Beyonce Knowles

Beyoncé Knowles (born 4.9.1981)

Beyoncé Knowles is an American R&B singer / songwriter who first found fame in the popular all-girl group Destiny's Child

Beyoncé: Childhood

Beyoncé Knowles was born in Houston Texas. Her parents were Mathew Knowles (a record manager) and Tina Beyincé (a costume designer and hair stylist). Beyoncé's younger sister, Solange Knowles is also a singer-songwriter and an actress.

Beyoncé attended St. Mary's Elementary School in Texas. It was her dance instructor that discovered Beyoncé's vocal talents. At the age of seven, the young singer entered a talent contest. Her rendition of John Lennon's 'Imagine' won her the contest.

In 1990, Beyoncé joined the Parker Elementary School, a music school in Houston. She later attended the High School For the Performing and Visual Arts.

Beyoncé: Early Musical Career

Beyoncé met LaTavia Robertson at an audition for a girl group when Knowles was eight years old. Along with Knowles' cousin, Kelly Rowland, the girls were placed in a band named Gyrl's Time.

Arne Frager, West Coast Producer, took the band to his Californian recording studio got the band a slot on the TV talent show Star Search. The band lost the competition but Beyoncé comforted herself with the knowledge that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake had also suffered the same fate.

Beyoncé's father quit his job to concentrate on managing the band in 1995. Beyoncé's parents spilt, due to the financial pressure placed on the family. LeToya Luckett had joined the band in 1993. The band auditioned before a number of record labels and was finally signed to Elektra Records. The band was dropped, however, before they released any material.

Beyoncé: Destiny's Child

The group's name - taken from a biblical passage - was changed in 1993. In 1997, after years of touring, they signed to Columbia Records. Their debut major label release was the song 'Killing Time' which featured on the Men In Black soundtrack.

The debut, eponymous album spawned the hit 'No, No, No' and earned them three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. Their second album - The Writing's On The Wall earned them an even greater level of fame. The multi-platinum selling album contained some of Destiny's Child's best-known songs, 'Bills, Bills, Bills' and 'Say My Name'. The latter won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 2001 Grammy Awards.

Following line-up changes, the band, now a trio, recorded 'Independent Women', which became their biggest-selling single to date. The track stayed at the top of the US Singles chart for 11 weeks.

The band's third album, Survivor debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. The title track and 'Bootylicious' were both number one singles. 'Survivor' earned the band another Grammy Award: Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Following a festive album, 8 Days of Christmas, Destiny's Child announced that they would temporarily be splitting, in order for the three girls to pursue solo careers.

Beyoncé: Solo career

Prior to releasing her own solo album, Beyoncé appeared with a number of artists, including her boyfriend, Jay Z. ''03 Bonnie & Clyde' was a hit single for the pair. She also won a Grammy for her duet with Luther Vandross, 'The Closer I Get to You'.

Her solo album, Dangerously In Love was released in 2003. It went to number one on the US charts and has sold over 4 million copies in the US alone. 'Crazy In Love' was the lead single and featured Jay-Z. It was a huge hit and stayed at number one in the US for eight weeks.

Beyoncé won five Grammy Awards in 2004, including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song and Best Contemporary R&B Album. She also won a BRIT Award for International Female Solo Artist.

Beyoncé's plans to release a follow-up solo album were delayed by Destiny's Child's final album, Destiny Fulfilled, which reached number two on the Billboard 200. The band announced the final split following a world tour to promote the album.

The second solo album was finally released in 2006. B'Day. The release coincided with Beyoncé's 25th birthday and sold over 541,000 copies in its first week. The album has been certified three times platinum in the US. In the 2007 Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won Best Contemporary R&B Album. Knowles also became the first woman ever to win the International Artist Award at the 335th Annual American Music Awards.

Beyoncé: Film Career

Beyoncé has starred in a number of high-profile movies. She appeared in a remake of The Pink Panther, alongside Steve Martin. Her role in Dreamgirls earned her two Golden Globe nominations and an Academy Award for Best Song (for 'Listen').

Beyoncé: Fashion Business

Beyoncé and her mother Tina set up a pre-a-porter range of women's clothing, named House of Deréon. The business has been heavily criticised by the animal rights organisation PETA for selling fur products.