Beyoncé's Full Biography
Beyoncé, also known as Beyoncé Giselle Knowles, is an accomplished American singer-songwriter and actress. Born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, she was the lead singer of the R&B group Destinys Child before going solo. With her incredible talent and hard work, she has become an icon in the music industry.
Early Life/Education
Beyoncé Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas. She grew up in a musical family and began performing at a young age. In high school, she attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later went on to attend Alief Elsik High School. She then went to study at the University of St. Thomas, but left after her first year to pursue her music career.
Beyoncé's Music Career
The Late '90s:
When Beyoncé was only nine years old, she formed a girl group called Girl’s Tyme (which would become Destiny's Child) with childhood friends Michelle Williams and Kelly Roland.
Despite the group's early struggles, including being dropped from a recording contract and placing last in a talent competition, they eventually signed with Columbia Records and released a successful debut album, featuring the hit single "No, No, No Part 2."
The group went on to achieve even greater success with their second album, "The Writings on the Wall," which earned them two Grammy Awards and went platinum in the US. Destiny's Child then released their third album, "Survivor," which hit number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
2000’s
In 2003, Beyoncé released her first solo album, “Dangerously in Love”, which received critical acclaim and topped charts thanks to the success of its lead single "Crazy in Love" featuring rapper Jay-Z. The album received five Grammy Awards in 2004, including best female R&B vocal performance and best contemporary R&B album.
In 2006, Beyoncé dropped her second solo studio album, “B’Day”. Among the co-producers enlisted for the project were hit-making duo, the Neptunes. While the album was heavily influenced by funk, it was the pop ballad “Irreplaceable” that ended up being its most successful single.
Beyoncé released her double album, “I Am...Sasha Fierce” in 2008. The album produced several hit singles, including the catchy “Single Ladies” (Put a Ring on It), which helped Beyoncé win six awards at the 2010 Grammy Awards. Her victories made her the first female artist to win the most Grammys in one night, including best female pop vocal performance, best contemporary R&B album, and song of the year.
Beyoncé's 2011 album, “4”, was a unique blend of ballads and dance tracks that drew inspiration from a variety of sources, including Motown torch songs and M.I.A.'s audio collages.
In 2013, Destiny's Child reunited for the Super Bowl halftime show and debuted their new song, “Nuclear”. The same year Beyoncé won a Grammy for “Love on Top" before releasing her sensual and expressive self-titled album, featuring high-profile producers, special guests like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her daughter Blue Ivy.
Beyoncé's “Lemonade" was originally planned as a visual album and later became an HBO special, winning two Grammy Awards, including the best music video for the song “Formation”. She collaborated with Jay-Z on “Everything Is Love”, which won a Grammy for best urban contemporary album.
In 2018, Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to headline at the Coachella Valley Festival and her performance was later featured in the Netflix documentary and live album Homecoming.
Beyoncé did not release another solo album until 2022 which was titled “Act I: RENAISSANCE", and won four Grammys including best dance/electronic album and allowed her to surpass Georg Solti's record for most grammy awards.
Beyoncé's Acting Career
Beyoncé made her acting debut in the 2001 MTV television film Carmen: A Hip Hopera. From there she went to play Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers: Goldmember (2002), which led to roles in The Fighting Temptations (2003) and The Pink Panther (2006).
Later in 2006, Bey portrayed Deena Jones in Dreamgirls, a movie version of the 1981 Broadway musical about a 1960s singing group. Both Beyoncé's performance and her song "Listen" received Academy Award nominations.
She then portrayed singer Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) and the suspense film Obsessed (2009) before lending her voice to an animated forest queen in the film Epic (2013).
In the 2019 remake of Disney's The Lion King, Nala was voiced by Beyoncé. She also sang several songs from the soundtrack, and released an album called The Lion King: The Gift, which was influenced by the film. In 2020, some of the album's songs were featured in Black Is King, a visual album on Disney+.
Beyoncé's Business Ventures
Over the past 20 years, Beyoncé has established herself as a powerful force in the entertainment industry by building a small empire. Among her many business ventures is Parkwood Entertainment, founded in 2010, which has expanded to become a record label for several artists, including Beyoncé herself.
In 2015, she acquired Tidal, a streaming service valued at $600 million, and secured endorsement deals with PepsiCo and L'Oreal. Additionally, she has collaborated with Adidas to create a line called Ivy Park.
Beyoncé's Personal Life
Beyoncé and Jay-Z got together in 2001 and have now been married since 2008. They have three children together: Blue Ivy, Rumi, and Sir.
Rumi and Sir are twins, and Bey suffered from preeclampsia, a very serious pregnancy complication, causing the twins to be born prematurely (prior to 37 weeks gestation) by emergency c-section.
Beyoncé's Net Worth
On her own, as of 2023, Beyoncé is reported to have a net worth of $500 million thanks to her career and multiple business ventures.
Activism: Beyoncé
Beyoncé is involved in various social and political causes. She has been a vocal advocate for gender equality, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. In addition to using her platform to raise awareness and funds for these issues, Beyoncé has also established her own philanthropic organization, the BeyGOOD Foundation, which supports various charitable initiatives around the world.
