Saturday, August 20, 2011 2:38am ET by  
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Kelly Rowland says management split as sad as a funeral

R&B star and new X Factor judge Kelly Rowland was filled with sadness when she fired Mathew Knowles as her manager, saying it was "like a funeral" when she decided to cut ties with Beyonce's father.

The former Destiny's Child band member ended her professional relationship with Knowles in early 2009 after more than a decade and admitted to feeling lost after the business split, despite feeling the need to "start fresh".

She said in an interview with Vibe magazine, "I felt like, 'Oh my God, what have I done?' I stayed in the house for two days. I was sad. It was like a funeral. I had to deaden that situation in order to start fresh. That's a very long time to have the same manager and the same label [Columbia Records]."

"Mathew sent me flowers for my birthday... I respect him above anything.

"This man made me a millionaire at the age of 18. Taught us how to make money in the industry. I can never, ever forget that."

Rowland was the first Destiny's Child member to quit Knowles' Music World Entertainment management - Michelle Williams followed in 2010 and Beyonce took charge of her own career earlier this year.

Watch Kelly Rowland's interview with Fuse here: