Tenitra Michelle Williams, born on July 23, 1979, is an accomplished American singer and actress. She is widely recognized for her time as a member of the iconic group Destiny's Child.
Destiny's Child performing during the farewell concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled
Williams made her musical debut at the age of seven, performing a rendition of the hymn "Blessed Assurance" at the St. Paul Church of God in Christ. Williams graduated from Rockford Auburn High School in 1997. Shortly after graduating, she pursued a degree in criminal justice at Illinois State University, doubtful of her ability to make a career as a professional singer.
Early Career and Rise to Fame
After settling on this final lineup, the trio released "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. In May 2001, Destiny's Child released the group's third studio album Survivor. The album's other number-one hits are "Bootylicious" and the title track "Survivor", the latter earning the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In October 2001, Destiny's Child released their holiday album, 8 Days of Christmas.
Solo Career and Gospel Music
During the group's two-year hiatus, 2001-2003, Williams released her debut solo album Heart to Yours (2002) which topped the US gospel album chart. That same year, Billboard named Williams the fifth top-charting gospel artist of the year and she received a MOBO Award for "Best Gospel Act". Following this, she released her second solo album Do You Know (2004).
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While Williams was still with Destiny's Child, she intensified work on her debut solo album Heart to Yours. The album material included collaborations with singers Carl Thomas, Shirley Caesar and the Mary Mary duo, taking the singer's work further into urban contemporary gospel and Christian music. "Some people will do gospel when their career fails, but I chose to do it at the height of the popularity of Destiny's Child", Williams explained during the album's release. It became one of the year's best-selling gospel album, selling more than 220,000 units in the US, as of 2008. A music video for the album's single, "Heard a Word", was produced by film director Sylvain White. In August 2002, Williams embarked on her first tour as a solo artist in promotion of her debut album.
After a three-year hiatus, Destiny's Child reunited for Destiny Fulfilled, released in November 2004. The album hit number two on the Billboard 200, and spawned the singles "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "Girl" and "Cater 2 U".
Post-Destiny's Child Career
Following Destiny's Child's disbandment in early 2006, Williams made her television debut in the UPN comedy Half & Half, where she played the role of Naomi, a record company executive who is HIV positive. Later that year, she appeared as one of the celebrity singers on the FOX reality television show Celebrity Duets, duetting with actors Alfonso Ribeiro and Jai Rodriguez. In April 2006, Williams performed "America the Beautiful" at World Wrestling Entertainment's event WrestleMania 22, which was in her hometown of Chicago.
Beginning in April 2007, Williams joined Oprah Winfrey's Chicago-based cast of the hit Broadway musical The Color Purple for its national tour, starting with an extended run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. In March 2008, Williams announced the release of her third studio album Unexpected in October 2008. A breakaway from the gospel music on her first two solo albums to secular pop/R&B, the album, her first release since the disbanding of Destiny's Child, involves production by Stargate, Rico Love, Wayne Wilkins, and Soulshock and Karlin, among others.
In January 2011, Williams appeared on BBC's popular comedy panel game show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. In February 2011, Williams began a 28-city tour starring in the David E. Talbert stage-play What My Husband Doesn't Know along with Brian J. White.
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On February 3, 2013, during Beyoncé's performance at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Rowland and Williams joined Knowles on the stage, where the trio performed excerpts from "Bootylicious", "Independent Women", and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". In June 2013, Williams released the lead single from her inspirational fourth album Journey to Freedom, titled "If We Had Your Eyes". The single became her first release to appear on the US Billboard Adult R&B Songs and Hot Gospel Songs charts, peaking at nineteen and twenty-two respectively.
On April 14, 2015, Williams sang for president Barack Obama at the White House. In August 2015, Williams reprised the title role in Aida, presented at the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre.
In January 2024, Williams appeared alongside her cousin on Fox's We Are Family. In March 2024, Williams was cast in the musical adaptation of Death Becomes Her, playing Viola Van Horn (Lisle von Rhuman in the film version), at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago from April 30 to June 2.
Awards and Recognition
Williams has earned an array of awards and honors as a solo artist and a member of Destiny's Child. These include: one Grammy Award and one MOBO Award.
Personal Life and Relationships
Williams reportedly began dating pastor and professional sports chaplain Chad Johnson in July 2017. Williams and Johnson announced their engagement via People on April 19, 2018. In September 2018, the couple revealed plans to film a television series, showcasing their relationship as they navigate the road from engagement to marriage.
