Actors - Michelle Williams

Home > Listing Index > Actors > Michelle Williams (singer)

	Actors - Michelle Williams

Tenitra Michelle Williams (born July 23, 1980 in Rockford, Illinois) is one-third of the R&B music supergroup Destiny's Child. She is also a Gospel music singer and Broadway actress.

Biography

Raised in a Christian-based family, Williams learned to sing in her church's choir. She later sang in a musical quartet called United Harmony with sister Cameron. After attending Auburn High School, she pursued a degree in criminal justice at Illinois State University while singing back-up for R&B star Monica. It was then that she gained the opportunity in becoming part of the what was soon to be global phenomenon of Destiny's Child.

Destiny's Child (2000-2006)

After much-publicized turmoil Williams officially joined the group in February 2000 replacing LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson. The first video she appeared in alongside co-founding members Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland and new 4th member Farrah Franklin was Say My Name, shot just a few days after she joined the group. Subsequent events saw the new quartet reduced to a trio when Farrah left the group. As a trio, Michelle and Destiny's Child continued their (what may have been surprising to some people, after a line of member changes and media-developed group conflict) rise to global superstardom with the 11-week Billboard #1 hit, Independent Women Part 1, featured on Destiny's Child's third studio album, Survivor, as well as the Charlie's Angels soundtrack. After three other Top 10 Billboard Hot100 hits - the title-track Survivor, Bootylicious and Emotion - and a massive tour, the group separated temporarily to pursue various solo endeavors.

After the three year hiatus that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Michelle rejoined Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland for Destiny's Child's fourth (and final) studio album, Destiny Fulfilled, released November 2004. The album hit #2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the hits Lose My Breath, Soldier, Girl and Cater 2 U. Destiny Fulfilled is without doubt the album which displays Williams unique, beautiful and soulful vocals best and shows her development as an artist and potential to be even bigger as a future solo vocalist. The album title itself was a hint that Destiny Fulfilled may in fact be the last Destiny's Child album and indeed that was to be the case.

Williams 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, 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 #1 hits and most well-known songs, which went straight to the top of the Billboard Album Chart at #1. The Greatest Hits collection also included 3 new tracks, one of which was the final single from Destiny's Child, Stand Up For Love

Solo projects (2002-present)

After the release and promotion of Survivor, Williams became the first member to release a solo studio album. Her Gospel album, Heart To Yours , shot up to #1 on the Billboard Gospel Chart and became the biggest-selling Gospel album of 2002; she then broke into acting with her starring role in the Broadway hit, Aida, replacing R&B singer Toni Braxton.

Following the success of her debut, Michelle released her sophomore album, entitled Do You Know, in 2004, featuring the single of the same name and a Destiny's Child Gospel track I Know. The album did not perform as well as her debut but did reach #2 on the Hot Christian Contemporary Album Chart and #3 on the Billboard Gospel Chart.

The lesser performance of Do You Know may have been due to the increasing criticism of Williams, by some devout Christian groups, who were against the fact that she was both a solo artist partaking in Gospel music and an R&B artist as part of the globally successful secular group Destiny's Child. Williams' second album also produced a different sound from the debut, with more R&B tinged beats and stronger vocals from Michelle.

Beyond The Music

In the Autumn of 2005, Williams signed a deal to endorse and appear in commercials for The Gap, where she appeared alongside other musical stars including Joss Stone, John Legend and Alanis Morrissette among others.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Michelle Williams (singer) ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Michelle Williams (singer); it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Actors - Michelle Williams

Biography

Destiny's Child (2000-2006)

Solo projects (2002-present)

Beyond The Music

Searches on eBay

Related searches on eBay