority of the charts it appeared on, peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200, and eventually receiving a gold certification for more than 602,000 copies sold; Simply Deep reached number-one in the UK, where it was certified as a platinum seller and was moreover certified gold in Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada and other countries.

Although its lead single "Stole" reached the top ten in several countries and peaked within the top five in the Australia, New Zealand and the UK, it never reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Follow-up song "Can't Nobody" barely made it to the top 10 on most charts, but peaked at number 5 on the UK singles chart. The album's final single, "Train on a Track" received limited international release, and thus failed to chart or sell noticeably, apart from the UK, where it became Rowland's fourth top twenty solo hit.

In 2005, Rowland appeared on rapper Trina's song called "Here We Go", which impacted radio in September 2005 and became another top 20 success for both artists in New Zealand, Finland, the United States, and the UK.

Rowland had been working on her second solo album on and off since 2004. Originally entitled My Story, the album's first version was actually scheduled for a release on June 6, 2006 and involving main production by Rich Harrison, Big Tank, Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Rodney Jerkins and guests Robin Thicke, Da Brat, Remy Ma and Shawnna.[6] Although she world premiered a CKB-produced lead single, "Gotsta Go", on the 2006 MTV Asia Awards in Bangkok on May 6, 2006, Rowland, her management and Columbia Records eventually decided to shelve the album and re-work a version with a different vibe since the singer considered the final tracklist "too full of midtempos and ballads."[7] Rowland eventually consulted a few other producers to collaborate on the album, renamed Ms. Kelly, including Sean Garrett, Billy Mann, Scott Storch,[8] and Atlanta-based Polow Da Don, who contributed the single "Like This", a duet with rapper Eve, to the album. The single reached the top 10 in Canada, Croatia, Ireland, Slovenia and the UK; the top 20 in Australia, Lithuania and New Zealand; and number 30 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Ms. Kelly debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and at number 6 on the official Billboard 200, with moderately successful first week sales of 83,800 copies (almost 7,000 plus than her previous album Simply Deep);[9] making it Rowland's first domestic top 10 album. Exclusively at Walmart, Ms. Kelly was packaged with a bonus DVD titled, BET Presents Kelly Rowland. The DVD features BET highlights, performance highlights, and music videos from throughout Rowland's career.[10] Outside the United States, the album has widely failed to enter the top forty on the majority of the charts it appeared on, except for the UK where it opened at number 37 and a peak position of number 10 on the Japanese Foreign Charts.[11] On March 25, 2008 a reissued version of the album, branded with the name Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe, received a digital-only release, its lead single being the previously unreleased song "Daylight," a collaboration with Gym Class Heroes.

As recently reported, Rowland will start recording her third full length album in early April 2008.

Rowland branched into acting with her roles in the 2003 summer blockbuster Freddy vs. Jason and in the 2004 independent film The SeatFiller co-starring "All of Us actor Duane Martin, it released on DVD and VHS on February 21, 2006. She has also appeared on UPN sitcoms, The Hughleys, Eve, and Girlfriends and on an episode of the Nickelodeon children's comedy Taina. Rowland has also made television appearances on American Dreams as Martha Reeves of Martha & The Vandellas sing her version of "No Where To Run" and Born to Diva in 2003, Nick Cannon's MTV series Wild n Out in 2006 and has guest hosted on daytime talk show The View.

In October 2007, Rowland auditioned for the role of Louise, Carrie Bradshaw's assistant, in the 2008 film adaption of HBO's comedy series Sex and the City. The part eventually went to Jennifer Hudson.[13] Kelly Rowland appeared as a choirmaster on the reality show "Clash of the Choirs" in December 2007.

Rowland, along with other recording artists such as P!nk, Avril Lavigne, Eve, Bow Wow, John Mayer, ex-Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, joined actresses Brittany Murphy, Charlize Theron, Rosario Dawson and Eva Mendes in ads for "empowerment tag" for the ALDO Fights AIDS campaign.[15] The tags, worn as necklaces or bracelets, go on sale at ALDO stores March 1st and benefit the YouthAIDS initiative.

Songwriting legend David Foster's daughter Amy Foster-Gillies wrote Destiny's Child's latest single "Stand Up for Love" for World Children's Day, an event which takes place annually around the world on November 20 to raise awareness and funds for children's causes worldwide. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 World Children's Day program.

In 2007, Rowland, along with stars such as Jessica Simpson and the cast of the hit show Grey's Anatomy autographed pink Goody Ouchless brushes. The brushes were made available for auction on Ebay with all proceeds going to Breast Cancer Awareness.

In 2007, Kelly along with stars such as Kanye West, Nelly Furtado and Snoop Dogg teamed up with MTV, BET, and Nike to raise awareness about AIDS. Kelly was featured on a BET program, an MTV website, and designed a Nike sneaker for auction on Ebay with all proceeds going to AIDS Awareness.

Rowland, Beyoncé Knowles, along with Mathew Knowles, Tina Knowles and Solange Knowles-Smith announced the formation of the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing for Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas area. The Survivor Foundation extends the philanthropic mission of the "Knowles-Rowland Center For Youth", a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston.

Discography
Ms. Kelly
Official site
MySpace