Mathew Knowles - Destinys Child: The Untold Story

This book is dedicated, first and foremost, to all of the artists who participated in the journey of Destiny's Child, starting with Girls Tyme. Second, I would like to dedicate this book to all of the producers, writers, choreographers, road managers, music directors, business managers, video directors, engineers, dancers, band members, production crews, hair and makeup, attorneys, booking agents, independent contractors, merchandisers, tour promoters, and others. (My apologies, I know I've probably forgotten someone). Special thanks to Giana Garel whose writing, research, and gathering of the oral histories was a pivotal part of this project.

Lastly, I would like to dedicate this book to Arnie Frager, Alonzo Jackson, Debra Leday, Denise Seals, and Andretta Tillman who began this journey with Girls Tyme. Solange, who participated in many roles: sister, dancer, and writer. Tina, who spent endless hours as wife, friend, stylist, designer, mother (as well as bonus mother to Kelly), and was the glue that sometimes held them together. I would like to thank the incredible worldwide staff at Columbia Records, Music World Entertainment, Sony Music, and in particular Donnie Ienner, our strategic partners, and lastly, Beyonc, Kelly and Michelle, who worked so incredibly hard for a dream that came true.

For me, the phenomena that became Destinys Child began with my own childBeyonc. The mechanics of managing, motivating, and maneuvering a group of talented children through an impossible landscape is one thing; parenting is another. Yet both had to succeed in this instance. Was that easy? Was it riddled with controversy and heartbreak, disappointments and finger-pointing? What do you think?

For my part, it all comes back to my personal role, and not only as a father to one of the group members but also as management. From the parenting perspective, I was not a pit bull fighting over a cash bone. I was a working father pushing for the advancement of his kids nearly impossible dream. From the managerial side, I was leveraging their hard work as youths into a long-term advantage for them later in life. Because outside of the business of the show, there is still a legacy to be built. So it was never about getting richer. Money passed down is easily spent; its the name the inheritors have to live up to, or not.

The group members built a name for themselves due to their talent and dedication. The name Destinys Child and all its members are now renowned, and their inheritance from the hard work will be passed down to their children and their childrens children.

Such financial success was beyond their young imaginations, but prosperity naturally came with being called one of the most successful and greatest worldwide-selling girl groups of all time. Thats also what you call a legacy. A mark on history that could even outlast money. Still, I figured if they would pass up college or a different career path for the sake of their art, then the financial and long-term career aspects should be considered. There had to be later rewards for all their early sacrifice. To risk all of that, and not have lasting security, would not have made any sense. I know this from my own entrepreneurial parents, as well as from seeing hardships that no father would want his family to endure.

From that business-minded upbringing, and my corporate sales and marketing background, I wanted to bring in not just the parenting but also the push. Not because it was my dream for them, but because they dared to dream at all and needed support. I wasnt alone, either. Others joined, adding to a sense of family and bringing even more progress to the movement of Destinys Child.

The groups career launch happened during a freshly emerging era in black music, and it also ran alongside major changes in socio-political attitudes during the 1990s. We needed every sharp mind in the industry to pull off the seemingly impossible during those fast-changing times. It would seem from one point of view that black music and culture exploded across the globe in the 1980s-90s with rap, pop, and R&B. Yet on the industry inside, we would see how much had, and had not, changed since the early days of the music business.

Keep in mind, this was not one or two generations removed from the time when a young black womans life wasnt even prized, much less her artand certainly not in a multi-billion dollar industry. Whether you were a solo black artist or an artist in a group, your rights, royalties, and even your respect could be handled in whatever way that labels and backers wanted. It was seldom fair or pretty.

I knew enough of this treatment from having worked in Corporate America, and just by being a black man in America. I wasnt about to let these young girls enter into what was clearly a fixed game without help. Ironically, it was having a corporate career, during a heavily discriminating era, that later made such a difference with my strategies as a manager and a music executive. I was not always involved in many of the intricate early stages when Ann Tillman and others kicked off the journey. At that time, I was still working full-time as well as traveling a good deal, back when things had not yet crystalized into a structure that everyone could recognize.

Once it did formulate, nobody around the girls could miss it, and with Beyonc at the core of the groups activities, I was going to be there, parenting if not doing more. By the time I joined Ann Tillman in managing the group, the girls were already in motion but needed a particular kind of steering if they were going to rise and crack the glass ceiling as a young, black all-girl group. Again, I cant emphasize enough how much it helped, my coming from a strong sales and marketing background, top ranked for several years running. There, and growing up playing competitive sports, I learned the techniques of winning.

I knew, at the end of the day, we werent selling the artistswe were selling their music and each individuals dreamworldwide. Once I did dig into management, I applied everything I knew. Where I wasnt, Beyoncs mother wasand beside us there were others who dug in and gave their all to see that the talented children found their destiny.

Part of what I learned while building a winning sales team is that you need other people of vision to help. Despite any difficulties we might have encountered, in the end, we all seemed to maintain respect for each others roles in the groups development. Nothing is taken away in our memories here. Not the early, much-needed efforts of Ann Tillman, Alonzo Jackson, Arne Frager, and Brian Moore, nor the production efforts of Daryl Simmons, Dwayne Wiggins, or Preston Middleton, nor the executive actions of Teresa LaBarbera White and Kim Burse, as well as the first teams roles played by Darlette Johnson, and vocal coach David Brewer.

Many of these players join me in these pages to relate, collectively, their memories about the early journey of such a hugely popular and ever-changing group. My own memories of the beginning, when I was still working full time, were further sparked when asking the early team members and those who worked during my own labels development,