Beyoncé Knowles is a megastar and an icon. Her popularity is into the stratosphere. Kelly Rowland has made a name for herself and is on a steady rise as a solo act. But the third member of Destiny’s Child, Michelle Williams, is also a lady of great achievement.
Williams met Kelly and Beyoncé in an Atlanta hotel lobby. When there was a vacancy in Destiny’s Child not long after, Beyoncé and Michelle went on a hunt for a replacement singer — two actually because original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson had both been relieved of their duties, so to speak.
Truth is, the remaining two Destiny’s Child members needed someone fast, because there were concerts to do and music to record.
Michelle Williams was hired, as was Farrah Franklin, who didn’t last long.
Williams joined just in time for “Survivor,” the album that elevated Destiny’s Child to supergoup status.
As much as she loved R&B, Michelle longed to make contemporary gospel records as well. Her first gospel album, “Heart to Yours,” was a major success and was, in fact, the biggest selling gospel album of 2002. She was the first Destiny’s Child member to do a solo project.
What no one knew at the time was that Michelle Williams also possessed strong acting skills. She proved that in a four-part, intense role on the TV series “Half & Half” and, even more significantly, on the stage.
Williams won raves for her work in the stage productions “The Color Purple,” “Aida,” “Chicago” and “Fela!”
In 2008, Williams surprised everyone by releasing a dance/party album with an appropriate title, “Unexpected.” Sales were respectable. This was her third solo album, the second had been a follow-up contemporary gospel album, “Do You Know?”
Destiny’s Child had disbanded in 2006, but fans had been hoping for a reunion, even a brief one.
That happened in February of 2013 when Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams joined Beyoncé on stage during her dazzling Super Bowl haftime show. They performed two Destiny’s Child songs, “Independent Women” and “Bootylicious,” and accompanied Beyoncé on her hit, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).