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Destiny's Child singer turned gospel artist Michelle Williams revealed that her fiance, Arizona-based pastor Chad Johnson, set the boundaries on their sex life as soon as they began dating. The couple is gearing up for the release of their new OWN reality show, "Chad Loves Michelle." In a recent promotional run in New York City, they opened up about abstaining from sex until marriage. "When we started dating, Chad said, 'Sex is not an option,'" Williams said on "The Breakfast Club" Tuesday. She added, "I'm not gonna go into marriage a virgin, I don't want anybody to think that I've been perfect but I felt this was so good because I don't feel pressure to have sex to keep a man and I've gotten different results." Williams, who grew up in the church, admitted that in the past she's always been in relationships where she felt pressured or the men were not willing to commit. This time, however, she said things are different with the professional sports chaplain who proposed within a year of dating.
"Everything works in my life, nothing is malfunctioning," Johnson joked, assuring the host that he is still very much a man but, nevertheless, is sticking to his vow of purity. Later in the episode, Williams joked that they would have to elope because she is having a hard time waiting. The pastor, though, encouraged her that they "would be alright."
"I really love him holding me, snuggling with me," she shared. "He has spent a lot of time out with me in LA and I personally have had a hard time because I know we are not supposed to live together, so my sofa is his bed."
The couple explained that their new reality show will invite viewers into their personal therapy sessions. The eight episodes follow Williams and Johnson at eight of their sessions and touch on subjects such as finance, communication and family. "We started pre-engagement counseling, even before we got engaged," the "Say Yes" singer shared. "When we started sharing with our friends about counseling we realized so many people do not do marriage counseling. We were like, 'OK, let's film ours in realtime with our real therapist and that's what we chose to do.'""We will be the guinea pig, we'll sit on the sofa and let everybody at home get their therapy through us," she continued. Toward the end of the interview, the topic of sex came up again and after joking about the struggle of waiting, Williams concluded, "We have something to uphold."
Chad Johnson Never Questioned His Relationship With Michelle Williams During Her Depression Struggle
Mental Health Advocacy
Williams has a history of depression, saying that she has "been suffering since the ages of 13 and 15". During her time with Destiny's Child, she says that she told their then manager Mathew Knowles about her feelings, but that he did not really understand. She said that she had difficulty understanding her own feelings until later in life, around her thirties, stating that "I didn't know until I was in my 30s what was going on, I just thought it was growing pains, I just thought I'm turning into a woman." She also felt that Knowles intended no malice, and only had her best interests at heart, "Bless his heart..."
Williams again felt helpless after she and her fiancé, Chad Johnson, split up in late 2018. She said the breakup left her "shattered and ... fighting suicidal thoughts." She said that she felt "so angry. The rage built up in me. I did not attempt suicide, but I was questioning [life]". Williams suffered a nervous breakdown just after opening day for a Broadway production of Once on This Island and was advised to leave the show by her doctor. By April 2020 she had returned to better health, saying that "I am in a better place now. I am not perfect. I'm not preaching ... When people say it gets better, it does. It just takes time.
In November 2020, Williams announced plans to release a memoir "revealing her entire truth including a deeper dive into where her anxiety and depression came from." She stated, "I'm ready to share, I've been a very transparent person and now I'm ready to share the good, bad, and ugly parts of my journey-the concerning part of my journey. ...
Philanthropy
In 2001, Williams made a "bountiful" donation of $148,900 to her church, St. Paul Church of God in Christ in Rockford, Illinois - of which she has been a member since birth - to finish construction of the church's school, St. Paul Academy. The church is pastored by her uncle, Bishop James E.
In 2005, music producer David Foster, his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies, and Knowles wrote "Stand Up for Love", which would serve as the anthem of World Children's Day, an event which takes place annually around the world on November 20 to raise awareness and funds for children's causes worldwide. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 World Children's Day program. In this role, Knowles, Rowland and Williams visited Ronald McDonald Houses around the world during their Destiny Fulfilled... In September 2006, Williams jump-started the Chicago PepsiCo S.M.A.R.T.
In 2012, she became an ambassador for the American Heart Association's Power to End Stroke campaign. In speaking of her role she said "I am honored to partner with the campaign ... my father had a stroke in 2005 due to smoking, diabetes and an unhealthy diet, and my grandmother was diagnosed with having a stroke in 2006 when she went to her doctor for a simple outpatient procedure. I am bringing awareness to people so that strokes can be prevented.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | July 23, 1979 |
| Occupation | Singer, Actress |
| Associated Acts | Destiny's Child |
| Awards | Grammy Award, MOBO Award |
| Philanthropy | Donation to St. Paul Church, Ambassador for American Heart Association |
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