The Life Of Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter - Bey
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The Life Of Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter -
Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter born September 4, 1981 is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in 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 Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Knowles' work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including 16 Grammy Awards, 12 MTV Video Music Awards, a Billboard Millennium Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (with Destiny's Child). As a solo artist, Knowles has sold over 13 million albums in the United States and over 75 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the 2000s decade, and ranked her as the fourth Artist of the Decade.[7] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) also recognized Knowles as the Top Certified Artist of the 2000s. In 2010, she appeared on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time",[10] and was ranked third on their "100 Greatest Women in Music" list in 2012.[11] In 2010, Knowles was ranked first on Forbes list of the "100 Most Powerful and Influential Musicians in the World".
During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, in 2003, which spawned two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—"Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy"—and became one of the most successful albums of that year, earning her a then record-tying five Grammy Awards. Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2005, Knowles released her second solo album, B'Day, in 2006, which spawned the top five singles "Déjà Vu", "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Her third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), spawned the hit singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo" and "Sweet Dreams". The album helped Knowles earn six Grammys in 2010, breaking the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night. Knowles' fourth solo album, 4 (2011), became her fourth consecutive number one album on the Billboard 200 as a solo artist. This made her the third artist in the chart's history to have her first four studio albums debut atop the chart.
Apart from her work in music, Knowles has also ventured into acting and designing clothes and various perfumes. Her performance in Dreamgirls (2006) earned her two Golden Globe nominations. Knowles introduced her family's fashion line House of Deréon in 2005, and has endorsed such brands as L'Oréal, Pepsi, Tommy Hilfiger, Nintendo and Vizio. In April 2008, Knowles married American rapper Jay-Z. She gave birth to their first child, Blue Ivy Carter, in January 2012.
Biography
1981–96: Early life and career beginnings
Knowles was born in Houston , Texas, the daughter of Mathew Knowles , a professional record manager, and Tina Knowles (née Beyincé), a costume designer and hair stylist. Knowles' father is African American. Her mother, a Louisiana Creole , has African, French, Native American, and Irish ancestry; she is a descendant of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard . [ 13 ] [ 14 ] Knowles was baptized after her mother's maiden name. [ 13 ] She is the elder sister of Solange Knowles , a singer, songwriter and actress.
Knowles was educated at St. Mary's Elementary School in Fredericksburg, Texas , in the Texas Hill Country, where she was 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. [ 15 ] Knowles' interest in music and performing began after participating in a school talent show. She sang John Lennon 's " Imagine " and won the competition. [ 16 ] [ 17 ] At age seven, 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. [ 18 ] In the fall of 1990, Knowles enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform on-stage with the school's choir. [ 15 ] She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston [ 19 ] and later went to Alief Elsik High School , located in the Houston suburban munincipality, Alief . [ 13 ] [ 20 ] Knowles was a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church for two years, performing as a soloist . [ 15 ] [ 21 ]
At the age of eight, Knowles met LaTavia Roberson while in an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. [ 22 ] They, along with Knowles' childhood friend Kelly Rowland , were placed into a group that performed rapping and dancing. [ 23 ] Originally named Girl's Tyme , they were eventually cut down to six members. [ 15 ] 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. [ 15 ] As part of efforts to sign Girl's Tyme to a major label record deal, Frager's strategy was to début them in Star Search , the biggest talent show on national TV at the time. [ 15 ] Girl's Tyme participated in the competition but lost it because the song they performed was not good, Knowles herself admitted. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] 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. [ 15 ] To manage the group, Knowles' father (who was at that time a medical-equipment salesman) resigned in 1995 from his job. [ 26 ] He dedicated his time and established a "boot camp" for their training. [ 27 ] The move reduced Knowles' family's income by half and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. [ 13 ] Not long after the inclusion of Rowland, Mathew cut the original lineup to four, [ 15 ] with LeToya Luckett joining in 1993. [ 22 ] 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; [ 22 ] 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 . They moved to Atlanta to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the record company in 1995. They returned home to start over again. [ 13 ] This eventually put a strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated briefly when she was 14. In 1996, the family reunited, and shortly after, the girls got a contract with Columbia Records . [ 16 ]
1997–2001: Destiny's Child era and depression
The group changed its name to Destiny's Child in 1993, based on a passage in the Book of Isaiah . [ 22 ] Together, they performed in local events and after four years on the road, the group was signed to Columbia Records in late 1997. That same year, Destiny's Child recorded their major label début song "Killing Time" for the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black . [ 22 ] [ 25 ] The following year, the group released their self-titled debut album , [ 24 ] scoring their first major hit " No, No, No ". The album established the group as a viable act in the music industry, amassing moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No", Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year and Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist. [ 22 ] The group released their multi-platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as " Bills, Bills, Bills ", the group's first number-one single, " Jumpin' Jumpin' " and " Say My Name ", which became their most-successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Grammy Awards . [ 22 ] The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies. [ 24 ] During this time, Knowles recorded a duet with Marc Nelson on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man .
Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit against the group for breach of contract. Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin appeared in the music video of "Say My Name", implying that Luckett and Roberson had already been replaced. [ 22 ] Eventually, Luckett and Roberson left the group. Franklin would eventually fade from the group after five months, [ 24 ] as evidenced by her absences during promotional appearances and concerts. She attributed her departure to negative vibes in the group resulting from the strife. [ 22 ] During this time, Knowles had experienced depression from an accumulation of struggles: the publicized split of Luckett and Roberson, being publicly attacked by the media, critics and blogs for causing the split-up, [ 28 ] and a longstanding boyfriend (that she had dated from age 13 to 19) leaving her. [ 29 ] [ 30 ] The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Knowles stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award and she feared no one would take her seriously. [ 31 ] All of these events had made her question herself and who her friends were, describing the situation she said, "Now that I was famous, I was afraid I'd never find somebody again to love me for me. I was afraid of making new friends." [ 29 ] She acknowledges her mother Tina Knowles for helping her out of her depression, saying: "Why do you think a person wouldn't love you? Don't you know how smart and sweet and beautiful you are?" [ 29 ]
After settling on their final lineup, the trio recorded " Independent Women Part I ", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film, Charlie's Angels . It became their best-charting single, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks. [ 22 ] Later that year, Luckett and Roberson withdrew their case against their now-former band mates, while maintaining the suit against Mathew, which ended in both sides agreeing to stop public disparaging. [ 22 ] In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Knowles landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera , starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer . Set in Philadelphia , the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet . [ 32 ] Luckett and Roberson refiled their lawsuit after Destiny's Child's third album Survivor was released in May 2001, claiming that the songs were aimed at them. [ 22 ] The album débuted at number one on US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold. [ 33 ] To date, Survivor has sold over ten million copies worldwide, over forty percent of which were sold in the US alone. [ 34 ] The album spawned other number-one hits, " Bootylicious " and the title track, " Survivor ", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to pursue solo careers. [ 22 ]
2002–05: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled
Knowles performing " Baby Boy ", which spent nine consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart [ 35 ]
In July 2002, Knowles starred opposite Mike Myers in the comedy film, Austin Powers in Goldmember . She played Foxxy Cleopatra , the female protagonist alongside the film's lead character Austin Powers , played by Myers. [ 36 ] Austin Powers in Goldmember spent its first weekend atop the US box office and grossed $73 million. [ 37 ] To promote the film, Knowles released " Work It Out " as the lead single from its soundtrack album . [ 38 ] In October 2002, she was featured on her then-boyfriend Jay-Z 's single " '03 Bonnie & Clyde ". The song peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Knowles' first top ten single as a solo artist. [ 39 ] It also reached the top ten in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. [ 40 ] [ 41 ] Rumors began to circulate about Knowles and Jay-Z's relationship after the release of "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". [ 17 ] In spite of persistent rumors, they remained discreet about their relationship. [ 42 ] [ 43 ]
After Williams and Rowland released their solo efforts, Knowles released her debut solo album Dangerously in Love on June 24, 2003 in the United States. [ 44 ] The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart. [ 45 ] Dangerously in Love has sold 4.9 million copies in the US and has been certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [ 3 ] [ 46 ] It remains as Knowles' best-selling album to date, with sales of 11 million copies sold worldwide. [ 47 ] The album was preceded by the lead single " Crazy in Love ", which features Jay-Z. The song became Knowles' first number one single as a solo artist in the US, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eight consecutive weeks. [ 48 ] It also topped the UK Singles Chart , and reached the top-ten in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. [ 41 ] [ 49 ] The second single " Baby Boy ", which features dancehall singer Sean Paul , topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for nine consecutive weeks, and reached the top-ten in many countries. [ 35 ] Dangerously in Love also produced two other singles, " Me, Myself and I " and " Naughty Girl ", which both reached the top-five on the Billboard Hot 100. [ 50 ] The album earned Knowles a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Grammy Awards ; Best Contemporary R&B Album , Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for " Dangerously in Love 2 ", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for " The Closer I Get to You " with Luther Vandross . [ 51 ] In September 2003, Knowles starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the musical comedy film The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother whom Gooding's character, Darrin, falls in love with. [ 52 ] The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $32.7 million at the box office worldwide. [ 53 ] [ 54 ] To promote The Fighting Temptations , Knowles released " Fighting Temptation " as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album. In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe. She later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys as an ensemble for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. [ 55 ]
