Destiny's Child to split after fall tour

06/13/2005 1:52 PM, Reuters
Jonathan Cohen

Chart-topping R&B trio Destiny's Child will split after its fall North American tour, a spokesperson has confirmed.

Group member Kelly Rowland made the announcement on stage in Barcelona on Saturday night. The trio's "Destiny Fulfilled ... and Loving It" tour will hit North America beginning July 2 in New Orleans and wrap Sept. 10 in Vancouver.

The corresponding album, "Destiny Fulfilled," peaked at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 pop album charte late last year and spawned the hit single "Lose My Breath." The album has sold more than 2.7 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The group was cagey when asked by Billboard last year if this album would be its last.

"Who knows what will happen in three, five or 10 years?" group member Beyonce said then. "The main thing is that we maintain our friendship and that we do it because we want to -- not because it's a good business move."

Destiny's Child, comprising Beyonce, Rowland and Michelle Williams, had taken a three-year break from the studio following the 2001 release of "Survivor" to allow its members time to work on solo projects.

Beyonce emerged as a superstar in her own right with the 2003 release of "Dangerously in Love," leading some to speculate she no longer needed Destiny's Child as an artistic vehicle. But she told Billboard last year the group felt it still had something to offer musically with "Destiny Fulfilled."

"We did this record for ourselves, not to sell a million the first week out," she said. "That doesn't mean as much to us as just the fact that three friends got back together to do another record. That was our destiny."

Reuters/Billboard