Destiny's Child to break up after US tour

Members of Destiny's Child, Beyonce Knowles, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland. Picture / Reuters

LOS ANGELES - The three vocalists of the chart-topping R&B act Destiny's Child plan to part ways at the end of their upcoming North American tour to pursue solo careers.

The glittery trio first signaled their intentions on Saturday from the stage of a concert in Barcelona, Spain, when group member Kelly Rowland said their current Destiny Fulfilled...And Lovin' It tour would be their last in Europe.

A formal announcement from their Sony Urban/Columbia Records label said the trio "would be retiring as Destiny's Child and moving forward to pursue personal goals and individual careers in music, theater, television and film." "After a lot of discussion and some deep soul searching, we realized that our current tour has given us the opportunity to leave Destiny's Child on a high note, united in our friendship and filled with an overwhelming gratitude for our music, our fans, and each other," the three said in a statement.

The group plans to return to the United States for a North American outing that opens July 9 in St Louis and concludes with their final concert as Destiny's Child on September 10 in Vancouver, the label said.

The corresponding album, Destiny Fulfilled, peaked at No 2 on The US Billboard 200 pop album chart 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 - comprising Rowland, Beyonce Knowles and Michelle Williams - previously parted company in December 2001, months after their third album of new material, Survivor, topped the charts.

Beyonce emerged as a superstar in her own right with her big-screen turn as Foxxy Cleopatra in the 2002 film Austin Powers in Goldmember, then scored a hit with her 2003 solo album, Dangerously in Love. Rowland released her own album that year, Simply Deep. But the trio reunited in early 2004 to record Destiny Fulfilled. Destiny's Child, originally hailing from Houston, has sold more than 40 million records worldwide, according to their label.

- REUTERS