Destiny's Child Bid Surprise Farewell to Fans at Barcelona Concert

Destiny's Child, one of the top-selling female pop vocal groups of all time, made a surprise announcement, before a crowd of 16,000 fans, on-stage at the Palau St. Jordi in Barcelona, Spain on Saturday, June 11. Group member Kelly Rowland said that the group's current "Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It" tour, presented by McDonalds, would be the last time they would perform together as Destiny's Child in Europe.

Thanking their fans for years of love and support, Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams announced that they would be retiring as Destiny's Child and moving forward to pursue personal goals and individual careers in music, theater, television and film.

Statement from Destiny's Child: "As a group, we've been blessed with success and the greatest fans in the world. We have been working together as Destiny's Child since we were nine, and touring together since we were fourteen. 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. After all these wonderful years working together, we realized that now is the time to pursue our personal goals and solo efforts in earnest. This is a time of natural growth for all of us. No matter what happens, we will always love each other as friends and sisters and will always support each other as artists. We want to thank all of our fans for their incredible love and support and hope to see you all again as we continue fulfilling our destinies."

Destiny's Child will return to the States to begin the American leg of the group's tour on July 9. The final Destiny's Child concert is currently slated to take place in Vancouver on September 10.

The upcoming stateside "Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It" concerts mark Destiny Child's first full-length tour of North America in four years. Support acts on the "Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It" tour will include Destiny's Child's Sony Urban/Columbia Records labelmate Amerie, the platinum recording artist Mario, and emerging urban artist Tyra.

"Destiny's Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It" is a state-of-the-art modern concert experience featuring spectacular sets, exquisite lighting, pristine sound, and dramatic new staging. With costumes designed by Tina Knowles for House of Dereon, the women in Destiny's Child have never looked ... or sounded ... better.

One of the world's top-selling musical acts of the late 90s and early 00s, Destiny's Child has sold more than 40 million records worldwide, with solo recordings by Beyonce, Kelly, and Michelle bringing the total up to an astounding 50 million. The members of Destiny's Child, individually and collectively, have earned a phenomenal 38 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum RIAA certifications since the group's recorded debut in November 1997.

Destiny's Child is donating 25 cents to Ronald McDonald House Charities® from every ticket sold during their Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It North American Tour. Destiny's Child fans can also make a donation by going to http://www.rmhc.org/giveahand.

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC®), a non-profit, 501(c)(3), creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the Charity to offer help where children need it most -- right in their own communities.

Ronald McDonald House Charities and RMHC are trademarks of McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates.

   Destiny's Child "Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It"
   North American Tour Dates

   Sat 09-Jul-05 St. Louis, MO Savvis Center
   Sun 10-Jul-05 Memphis, TN FedEx Arena
   Tue 12-Jul-05 Nashville, TN Gaylord Arena
   Fri 15-Jul-05 Atlanta, GA Phillips Arena
   Sat 16-Jul-05 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
   Sun 17-Jul-05 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Office Depot Center
   Wed 20-Jul-05 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena
   Fri 22-Jul-05 Charlotte, NC Verizon Amphitheatre
   Sat 23-Jul-05 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Amphitheatre
   Sun 24-Jul-05 Raleigh, NC Alltell Pavilion
   Thu 28-Jul-05 Albany Pepsi Arena
   Fri 29-Jul-05 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
   Sun 31-Jul-05 Washington, DC MCI Center
   Wed 03-Aug-05 Uncasville Mohegan Sun
   Fri 05-Aug-05 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
   Sat 06-Aug-05 Boston, MA TD North Bank Garden
   Sun 07-Aug-05 Hershey, PA Hershey Park Stadium
   Tue 09-Aug-05 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
   Wed 10-Aug-05 Toronto, ONT Air Canada Center
   Fri 12-Aug-05 Cleveland, OH Gund Arena
   Sat 13-Aug-05 Columbus, OH Nationwide
   Sun 14-Aug-05 Detroit, MI The Palace
   Fri 19-Aug-05 San Antonio SBC Center
   Sat 20-Aug-05 Houston, TX Toyota Center
   Sun 21-Aug-05 Dallas, TX American Airlines
   Tue 23-Aug-05 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
   Fri 26-Aug-05 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Arena
   Sat 27-Aug-05 Phoenix, AZ America West Arena
   Thu 01-Sep-05 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
   Fri 02-Sep-05 Anaheim, CA Pond
   Sat 03-Sep-05 Oakland, CA Oakland Arena
   Sun 04-Sep-05 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
   Fri 09-Sep-05 Seattle, WA Key Arena
   Sat 10-Sep-05 Vancouver, BC GM Place

   Additions & changes to tour dates TBD

   http://www.destinyschild.com/
   http://www.columbiarecords.com/

SOURCE: Sony Urban/Columbia Records

CONTACT: Yvette Noel-Schure of Sony Urban Media Department,
+1-212-833-4483, Yvette.Noel-Schure@sonybmg.com

Web site: http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.destinyschild.com/
http://www.rmhc.org/giveahand