Kelendria Trene Rowland was born on the 11th of February, 1981, in Atlanta, Georgia. Interested in the choir at the church her parents attended every Sunday, Rowland, as she was affectionately called, displayed a knack for singing at a young age. After listening to Whitney Houston, Rowland was convinced, at the age of 4, that she would be a singer.

After her family relocated to Houston, Kelendria quickly became close to cousin Beyonce Knowles, an equally talented singer. When she was old enough to start auditioning, Rowland was teamed up Beyonce, LaTavia Robertson and LeToya Luckett. Manager Matthew Knowles, Beyonce's father, groomed the quartet and encouraged them to work on their style. Following a performance on Star Search in 1992, Destiny's Child was born.