Beyonce Knowles's Biography
Beyonce Knowles Facts
Photo of Beyonce by Parkwood [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Spouse(s) / Partner(s)
She is married to Jay Z.
clear
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on 4 September 1981 in Houston, Texas. The unusual name Beyoncé is based around her mother, Tina's, maiden name.
Beyonce's life is an amazing story of determination to succeed, on her part and that of her father, Matthew Knowles, a former salesman for Xerox.
When she was just 11, Beyoncé Knowles and her quartet, Girl's Tyme, did 35 talent shows around Houston and in 1992 they competed on TV's Star Search, but lost.
As a result, in 1995, they were dropped from their record label without releasing a track.
It did not deter Matthew Knowles. He got Beyoncé's quartet, now called The Dolls signed with Elektra Records.
But they too dropped the act. Again Matthew ploughed on in spite of having to sell the family home in 1996. Finally he was to have a success on his hands.
The renamed Destiny's Child signed with Columbia and made a debut album of the same name, which sold over 2 million copies.
In 1999, Destiny Child's second album, The Writing's on the Wall, sold over 10 million copies and won two Grammys.
There was a hiccough in 2000 when LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett left the group amid ructions. Farrah Franklin also departed after less than a year and Destiny's Child became the trio of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
Nevertheless, in 2003, Beyoncé Knowles ended up going solo and had big hits with the album Dangerously in Love, which she followed up with B'Day.
Beyoncé expanded her interests beyond music. Together with her mother she launched the fashion line House of Deréon, and she acted in films ranging from Austin Powers In Goldmember in 2002 to Dreamgirls in 2006. The Times has an excellent article on Beyoncé's preparation for the role of Deena, supposed to have been loosely based on Diana Ross.
Beyoncé's partner is the rapper and businessman Jay-Z, who is president of Def Jam Records. In April 2008, the BBC reported that a licence confirming the marriage of Beyonce and Jay-Z had been filed.
Beyoncé Knowles came 5th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sex Symbols and was included in Playboy's list of the 25 sexiest women in 2007.
At the 2010 Grammy Awards, Beyonce picked up six awards including song of the year and best R&B song, both for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).
In March 2010, Lady Gaga's track Telephone, which featured Beyonce went to number one in the UK.
In August 2011, at the MTV Music Video Awards, it was revealed that Beyonce was pregnant.
In February 2016, Beyonce proved a huge hit during the Super Bowl half-time show.
In June 2017, Beyonce gave birth to twins. She already had a five year old daughter Blue Ivy.
In 2019, it was revealed that Beyonce was releasing a new album as well as the launch of a Netflix documentary covering her 2018 Coachella set.
In 2021, she became the most-awarded woman in Grammys history.
In 2023, she went further and overtook George Solti, whose record of 31 Grammys had stood for more than 20 years. She won her 32nd Grammy for best dance/electronic album for Renaissance.
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Beyonce's life is an amazing story of determination to succeed, on her part and that of her father, Matthew Knowles, a former salesman for Xerox.
When she was just 11, Beyoncé Knowles and her quartet, Girl's Tyme, did 35 talent shows around Houston and in 1992 they competed on TV's Star Search, but lost.
As a result, in 1995, they were dropped from their record label without releasing a track.
It did not deter Matthew Knowles. He got Beyoncé's quartet, now called The Dolls signed with Elektra Records.
But they too dropped the act. Again Matthew ploughed on in spite of having to sell the family home in 1996. Finally he was to have a success on his hands.
The renamed Destiny's Child signed with Columbia and made a debut album of the same name, which sold over 2 million copies.
In 1999, Destiny Child's second album, The Writing's on the Wall, sold over 10 million copies and won two Grammys.
There was a hiccough in 2000 when LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett left the group amid ructions. Farrah Franklin also departed after less than a year and Destiny's Child became the trio of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
Nevertheless, in 2003, Beyoncé Knowles ended up going solo and had big hits with the album Dangerously in Love, which she followed up with B'Day.
Beyoncé expanded her interests beyond music. Together with her mother she launched the fashion line House of Deréon, and she acted in films ranging from Austin Powers In Goldmember in 2002 to Dreamgirls in 2006. The Times has an excellent article on Beyoncé's preparation for the role of Deena, supposed to have been loosely based on Diana Ross.
Beyoncé's partner is the rapper and businessman Jay-Z, who is president of Def Jam Records. In April 2008, the BBC reported that a licence confirming the marriage of Beyonce and Jay-Z had been filed.
Beyoncé Knowles came 5th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sex Symbols and was included in Playboy's list of the 25 sexiest women in 2007.
At the 2010 Grammy Awards, Beyonce picked up six awards including song of the year and best R&B song, both for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).
In March 2010, Lady Gaga's track Telephone, which featured Beyonce went to number one in the UK.
In August 2011, at the MTV Music Video Awards, it was revealed that Beyonce was pregnant.
In February 2016, Beyonce proved a huge hit during the Super Bowl half-time show.
In June 2017, Beyonce gave birth to twins. She already had a five year old daughter Blue Ivy.
In 2019, it was revealed that Beyonce was releasing a new album as well as the launch of a Netflix documentary covering her 2018 Coachella set.
In 2021, she became the most-awarded woman in Grammys history.
In 2023, she went further and overtook George Solti, whose record of 31 Grammys had stood for more than 20 years. She won her 32nd Grammy for best dance/electronic album for Renaissance.
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