Beyonce & Destiny's Child costar Kelly Rowland unrecognizable in never-before-seen 1999 pic during s

May 2024 · 2 minute read

DESTINY'S Child stars Beyonce and Kelly Rowland look unrecognizable in a never-before-seen photograph taken in 1999.

The pair sign an autograph for a young fan in the incredible snap taken when they were just 17 years old and a year before they shot to international fame.

Life-long friends Beyonce, now 39, and Kelly, 40, greet the starstruck girl with huge smiles, as they share the room with a boy-band that never made the 'big time'.

Destiny's Child - along with Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin - would go on to win a Grammy within two years thanks to their mega-hit Say My Name.

The group scooped awards for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Beyonce was just 19 years old at the time.

Last month, with a total of 28 gongs under her belt, the Lemonade and Homecoming star became the MOST Grammy-winning female artist in history - tying with 88-year-old producer Quicy Jones.

But Kelly recently said she felt "overshadowed" by Beyonce for "a whole decade".

The singer said she would "torture" herself over trying to establish her own identity while singing and dancing in a band alongside Queen Bey.

"Can you imagine what it’s like being in a group with Beyoncé?” she said.

“I would just torture myself in my head. Like, I can’t wear this dress because they’re going to say it’s like B. Or, I can’t have a song like that because it sounds too much like B. They’re gonna compare anyways.”

She went on to say that it was the elephant in the room during her tenure in the band.

“I would be lying if I said ‘No, it’s never bothered me.’ That’s bull. There was a whole decade, if I am being completely honest, a decade where it was like the elephant in the room."

She continued: "It was the thing that would constantly be on my shoulder.”

Farrah Franklin exited the group, first formed in 1990, after just five months.

Kelly Rowland says she felt ‘overshadowed’ by Beyonce for ‘a whole decade’

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Singers LaTavia Roberson, and LeToya Luckett were part of the original line-up, but they clashed with Beyonce's manager dad Matthew Knowles and left in 1997.

Destiny’s Child went on hiatus in 2002 as Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle began their own solo projects.

Bey dropped her iconic debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, a year later.

Destiny's Child did reunite for one last album in 2004 called Destiny Fulfilled.

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