Beyonce

Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter, born on September 4, 1981, is an American singer, songwriter, and businesswoman. Often known as "Queen Bey", she is considered an important cultural icon of the 21st century and has been praised for her artistry and stage presence. Rolling Stone has honored him as one of the greatest singers in history.

As a child, Beyonce began participating in various singing and dancing competitions. She became famous in the late 1990s as part of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. During the group's hiatus, Beyonce released her debut solo album, "Dangerously in Love" (2003), which was followed by several U.S. number-one singles, including "B'Day" (2006), "I'm... Sasha's albums arrived. Fierce" (2008), and "4" (2011).

Establishing her own management company, Parkwood Entertainment, Beyonce received critical acclaim for her experimental visual albums "Beyonce" (2013) and "Lemonade" (2016), which dealt with themes such as feminism and feminism.

With her albums "Renaissance" (2022), inspired by Black queer culture, and "Cowboy Carter" (2024), part of a trilogy project, Beyonce is the first female artist in history to have all of her solo albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200.

Early Life

Beyonce Gisele Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston to Celestine "Tina" Knowles, a salon owner and hairdresser, and Matthew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager. Tina is of Louisiana Creole descent, while Matthew is African American. Solange Knowles, Beyonce's younger sister, is a singer and former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyonce have the distinction of being the first sisters to have a number-one solo album.

Beyonce's grandparents, Lumis Albert Beyincé and Agnéz Deréon, were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles originating from New Iberia. Her ancestry includes connections to Joseph Broussard, an Acadian militia officer who was displaced to French Louisiana following the Acadian expulsion, and Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie, Baron de Saint-Castin, a French military officer and Abenaki chief.

Beyonce's fourth great-grandmother, Marie-Françoise Trahan, was born in 1774 in Bangor, Belle Isle, France. Trahan was the daughter of Acadians who sought refuge in Belle Isle after the Acadian expulsion. The Estates of Brittany divided the lands of Belle Isle among 78 Acadian families and the existing inhabitants. The Trahan family lived on Belle Isle for over ten years before migrating to Louisiana, where Marie-Françoise Trahan married a descendant of the Broussard family. Beyonce discovered that she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave. Additionally, her mother has distant Irish, Jewish, Spanish, Chinese, and Indonesian ancestry.

Beyonce was raised in the Methodist faith and regularly attended St. John's United Methodist Church in Houston. Since her mother's family was Catholic, he also attended Midnight Mass at St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church on Christmas Eve. Beyonce attended St. Mary's Catholic Montessori School in Houston, where she took dance classes. It was at this school that her singing talent was discovered by dance instructor Darlette Johnson, who noticed Beyonce's ability to hit high-pitched notes. Beyonce's interest in music and performance further developed when she won a school talent show at the age of seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" and competing against older competitors.

In the late 1990s, Beyonce went to Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she sang with the school choir. Later, she switched to the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts before moving to Elsik High School. Beyonce also sang in the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church, where she gave her first solo performance and worked as a solo artist for two years.

Career Beginnings

When Beyonce was eight years old, she met Latavia Roberson at an audition. They, along with three other girls, were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme, where they rapped and danced on the talent show in Houston. R&B producer Arne Frager noticed the group and brought them to his Northern California studio to participate in Star Search, the largest talent show on national T.V. at the time. However, Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyonce later admitted that the song they performed was not good.

In 1995, Beyonce's father, Matthew, decided to resign from his job to manage the group. This move significantly reduced the family's income, leading them to sell their house and cars and move into separate apartments.

Mathew Knowles reduced the original lineup of Girl's Tyme to four members, and the group continued to perform as an opening act for established R&B girl groups. After auditioning before record labels, they were eventually signed to Elektra Records, briefly moving to Atlanta Records to work on their first recording before being dropped by the company. This further strained the family, leading to Beyonce's parents separating.

On October 5, 1995, the group signed with Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment. In 1996, they began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music. The Knowles family reunited during this time, and shortly afterward, the group secured a contract with Columbia Records with the assistance of Columbia talent scout Teresa LaBarbera Whites.

Destiny's Child (1997–2002)

In 1996, the group changed its name to Destiny's Child, inspired by a passage in the Book of Isaiah. The following year, Destiny's Child made its big label debut with the song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack of the 1997 film Men in Black. In November of that year, the group released its debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No."

Their self-titled debut album, "Destiny's Child," was released in February 1998, establishing the group as a viable act in the music industry. The success of the album led to the release of their Multi-Platinum second album, "The Writing's on the Wall," in 1999.

In July 2002, Beyonce made her film debut by portraying Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy "Austin Powers in Goldmember". The film dominated the U.S. box office in its opening weekend, raking in $73 million. Beyonce unveiled "Work It Out" as the lead single from the soundtrack album, propelling it to the top ten in the U.K., Belgium, and Norway.

