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Kelly Rowland No Longer Managed By Matthew Knowles

Posted Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:32pm PST by Billy Johnson, Jr. in Hip-Hop Media Training

Join me in this Jerry Springer-like chant: 

Kelly!

Kelly!

Kelly!

Jawn Murray, MediaTakeOut, AP are all reporting that Kelly Rowland has exited the building headed by Beyonce's dad Matthew Knowles.

I've long wondered if Destiny's Child members Kelly or Michelle would ever seek someone other than Matthew Knowles to oversee their solo careers? Gossip columnists and bloggers have suggested that if Kelly or Michelle ever severed their management ties with Poppa Knowles that it would be considered career suicide.

That appeared to be the case for original Destiny's Child members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson who were dismissed from the group when they insisted upon having more input in their young careers.

Fortunately, the Rowland and Knowles split appears to be drama free. I contacted both of their representatives for a copy of their official statements. Kelly's publicist Simone Smalls sent me the comments from both, definitely a sign that the parties want to make it clear that they are not feuding.

"After a very positive meeting between Kelly Rowland and myself, we have amicably agreed to end our professional relationship," Knowles said in the statement. "My company, Music World, will continue to manage Destiny's Child as a group. As an artist, Kelly has incredible talent and I only wish her the best. We will always be family first and foremost, and as a dad I only have love for Kelly."

Rowland expressed her gratitude to Knowles. "Matthew Knowles has been a positive influence in my career," Kelly said. "I have had great success under his guidance--both as a member of Destiny's Child and with my solo projects. Although we have decided to part ways professionally, the Knowles family and the entire Music World Entertainment team will always be my family."

I know it had to be a tough decision for Kelly to walk away from Matthew Knowles' management company. We know that everyone in the business takes his telephone calls and meetings. It will be hard for her to replace that level of influence.

However, pursuing other management options will be good. When Matthew makes a call on Kelly's behalf you can guarantee that every music, film or TV producer, potential sponsor, advertising agent, editor, or radio program director has Beyonce on their brains. While having the platform to be pitched to these powerhouses poses an incredible amount of exposure for Kelly, I am sure it has both helped and hindered the number of opportunities she has secured.

This will be a great opportunity for Kelly to step out of Beyonce's shadows in order to come into her own.

Kelly has the talent, look and experience to succeed as a solo artist and I would love to see that happen for her. She has really only had one US hit independent of her work with Destiny's Child. In 2002, her collab with Nelly, "Dilemma," reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

Her two solo albums, Simply Deep and Ms. Kelly, didn't reach their potential.

I wish her the best and say congratulations.

I know it had to be a scary decision. But it was necessary.

 
454 Comments

1. Phyllis -
i love u kelly, u a b ok keep it PIMPIN!!!!!!!!!

2. ja -
BRAVO KELLY!!!!!!!!!! MO POWER TO YOU SHOULDA BEEN DID THAT!!!

3. __A_YAHOO_USER__ -
Congratulation, much success in the music industry.

4. DaDaPooh -
You will soar like an eagle.

5. ROBERT -
Kelly is much better looking and a better singer than overrated and overexposed Beyonce.

6. joe -
do your thang girl !

7. Angie -
GO BIG and GO HARD KELLY!!!

8. Asha -
Good luck Kelly!!!!

9. Tamula -
she cant sing anyway

10. ch -
Sad to be the one to say it but... she will never be as talented as Beyonce. She will always be compared to her & she will never measure up. When Destiny Child came into fame, like everyone else, I thought that Matthew was hogging the spotlight for his daughter. After they've all given their solo careers a chance, I see nothing fantastic about the others. They are boring & simply do not measure up to the talent that Beyonce has as a singer/performer.
I wish her luck & pray for her a reunion with DC in the years to come, because her solo career has been dead for a minute now.

11. Ray Cicero -
That is a right step in the right direction for Kelly.
No man is an Island, she will succeed, as her destiny is not tied to a particular manager in this case Knowles.
Go on girl, its well

12. CreoleGuy -
Well, Kelly has to be the most boring person in entertainment. She is a bad actress and really has no star appeal-she was only good with Nelly

13. dorleen b -
The road to a successful career is gonna be easy or it's gonna be hard depending on who you choose to be in your corner through the good and bad times. Now that you've severed your ties to Mr. Knowles, the real truth prevails. Remember he is a dad but he's not your dad and his family comes first that is only natural. If what he said is true, then anything that comes your way will be on an equal playing field not his daughter first then you, Let's see if anyone will take a meeting with you now. Good Luck and keep your head up.

14. Lila -
HOPE ALL IS REALLY WELL!!!! WITH YOU KELLY AND KEEP REACHING FOR THE STARS BECAUSE YOU REALLY DO SHINE .

15. Yahoo! Music User -
i think u will do very good on ur on good luck k

16. Ummmm.....Yummy! -
I hear there's tension under these polite press releases. I don't think all is well with these folks, but I wish Kelly much success. I think she is incredibly talented and I'd love to hear and see her on her own.

17. Yahoo! Music User -
Go Get em' girl

18. Dricko -
I hope you beat the pants off Beyonce...she's totally rippin off Rihanna...and not doing a very good job at it.

19. ROBERT -
We all know Beyonce was the true star from the beginning with Destinys Child. The other girls have some level of talent but it will never measure up to the success of Beyonce. Beyonce is shutting up all the haters about whether or not she is a true talent and Kelly is now trying to create some sort of "drama" to get the spotlight off of Beyonce. Please, the girl is desperate!!! I wish her luck, but it's B Day everyday baby!!!!!

20. Alesya C -
actually i would say kelly cant really sing that well at all. and beyonce is overexposed because she is so good. Kelly and Beyonce are like heaven and earth, kelly wants to be as good as beyonce its not gonna happen. I do wish Kelly well, she is beautiful and independant and smart. Shell be just fine.
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