Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, TX. Beyonce was named after her mother, as she was born Celestine Ann Beyonce. She grew up with her parents, Matthew and Tina, and her sister, Solange. After discovering Beyonce’s talent at a young age, her parents enrolled her in music magnate schools.
In the early 1990s, Beyonce and a few other young women, started a girl group called Girl’s Tyme and appeared on the popular show, Star Search. Although the group did not win, the girls maintained their passion for music, and Matthew Knowles quit his job as a xerox salesman to manage them. The group eventually became Destiny’s Child.
Destiny’s Child reached massive popularity in the late 1990s after signing a record deal with Elektra. In 1997, they released their self-titled album including the hit single, “No, No, No”. Originally a quartet, the group reached the height of its success as a trio consisting of Beyonce Knowles, her childhood friend Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams.
Their famously successful song and music video for “Say My Name” was released as part of their second album, along with their single “Bills, Bills, Bills”. During her successful career with Destiny’s Child, Beyonce also tried her hand at acting in Carmen: A Hip Hopera and Goldmember.
Beyonce became even more successful after the release of her solo album, Dangerously In Love which was released in 2003. With the release of her new album came new hit singles like “Crazy In Love” and “Baby Boy”. Commercially and critically, the album was a success, and received 5 Grammy Awards.
Around the time of her first album, it was rumored that Beyonce had started dating rapper Jay-Z, with whom she collaborated, but the couple did not acknowledge the relationship publicly. Destiny’s Child broke up in 2006, but Beyonce continued her solo career.
B’Day, her second studio album, was released the same year. She also appeared in the film version of the Broadway hit musical Dreamgirls alongside Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, and Eddie Murphy.
Two years after the release of her second album, Beyonce married Jay-Z in a private ceremony. During the same year, she played Etta James on the big screen, released I am… Sasha Fierce, and performed at the Inaugural Ball of President Barack Obama. Around the same time she released her fourth studio album, she dropped her father as her manager.
In 2011, Beyonce performed at Super Bowl XLVII. She did so along with her former Destiny’s Child group members. She would later perform at the Super Bowl in 2016, for which she received both rave reviews and criticism. In the same year, she released her album and conceptual film, Lemonade, which was praised by fans and critics alike. It involved heavy criticism, appreciation for Black culture, and a number of collaborations with other artists. In one of her most recent roles, Beyonce voiced Nala in the live-action remake of The Lion King.
Beyonce and Jay-Z have three kids, Blue Ivy, and twins, Rumi and Sir Carter. Beyonce also holds the record for the most Grammy wins ever with 28.
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Kassidy Garland has had a great appreciation for reading and writing since she was young. She graduated from West Chester University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English & Women and Gender Studies. With a concentration in creative writing, Kassidy has 5 years of experience writing blogs, articles, and for social media. Kassidy is also pursuing a Master’s degree in IT with a concentration in Web Development. Based out of Philadelphia, Kassidy loves to write about a number of topics and looks forward to sharing her passion with those at FunTimes Magazine.
