Beyoncé Knowles is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning recording
artist who's acclaimed for her thrilling vocals, videos and live shows.
Synopsis
Born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé Knowles first
captured the public's eye as lead vocalist of the R&B group Destiny's
Child. She later established a solo career with her debut album
Dangerously In Love, becoming one of music's top-selling artists with
sold-out tours and a slew of awards. Knowles has also starred in
several films, including Dream Girls. She married hip-hop recording
artist Jay-Z in 2008. In December 2013, she surprised audiences by
releasing her fifth studio album, self-titled Beyoncé.
Early Life
Singer and actress Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on September 4,
1981, in Houston, Texas. She started singing at an early age,
competing in local talent shows and winning many of these events by
impressing audiences with her natural singing and dancing abilities.
Destiny's Child and Other Endeavors
Teaming up with her cousin, Kelly Rowland, and two classmates,
Beyoncé formed an all-female singing group. Her father, Matthew
Knowles, served as the band's manager. The group went through some
name and line-up changes before landing a record deal in 1997 with
Columbia Records. Destiny's Child soon became one of the most popular
R&B acts, with the release of their first, self-titled album. Gaining
momentum, the group scored its first No. 1 single on the pop charts
with "Bills, Bills, Bills," off their second album. The recording
also featured another smash hit, "Say My Name."
While enjoying her group's success, Beyoncé began exploring other
projects. She made her acting debut in 2001 with a starring role in
MTV's Carmen: A Hip Hopera. She then co-starred with Mike Myers in
the spy parody Goldmember the following year. On the musical front,
Beyoncé took center stage as a solo artist, releasing her first album,
Dangerously in Love, in 2003. The recording became a huge success for
her, both commercially and critically. It sold millions of copies and
won five Grammy Awards. On the album, Beyoncé worked with a number
of different artists, including Missy Elliott, Sean Paul and Jay-Z.
She was rumored to be dating Jay-Z around this time, but the couple
did not publicly acknowledge their relationship.
Destiny's Child released their last studio album, Destiny Fulfilled,
in 2004, and officially broke up the following year.
Solo Career
On her own, Beyoncé continued to enjoy great success. Her second
studio album, 2006's B'Day featured such hits as "Irreplaceable" and
"Beautiful Liar." On the big screen, she starred opposite Jennifer
Hudson, Jaime Foxx and Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls. The film was
adapted from the hit Broadway musical of the same name.
In 2008, Beyoncé married rapper and music mogul Jay-Z in a small,
private ceremony in New York City. Among the guests sighted at the
wedding were Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles; her father and manager
Matthew; her sister Solange; Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland
and Michelle Williams; and friend Gwyneth Paltrow.
The newlywed continued to work as hard as ever, promoting her latest
effort, I am ... Sasha Fierce (2008). Beyoncé scored two big hits off
the album—"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" and "If I Were a Boy."
She also returned to the big screen that year, starring as R&B legend
Etta James in Cadillac Records. The following January, Beyoncé sang
James' trademark song, "At Last," for President Barack Obama and First
Lady Michelle Obama at his inaugural ball.
In addition to acting and performing, Beyoncé runs a clothing line
called House of Dereon with her mother. She also launched her own
fragrance, Heat, in 2010. Throughout her career, Beyoncé has served
as a spokesperson and model for several other brands, including
L'Oreal and Tommy Hilfiger.
Beyoncé found herself under fire for after performing a private
concert for Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi on New Year's Eve in 2010.
She later donated her fee from the event to help victims of the
Haitian earthquake. According to some reports, Beyoncé said that her
father had been responsible for arranging the Libyan concert. She
decided to drop her father as her manager in March 2011. Later that
year, Beyoncé reached the top of the album charts with her latest
solo release, 4.
In January 2013, Beyoncé generated some negative headlines for her
performance at President Barack Obama's second inauguration in
Washington, D.C. She was criticized for reportedly pre-recording a
version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and lip-synching to her own
track during the outdoor ceremony. Despite wide media coverage, in
the days following the incident, Beyoncé did not publicly address
the controversy.
Not long after, prior to her appearance at Super Bowl XLVII, Beyoncé
performed the song live at a press conference. She explained to
reporters that she had used a "backing track" at the inauguration,
adding that she would "absolutely be singing live" at the NFL's
biggest event of the year, according to The Huffington Post.
Indeed, Beyoncé more than redeemed herself in the public eye at the
Super Bowl on February 3, 2013. During the event's halftime show,
she took the stage and wowed the crowd, joined by her former
Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for
parts of her performance. Beyoncé also announced that her next major
tour would start in the spring of 2013.
Awards and Accolades
At the 2010 Grammy Awards, Beyoncé walked away with six honors—the
most wins in a single night by a female artist. Her record was
matched two years later by pop/soul artist Adele. In 2010, she also
tied the record for most No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart,
which is based on radio airplay. In 2011, she made the Forbes Top
10 list of entertainment's highest-earning women. By 2013, Beyoncé
had won 16 Grammys.
Beyoncé broke records once again on December 13, 2013, with her fifth
studio album, self-titled Beyoncé. The album surprised fans and
critics alike, as no promotion for the album had been announced prior
to its release. The record, which Beyoncé called a "visual album,"
was released exclusively on iTunes, with physical discs available for
purchase after December 18. The record-breaking album sold more than
800,000 copies throughout the weekend it was released alone. The
collection—which was the fastest-selling album ever distributed by
iTunes—also marks Beyoncé's fifth studio album to debut at No. 1,
making her the first woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with her
first five albums. She released a Platinum Edition of the album in 2014,
and the following year won three additional Grammys, including a
Best R&B Performance award for "Drunk in Love."
Personal Life
Married to Jay-Z since 2008, Beyoncé was the subject of many pregnancy
rumors over the years. In 2011, however, the notoriously private couple
went public with the news of their impending new arrival. Beyoncé
showed off her growing baby bump at the MTV Video Music Awards that
August.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed a baby daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, on
January 7, 2012. The couple spared no expense to maintain their privacy
during this special time, renting out a floor of
New York's Lenox Hill Hospital.
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