R&B trio survives setbacks, takes music world by storm

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Destiny's Child survived member-shuffling to take over MTV, conquer the billboards and land on magazine covers across the nation. Associated Press photos MTV's TRL Tour Featuring Destiny's Child, Eve and Nelly 7:30 p.m. today (Sunday's show has been canceled) Blaisdell Arena $50.50 and $60.50 526-4400 As this story went to press, this concert was expected to go on as scheduled, pending the scheduling of airline flights for the artists.

They are definitely not dwellers on the past, having survived member-shuffling and enough drama for their own "Behind the Music" episode.

But Destiny's Child, in concert today at the Blaisdell, isn't asking for sympathy or looking for excuses.

In 1999, original members BeyoncÚ Knowles and Kelly Rowland sent LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson packing, replacing them with Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. The very public — and very painful — reshuffling resulted in tears and lawsuits. Just five months after joining, Franklin decided to bow out due to "creative differences," whittling the group down to a trio.

But Destiny's Child moved on and moved up the charts with the success of its multi-platinum second album, "The Writing's On The Wall," fueled by hits "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Bug A Boo." The sophomore album sold more than 9 million copies worldwide, selling upward of 70,000 units a week. It debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 Album chart.

"The lyrics to the single 'Survivor' are Destiny's Child's story because we've been through a lot," Knowles told Rolling Stone magazine in May. "We went through our drama with the members, and everybody was like, 'Oh, well, no more Destiny's Child.' Well, we sold even more records after all those changes. Any complications we've had in our 10-year period of time have made us closer and tighter and better."

Destiny's Child would seem to be an act not to be followed. But despite its high-profile æproblems, the R&B divas were able to take over MTV, conquer Billboard and land on magazines covers across the nation.

Furthermore, they characterize the new brand of bands that has no problem selling out — allowing their music, and their likenesses to be appear in advertisements, a practice once openly shunned in the music industry but now very much a part of the package with even veterans like Sting and KISS succumbing to the perks of mass marketing.

Destiny's Child might as well be the poster children for this phenomena. They've been in ads for everything from hair color to long-distance phone service.

Eve, known for her genre-blending hip-hop, sends the message that this "pit bull in a skirt" isn't someone to mess with.

Nelly's "Country Grammar" collection propelled the Texas native into the national spotlight.

The trio from Houston, who formed the R&B girl group in 1990, are more than just long legs and pretty faces. Talent backs up their glossy looks, as even the critics agree.

They have won two Grammy Awards (Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group, both for "Say My Name"), four Billboard Music Award, two coveted NAACP Image Awards, the Fans' Favorite award at the 28th Annual American Music Awards and the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, a MTV Video Music Award and a slew of nominations for awards in every category imaginable.

"They are talented, if unexceptional singers," wrote Steve Appleford, who reviewed the L.A. leg of the MTV-sponsored TRL Tour for the Los Angeles Times. "More impressive, the trio wasn't just playing to the kids in attendance, but singing material that was equally accessible to adults. Over and over, these so-called teen-pop singers were confident enough to slow things down. The women of Destiny's Child were never less than grown up."

It may seem strange that Destiny's Child, Eve and Nelly — all fitting into a particular music genre, a blend of hip-hop, rap and R&B — would be the headliners of the MTV-sponsored tour that has historically favored the more pop flavor of Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and 'N Sync. Fans of alt rockers KoRn and Limp Bizkit fans may hit the phone lines and Internet to cast their votes, but the bubble-gum candy-pop fans are the ones who always win. Yet the TRL Tour features these acts that are relatively marginal on the popular MTV fan-oriented show.

And maybe that's a good thing.

Known for her hard-edge, tough, genre-blending hip-hop, Eve conquered TRL with crossover hits "Who's That Girl" and "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," featuring fan favorite Gwen Stefani. The Philly native is the only female emcee on the New York-based Ruff Ryders label, sending the message that this self-described "pit bull in a skirt" isn't someone to mess with.

Nelly, born Cornell Haynes Jr., ditched baseball for rap, working in the underground scene before emerging as a solo artists in 1999. "Country Grammar," his debut collection, propelled the Austin, Texas, native into the national spotlight. The hard urban R&B sound proved to be radio-friendly with hooks on tracks such as "Country Grammar" and "Ride Wit Me."

The combination of these three acts illustrate the new definition of pop music, one that has embraced the urban feel of R&B and rap.