Claim: Michelle Williams is a performer.

Tenitra Michelle Williams -LRB- born July 23 , 1980 -RRB- is an American recording artist , record producer , songwriter , and actress . Williams rose to fame in the 2000s as a member of R&B girl group Destiny 's Child , one of the best-selling female groups of all time with over 60 million records , of which more than 35 million copies sold with the trio lineup with Williams .  In 1999 , after the dismissals of group members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett , Williams was the oldest member to join the group , at the age of 20 . During their hiatus , she released her debut solo album Heart to Yours -LRB- 2002 -RRB- which topped the US gospel album chart and became the best-selling gospel release of the year . Also in 2002 , Billboard , named her the fifth Top Gospel Artist of the year and she received a MOBO Award for `` Best Gospel Act '' . and garnered her three Grammy nominations for her work on the album including for Best Gospel Album . Following this she released Do You Know -LRB- 2004 -RRB- which gained her a nomination for `` Best Gospel Act '' at the 2004 MOBO Awards .   After Destiny 's Child 's disbanded in 2004 , Williams released her first pop album , Unexpected -LRB- 2008 -RRB- , which spawned the internationally charting single `` We Break the Dawn '' and the US Dance number-one `` The Greatest '' . Her fourth studio album , Journey to Freedom -LRB- 2014 -RRB- , received positive reviews and became her highest-charting album in the US ; preceded by lead single `` If We Had Your Eyes '' which reached the US Adult R&B top 20 and the Soul Train-nominated `` Say Yes '' , which charted internationally and topped the US Hot Gospel Songs chart for seven weeks . Journey to Freedom was nominated for Outstanding Gospel Album -LRB- Traditional or Contemporary -RRB- at the 46th NAACP Image Awards and earned Williams four nominations at the 30th annual Stellar Awards , winning Music Video of the Year for `` Say Yes '' . In 2015 , Williams sang for U.S. President Barack Obama & First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House .   Williams has found success as a television , Broadway and West End theatre actress , gaining a nomination for `` Best Lead Female -- Equity '' in 2008 at the 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards . Making her acting debut on Broadway in Aida -LRB- 2003 -RRB- , she has since starred in the sitcom series Half & Half -LRB- 2006 -RRB- and the musical productions ; The Color Purple -LRB- 2007 -RRB- , Chicago -LRB- 2009 -- 10 -RRB- , What My Husband Does n't Know -LRB- 2011 -RRB- and Fela ! -LRB- 2013 -RRB- . Furthermore , she was a featured judge on MTV 's Top Pop Group , a contestant in series 8 of Strictly Come Dancing and co-stars alongside Deitrick Haddon in the Oxygen reality television series Fix My Choir . She has earned several awards and accolades including a Grammy Award and star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Destiny 's Child ; a solo MOBO Award and Stellar Award .