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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.
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Jay-Z And Beyonce Snapped Leaving LA Resturant With Daughter Blue Ivy 8th February 2013 11:41 |
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Beyonce Launches New Fragrance in New York 23rd September 2011 13:00 |
19th May 2013
Beyonce wishes she had the powers of her 'Epic' character.The 31-year-old singer - who has 16-month-old daughter Blue Ivy with...
It's Official! Beyonce Is Pregnant Once Again.
19th May 2013
It turns out the rumors were true, ladies and gentlemen – Beyonce really is pregnant, again. The suspicion started when...
Beyoncé Pregnancy – True Or False, Official Or Unofficial?
18th May 2013
Beyonce Knowles pregnant – that’s a headline you will have read recently, but is it true? We’d say ‘lets look...
Beyonce Aspires To Be Like Whitney Houston
18th May 2013
Beyonce aspired to be as talented as Whitney Houston.The 31-year-old singer still remembers the first time she watched the late...
Beyonce Hits Out At Pregnancy Gossips As She Shares Snap With Kids In Cuba
18th May 2013
Pop superstar Beyonce has taken aim at gossips speculating she is pregnant again by posting a defensive note on her...
15th May 2013
Simply Heroic: Angelina Jolie stunned the world this week after revealing she had undergone a...
Pregnant? Was Beyonce Really Hiding A Baby Bump At The Met Ball? [Pictures]
14th May 2013
A big stateside gossip on Monday (May 13, 2013) was that Beyonce and Jay-Z were...
2nd May 2013
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17th April 2013
Frankly, Do We Care? It's becoming familiar reading, though Justin Bieber committed another classic PR...
25th March 2013
Albums of Note... Tasked with the tricky mission of releasing an album that stood up...
Obsessed (2009) 2009, Review by Jason McKiernan
One pretty much knows what to expect going into a movie titled Obsessed. And in...
Cadillac Records 2008, Review by Bill Gibron
The story about how the white man cheated the African-American out of his rhythm and...
The Pink Panther (2006) 2006, Review by Sean O'Connell
ABC premiered America's Funniest Home Videos in 1989, and the weekly video-clip competition has gone...
Dreamgirls 2006, Review by Chris Barsanti
If only they had let Bill Condon direct Chicago instead of just writing the screenplay....
Fade To Black 2004, Review by byline.gif
In 2003, Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z (a.k.a. Shawn Carter) called it quits after an eight-year career....
Beyonce Adds Extra UK Dates To The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour 2013
22nd February 2013
Due to exceptional demand Beyonce will play two additional shows at London O2...
5th February 2013
Beyonce To Kick Off Her North American Tour At The BET Experience At L....
Beyonce Announces The Mrs.carter Show World Tour 2013
4th February 2013
Parkwood Entertainment today announced that The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour starring Beyoncé...
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