Beyonce's dad, Mathew Knowles, says before there was Destiny's Child ... there was Girls Tyme -- which apparently had A LOT of pieces filling in around his daughter over the years.
Mathew came on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to give us the 411 on a new book and album he just released about the girl group he started nearly 30 years ago. You know about DC, obviously, but that success was built on Girls Tyme.
The book, "Destiny's Child: The Untold Story," and the album by the same name offer previously unreleased music, and a deep dive into the making of the group -- which Mathew says involved more than a couple dozen different members.
We've always heard about Bey, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson -- but, as it turns out, that was just the tip of the iceberg between Girls Tyme and the final version of DC.
Mathew also gave us a very positive update on his health following his diagnosis with breast cancer earlier this year.