The girls of Destiny's Child are talented, smart and beautiful. It's no wonder they're at the top of the charts: Everyone is sayin' their name!

Lately, it seems like you can't go anywhere without seeing Beyonce, Kelly, and Michelle, the beautiful, talented, glamorous trio known as Destiny's Child. They recently won Grammy awards for the songs "Say My Name" and "Independent Women - Part 1." They've sold over seven million copies or their album, The Writing's on the Wall. They sang at President George W. Bush's Inaugural Ceremony in January of this year. And their new single, "Survivor", from the upcoming album of the same name, is storming the charts.

But it wasn't always this way. Destiny's Child has worked long and hard to achieve their current level of fame and fortune. It all started in Houston, Texas in 1991, when Beyonce Knowles and childhood pals LaTavia Roberson, then ten years old, started a singing group together. LeToya Luckett and Kelly Rowland both joined the group within the next two years. Beyonce's father, Matthew Knowles, became their manager and they started out as the opening act for groups like Immature, Dru Hill, and SWV. In 1997, all that hard work paid off, when they signed a deal with Columbia Records. Their first recording, the song "Killing Time", appeared on the Men In Black soundtrack.

From there, it was on to bigger and better, as their debut album Destiny's Child (1998) gave way to The Writing's On The Wall (1999).

The group's name, Destiny's Child, came from a chapter in the Book of Isaiah. All the group's members are devoutly religious, and this has helped them get through tough times, like the departure of LaTavia and LeToya. Today, Beyonce and Kelly are joined by the vivacious Michelle Williams. Yes, Destiny's Child has finally arrived. But what took everybody so long in noticing them?

Dwayne Wiggins, a producer (and former member of the group Tony! Toni! Tone!) who has worked with the group on many occasions, has a theory. "They probably were a little bit too advanced for their time", he says. "If you listen to the first album, a lot of the vocals and everything, they sound a lot more mature (than most teenagers). And it's different now, they're really comin' out. So I think that it's just a timing thing." R and B singer R. Kelly, a friend and collaborator of the group (he was featured on their song "Stimulate Me", from the Life soundtrack), has a different theory. "You can see they studied a lot of the stars that paved the way for them…They've done their homework, and now the big test has come, and they've obviously passed it."

But what makes them stand out from all the other girl groups out there? Wiggins, a recording industry veteran, is in awe of the girls. "From all the young people I've ever worked with, they are the only ones I've ever seen who just went in there and put down hours of serious work, and concentration, and really tried to produce their music right." Pras, formerly of the Fugees, who appeared on the song "With Me, Part 2" on the group's debut album, has his own opinion: "They're not doing what all the other female groups did in the past."

The group is also known for being especially giving. As R. Kelly says about them, "When I worked with them in the studio, they're like Michael Jordan on the court. They pass the ball. They're not selfish about it." Stories of the girls' generosity are legendary. "They were here in San Francisco, and I was coming to the gig," says Kelly. "I didn't even know they knew it was my birthday, but I had done a song on my first album called 'Birthday'. I was coming out of the back, and getting ready to perform, and they were telling me to help them out, set the stage, and they ended up singing the song to me. It freaked me out, because I really hadn't heard the song performed, except for one line, and they knew it so well. It took me by surprise."

The girls have always been hard workers, even from the beginning. "They sacrificed being able to go out there and kick it like other youngsters", says Dwayne Wiggins, who has known the girls for over a decade. "Matthew, Beyonce's father, had them on a real tight schedule. They had tutors. A lot of kids would think, 'Oh man, you guys don't have to go to school!' But they had to work double overtime. If you really want to be in this game, there's a lot of work involved." This isn't to say that the girls don't have their fun, though. "When they had the second album," Wiggins recalls, "I remember Beyonce saying, 'I just wanna have fun on this album, I wanna do silly hooks and say silly words. I don't wanna be serious.' They did Bug-A-Boo and all that stuff, just having fun."

So what does the future hold for Destiny's Child? R. Kelly has high hopes. "I see them on top, I see them doing movies. All that stuff. If they stay positive like they've been doing, and keep God in their life, the sky's the limit for them!" Dwayne Wiggins agrees: "I see them being behind and in front of the scenes. Beyonce's been playing guitar. Kelly's been playing bass." Will they play these instruments on future albums? "Who knows? Maybe…"

One thing's for certain. Whatever path Destiny's Child embarks on, they'll keep making new friends and keeping the respect of their old ones. "I'm loving what they do", says Pras. "So Beyonce, Kelly, Michelle, more love to them!" R. Kelly puts a literal spin on the group's moniker: "They're just what their name says, man. They're God's children, and they have golden destinies in mind. It's their destiny to be great at what they do."