On February 1, 2004, Knowles performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII , which was held at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. [ 56 ] After the release of Dangerously in Love , Knowles had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, on January 7, 2004, a spokesperson for her record label announced that Knowles had put her plans on hold in order to concentrate on the recording of Destiny Fulfilled , the final studio album by Destiny's Child. [ 57 ] It was released on November 15, 2004 in the United States. [ 58 ] The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified three times platinum by the RIAA. [ 59 ] [ 60 ] Destiny Fulfilled spawned the singles " Lose My Breath " and " Soldier ", which both reached the top-five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [ 61 ] In April 2005, Destiny's Child embarked on their worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It . During the last stop of their European tour in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. [ 62 ] The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005 in the United States. [ 63 ] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the RIAA. [ 60 ] [ 64 ] In February 2006, Knowles starred opposite Steve Martin in the comedy film The Pink Panther , as international pop star Xania. [ 65 ] The film grossed $158.8 million at the box office worldwide. [ 66 ] Knowles' song " Check on It ", which features rapper Slim Thug , was supposed to be featured on the soundtrack album for The Pink Panther but was ultimately not included. [ 67 ] "Check on It" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks, becoming Knowles' third US number-one single as a solo artist. [ 50 ] [ 68 ] In March 2006, Destiny's Child reunited to accept a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . [ 69 ]
2006–07: B'Day and Dreamgirls
Knowles' second solo album B'Day was released on September 5, 2006 in the United States, to coincide with Knowles' twenty-fifth birthday. [ 70 ] It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, becoming Knowles' second consecutive number-one album in the US. [ 71 ] B'Day has sold 3.3 million copies in the US and has been certified three times platinum by the RIAA. [ 3 ] [ 46 ] Internationally, the album has sold seven million copies worldwide. [ 72 ] The album was preceded by the lead single " Déjà Vu ", which features Jay-Z. The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the UK Singles Chart. [ 41 ] [ 50 ] The second international single " Irreplacable " was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland and New Zealand, and the top ten in Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. [ 41 ] [ 73 ] In the US, the song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks, becoming Knowles' fourth number-one single as a solo artist. [ 74 ] B'Day also produced three other singles, " Ring the Alarm ", " Get Me Bodied " and " Green Light ", which each attained moderate success. In December 2006, Knowles starred opposite Jennifer Hudson , Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy in the musical film, Dreamgirls . She played Deena Jones, a pop singer loosely based on Diana Ross . [ 75 ] The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $154.9 million at the box office worldwide. [ 76 ] [ 77 ] To promote Dreamgirls , Knowles released " Listen " as the lead single from the soundtrack album, Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture . She earned several nominations the following year for her role in the film, including Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards , [ 78 ] Best Performance at the MTV Movie Awards , [ 79 ] and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards . [ 80 ]
In April 2007, Knowles embarked on The Beyoncé Experience , her first worldwide concert tour. The tour visited ninety-seven venues and grossed $90 million. [ 81 ] On April 3, 2007, B'Day was re-released as a deluxe edition, seven months after the release of the original version. In addition to the original track listing, the deluxe edition features five new songs, including " Beautiful Liar ", a duet with Colombian singer Shakira . [ 82 ] The song was commercially successful, reaching number one in several countries, such as France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. [ 41 ] [ 83 ] At the 49th Grammy Awards , B'Day was nominated for five awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for Déjà Vu, and Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu". The album won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. [ 84 ] The following year , B'Day received two nominations for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar". [ 85 ]
2008–10: Marriage, I Am... Sasha Fierce and films
On April 4, 2008, Knowles married Jay-Z in New York City. It became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008. [ 86 ] Knowles did not publicly debut her wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008, in New York City. [ 87 ] She finally revealed their marriage through an opening montage video at the listening party for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce , in Manhattan's Sony Club on October 22, 2008. [ 88 ] In November 2008, Forbes magazine reported that Knowles earned $80 million between June 1, 2007 to June 1, 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line. [ 89 ] This made her the world's second best-paid music personality at the time. [ 90 ] I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008 in the United States. [ 91 ] The album introduces Knowles' alter ego Sasha Fierce, who was born during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It sold 482,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Knowles her third consecutive number-one album in the US. [ 92 ] I Am... Sasha Fierce has sold three million copies in the US and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA. [ 3 ] [ 46 ] Internationally, the album has sold seven million copies worldwide. [ 93 ] I Am... Sasha Fierce was preceded by the two lead singles " If I Were a Boy " and " Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) ". "If I Were a Boy" was a commercial success, reaching number one in various European countries, such as Denmark, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. [ 41 ] [ 94 ] "Single Ladies" topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for four non-consecutive weeks, becoming Knowles' fifth number-one single in the United States. [ 95 ] The album's third international single " Halo " was also commercially successful, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and in the top ten in various other countries. [ 50 ] [ 96 ] "Halo"'s US success helped Knowles achieve more top ten singles on the Hot 100 chart than any other female artist during 2001–10. [ 97 ] Another successful single from I Am... Sasha Fierce was " Sweet Dreams ", which also reached the top ten in many countries. [ 98 ] The album spawned four other singles, " Diva ", " Ego ", " Broken-Hearted Girl " and " Video Phone ", which each attained moderate success.
In December 2008, Knowles starred as blues singer Etta James in the musical biopic film, Cadillac Records . Her performance in the film received praise from critics. [ 99 ] John Kehe of The Christian Science Monitor wrote, "No one can channel Etta – she's a singular talent – but Beyoncé does it her own way and conjurs enough emotion and grit to make it work in the context of the movie." [ 100 ] Knowles garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture , and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture . [ 101 ] [ 102 ] The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age. [ 103 ] The video won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards , [ 104 ] the 2009
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