In 2003, Beyonce starred alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. in the musical comedy "The Fighting Temptations," playing the role of Lilly, a single mother who Gooding's character falls in love with. Despite receiving mixed reviews from observers, the film made $30 million in the United States. Beyonce released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead song from the film's soundtrack album and collaborated with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free to promote the film. Another one of Beyonce's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime," performed better on the U.S. charts.

Dangerously in Love and Dream girls (2003–2007)

Beyonce's first solo recording was a collaboration on Jay-Z's song "03 Bonnie & Clyde," which was released in October 2002. Beyonce presented songs from her debut solo album, "Dangerously in Love," on June 14, 2003. On June 24, 2003, the album "Dangerously in Love" was released, following the solo releases of her Destiny's Child bandmates Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland. The album sold 317,000 copies in the first week and has sold 11 million copies globally.

In November 2003, Beyonce launched the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe. She later toured North America with Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys on the Verizon Ladies First Tour. On February 1, 2004, she sang the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas.

After the release of "Dangerously in Love," Beyonce initially planned to produce a follow-up album using several leftover tracks. However, she postponed this project to focus on recording "Destiny Fulfilled," Destiny's Child's final studio album. Released on November 15, 2004, in the U.S., "Destiny Fulfilled" peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier," both of which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 2006, Beyonce took on her first acting role of the year in the comedy film "The Pink Panther," starring opposite Steve Martin. The movie was a commercial success, grossing $158.8 million worldwide. Her second film of the year, "Dream girls," was the film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes. "Dream girls" received critical acclaim and grossed $154 million internationally. In this film, Beyonce played a character based on Diana Ross, starring alongside Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy. To promote the film, she released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack.

In April 2007, Beyonce embarked on her first worldwide concert tour, The Beyonce Experience. The tour visited 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. During six major stops, Beyonce conducted pre-concert food donation drives in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest, showcasing her commitment to philanthropy. Concurrently, her album "B'Day" was re-released with five additional songs, including the hit duet "Beautiful Liar" with Shakira. This period highlighted Beyonce's versatility and dedication, balancing her acting career with her ongoing musical success and community engagement.

Career Expansion

Beyonce further expanded her acting career by starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance received critical praise, earning her several nominations, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyonce demonstrated her devotion to social problems by donating her whole film pay to Phoenix House, a national network of heroin recovery facilities.

Following her role in Cadillac Records, Beyonce starred in the thriller Obsessed alongside Ali Larter and Idris Elba. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is endangered by her husband's stalker. While the film received negative reviews from observers, it performed well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million on a $20 million budget, significantly more than Cadillac Records.

On June 26, 2011, Beyonce made history by becoming the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival in almost two decades. Her performance was highly praised, with many publications noting her elevated prowess as a live performer. Some commentary highlighted the polarized response from the U.K. music establishment to a Black woman performing on such a prestigious stage traditionally reserved for legacy rock acts.

Two days prior to this landmark performance, Beyonce released her fourth studio album, "4", in the U.S. The album opened at #1 on the Billboard 200 list, selling 310,000 copies in its first week. Beyonce's album "4" was her fourth consecutive number-one album in the United States. It was preceded by the songs "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had." The fourth song, "Love on Top," spent seven weeks at number one on the Hip-Hop Songs chart and reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the album's highest-charting single.

In January 2013, Beyonce sang the American national anthem along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. Despite criticism for lip-syncing, Beyonce explained that she used a backing track due to the high stakes of the event and later performed the anthem live at a press conference.

In September 2017, Beyonce collaborated with Willy William and J Balvin to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". She donated all the money she received from the song to help those affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. On November 10, Eminem released the song "Walk on Water" with Beyonce as part of his album Revival. Later, on November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyonce would join him on a remix of his song "Perfect". This new version, called "Perfect Duet", came out on December 1, 2017. The song became very popular, reaching number one in the United States, making it Beyonce's sixth solo song to do so.

On January 21, 2023, Beyonce performed in Dubai at a private show. This was her first full concert in over four years, and influencers and journalists attended. She reportedly received $24 million for her performance.

Beyonce faced criticism for performing in the United Arab Emirates, where homosexuality is illegal.

On February 1, Beyonce announced the Renaissance World Tour with dates in North America and Europe. It briefly became the highest-grossing tour by a female artist. On July 28, Beyonce appeared on "Delresto (Echoes)," the second single from rapper Travis Scott's album Utopia. This became her 100th appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including her work with Destiny's Child, her solo career, and her duo The Carters.

On November 30, 2023, Beyonce released a documentary concert film called Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce. She wrote, directed, and produced it in collaboration with AMC Theatres. The film shows the making and execution of her Renaissance World Tour and features a new song called "My House" in the end credits.

