Kelly Rowland

Fun Facts: Rowland was actually born in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to Houston after her mother separated from her father when she was nine years old.

Claim to Fame: Kelly Rowland in best known for being a founding member of Destiny’s Child. She has also released two albums on her own.

Kelendria "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, model and television host. Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Houston, Texas, Rowland rose to fame in the late 1990s as one of the founding members of the girl group Destiny's Child. She has sold more than 50 million records worldwide with the group.

During the hiatus of the group, Rowland collaborated with rapper Nelly on the single "Dilemma," a worldwide number-one hit, and released her rock pop-influenced debut solo album Simply Deep in 2002. It became a commercial success, selling more than two million copies worldwide, and garnered three more or less successful singles, among "Stole" and "Can't Nobody." Following the formal disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2005, Rowland's often-delayed second album, Ms. Kelly, was released in 2007. Moderately successful on the charts, it spawned the hit singles "Like This" and "Work." When she was seven, her mother took her and left her father, who was an abusive alcoholic.

At the age of eight, she relocated to Houston, Texas. There she met the Knowles family and became friends with Beyonce. Rowland was placed into a rapping and dancing group, along with her friends Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson. Originally named Girl's Tyme, they were eventually cut down to six members. West coast R&B producer, Arne Frager, flew into Houston to see them. He eventually brought them to his studio?The Plant Recording Studios?in Northern California, with Knowles' vocals being featured because Frager thought she had the best personality and the ability to sing., the biggest talent show on national TV at that time. To manage the group, Beyoncé's father Mathew Knowles resigned in 1995 from his job as a medical-equipment salesman. He dedicated his time and established a "boot camp" for their training. The resignation reduced Knowles family's income by half and her parents separated because of the pressure. Not long after the inclusion of Rowland, Mathew cut the original lineup to four. Rehearsing in Tina Knowles' hair styling salon and their backyards, the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups of the time Together, they performed in local events and, after four years on the road, the group was signed to Columbia Records in late 1997. That same year, Destiny's Child recorded their major label debut song, "Killing Time", for the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black. spawning hits such as "No, No, No". That album made it possible for Destiny?s Child to win three awards from the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.

(read more @ wikipedia.org)