Beyoncé Knowles

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981), often referred to mononymously as Beyoncé , is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny’s Child. According to Sony, Knowles record sales, when combined with the group, have surpassed 100 million.

During the hiatus of Destiny’s Child, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which became one of the most successful albums of that year, and signaled her viability as a solo artist. The disbanding of Destiny’s Child in 2005 facilitated her continued success: her sophomore solo album, B’Day, released in 2006, debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. Her third solo album, I Am… Sasha Fierce, was released in November 2008, and earned her 10 Grammy Awards nominations.

Knowles began her acting career in 2001, appearing in the musical film Carmen: A Hip Hopera. In 2006, she starred in the lead role in the film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, for which she earned two Golden Globe nominations. Knowles launched her family’s fashion line, House of Deréon, in 2004, and has endorsed such brands as Pepsi, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani and L’Oréal. In 2009, Forbes listed Knowles fourth on its list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the world, third on its list of the top-grossing musicians, and number one on the list of top Best-Paid Celebs Under 30 with over $87 million dollars in earnings between 2008 and 2009.[3][4]

Knowles has attained five Hot 100 number one singles, becoming one of the two female artists with the most number ones attained within the 2000s, excluding her three Hot 100 number one singles with Destiny’s Child this decade. On December 11, 2009 Beyoncé was named Billboard’s Top Female Artist of the Decade and 4th artist overall.

Knowles was born in Houston, Texas. She is the daughter of Mathew Knowles, a successful record manager, and Tina Knowles, a costume designer and hair stylist. Knowles’ father is African American and her mother is of Creole (African American, Native American, and French) descent. Knowles was baptized after her mother’s maiden name, as a tribute to her mother and to prevent the name from becoming obsolete, since only a few of the Beyincé males carry the name. Her maternal grandparents, Lumis Albert Beyincé and Agnéz Deréon, were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles. She is the elder sister of Solange, a singer-songwriter and actress.

Knowles was schooled at St. Mary’s Elementary School in Texas, where she enrolled in dance classes, including ballet and jazz. Her talent in singing was discovered when her dance instructor began humming a song and she finished it, hitting the high-pitched notes. Although a shy girl, as her mother considered her, Knowles’ interest in music and performing began unexpectedly after participating in a school talent show. Once she had a moment on the stage, she overcame her shyness and wanted to become a singer and performer.[8] By age seven, Knowles had entered her first talent show, singing John Lennon’s “Imagine”. She won the contest and was honored with a standing ovation. At the same age, Knowles started gaining attention from the press, having been mentioned in the Houston Chronicle as a nominee for the local performing arts award The Sammy.

In the fall of 1990, Knowles enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform onstage with the school’s choir.[7] She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston[12] and later went to Alief Elsik High School, located in the Houston neighborhood of Alief. Knowles was a soloist in the choir of her church, in St. John’s United Methodist Church. She only lasted in the choir for two years, however, because she was preoccupied with her newfound career.

At the age of eight, Knowles met LaTavia Roberson while in an audition for a girl group. They, along with Knowles’ friend Kelly Rowland, were placed into a group that performed rapping and dancing. Originally named Girl’s Tyme,[9] they were eventually cut down to six members.[7] With Knowles and Rowland, Girl’s Tyme attracted audience nationally. West coast R&B producer, Arne Frager, flew into Houston to see them. He eventually brought them to his studio – The Plant Recording Studios – in Northern California, with Knowles’ vocals being featured because Frager thought she had personality and the ability to sing.[7] As part of efforts to sign Girl’s Tyme to a major label record deal, Frager’s strategy was to debut them in Star Search, the biggest talent show on national TV that time. Girl’s Tyme participated in the competition but lost it because the song they performed was not good, Knowles herself admitted. Knowles had her first “professional setback” after that defeat, but regained confidence after learning that pop stars Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake had also the same experience.

To manage the group, Knowles’ father (who was at that time a medical-equipment salesman) resigned in 1995 from his job. He dedicated his time and established a “boot camp” for their training. The move reduced Knowles’ family’s income by half and her parents separated because of the pressure. Not long after the inclusion of Rowland, Mathew cut the original lineup to four, with LeToya Luckett joining in 1993. Rehearsing in Tina’s Headliners Salon and their backyards, the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups of the time;[15] Tina contributed to the cause by designing their costumes, which she continued to do throughout the Destiny’s Child era. With the continued support of Mathew, they auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, only to be dropped months later before they could release an album.