Personal Life

Marriage to Jay-Z

In 2008, Beyonce married rapper Jay-Z in a private ceremony in New York City. Guests at the wedding included her father, Matthew; her mother, Tina Knowles; her sister, and her friend, Gwyneth Paltrow.

The newlyweds continued to work as hard as ever to promote their latest effort, "I Am... Sasha Fierce" (2008). Beyonce scored two major hits from the album: "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "If I Were a Boy." In 2008, Beyonce returned to the big screen, portraying R&B legend Etta James in "Cadillac Records." The next January, she performed James' iconic song "At Last" for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at their inauguration. In 2008, Beyonce returned to the big screen, portraying R&B legend Etta James in "Cadillac Records." The next January, she performed James' iconic song "At Last" for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at their inauguration.

In addition to her acting and performing career, Beyonce co-founded the clothing line House of Deréon with her mother, Tina Knowles. She also launched her fragrance, Heat, in 2010. Throughout her career, Beyonce has worked as a spokesperson and model for several other brands, including L'Oréal and Tommy Hilfiger.

Beyonce faced criticism after performing a private concert for Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2010. She later donated her fee from the event to help victims of the Haitian earthquake. Reports indicated that Beyonce mentioned her father's involvement in arranging the Libyan concert. In March 2011, she decided to part ways with her father as her manager. Later that year, Beyonce's latest solo release, "4," topped the album charts.

In January 2013, Beyonce received criticism for her performance at President Obama's second inauguration. She was accused of pre-recording a version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and lip-syncing to the track during the outdoor ceremony. Despite the extensive media coverage, Beyonce did not publicly address the controversy in the days following the incident.

Shortly afterward, Beyonce performed the song live at a press conference before her appearance at Super Bowl XLVII. According to The Huffington Post, Beyonce told reporters that she had used the "backing track" at the inauguration ceremony and that she would "definitely sing live" at the NFL's biggest event of the year.

On February 3, 2013, Beyonce made a spectacular comeback at the Super Bowl. Her halftime show performance, joined by her former Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, was a crowd-pleaser. Beyonce also revealed that her upcoming major tour would kick off in the spring of 2013.

Children

Following years of pregnancy rumors, Beyonce and Jay-Z announced their impending new arrival in 2011. The mom-to-be displayed her expanding baby bump at the August MTV Video Music Awards.

Beyonce and Jay-Z welcomed their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, on January 7, 2012. To maintain their privacy, the couple rented a floor of New York's Lenox Hill Hospital.

In February 2017, Beyonce revealed on Instagram that she and Jay-Z were expecting twins. The iconic shot quickly became the year's most-liked Instagram post, with 11.1 million fans showing their approval.

In June 2017, they had twins, a son and a daughter. While the couple did not immediately confirm the twins' birth or disclose their names, People magazine noted that they had filed trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the names Sir and Rumi. On the morning of July 14, Beyonce made it official by posting a photo of herself holding her one-month-old twins.

Music Videos and Stage

In 2006, Beyonce assembled an all-female tour band called Suga Mama (also the title of a song on B'Day). The band comprises drummers, bassists, guitarists, horn players, percussionists, and keyboardists. Her background singers, known as The Mamas, are Montina Cooper-Donnell, Tiffany Moniqué Riddick, and Crystal Collins. They made their debut at the 2006 BET Awards and reappeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light." The band has supported Beyonce in most of her subsequent live performances, including her 2007 concert tour.

Beyonce has received widespread acclaim for her stage presence and vocal prowess during live performances. Barbara Ellen of The Guardian described her as the most in-charge female artist she has ever seen on stage. Alice Jones of The Independent similarly noted that Beyonce takes her role as an entertainer so seriously that she's "almost too good." L.A. Reid, former President of Def Jam, has called her the greatest entertainer alive. Jim Farber from the Daily News and Stephanie Classen from The Star Phoenix both praised her powerful voice and commanding stage presence.

However, Beyonce's stage outfits have faced criticism in some countries with strict cultural and religious laws. For instance, in Malaysia, she has had to postpone or cancel performances due to the country's stringent regulations banning revealing costumes.

Wealth

As of 2018, Forbes estimated Beyonce's net worth to be $355 million. In June of that year, she was ranked as the 35th highest-earning celebrity, making $60 million annually. This achievement tied her with Madonna as the only two female artists to earn over $100 million in a single year twice. Together, Beyonce and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1.16 billion. In July 2017, Billboard reported that Beyonce was the highest-paid musician of 2016, earning $62.1 million. By December 2023, Forbes estimated her net worth to be $800 million.

In 2023, Beyonce and Jay-Z bought a $200 million house in Malibu, California, designed by architect Tadao Ando. This set a record for the most expensive house ever sold in California.