Beyonce Knowles Biography

From LoveToKnow Music

The Beyonce Knowles biography is the story of one of the biggest stars of the early 21st century. Although her career began in the 1990s, she established herself as a talented singer, actress and bona fide diva during her solo career in the 2000s. She has become one of the biggest selling artists of all time, but her career is not without its controversies. Her manager/father is known throughout the music industry for not being afraid to step on a few toes - and careers -, to help his daughter get ahead, and his reputation has sometimes overshadowed her career.

Beyonce Knowles Biography – The Early Years

Beyonce was born Beyonce Giselle Knowles on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas. She displayed a talent for singing at an early age, and her father, a sometime musician manager who was working as a medical supply salesperson, wasted no time in getting her on stage. She entered her first singing competition at age seven – she sang the song Imagine at a local Houston talent show. She handily won the competition and drew the attention of the local media.

During her early school years, Beyonce became a regular in local talent shows as well as her school and church choir. When she was eight, she auditioned for a new girl group that was being put together, called Girl’s Tyme. There, she met LaTavia Roberson, and with friend Kelly Rowland, the three were picked to become Girl’s Tyme. They performed on Star Search, but lost. Beyonce’s father still saw potential in the group and quit his job to manage them full time.

Girl’s Tyme did a few tours and became the go-to act for touring R&B artists who were passing through the Houston area and needed an opening act. The girls did land a deal with Elektra Records but were dropped before the release of their first album.

Beyonce Knowles Biography – Destiny’s Child

After Girl’s Tyme was dropped from Elektra, Mathew decided the group needed a makeover. They were rechristened Destiny’s Child in 1993, and after touring and building up a following, the group released their debut album on Columbia Records in 1997.

This first self titled album won the group three Soul Train Awards, but they didn’t really reach mass audiences until 1999 with the release of The Writing’s on The Wall. This album was a chart smash and won the group two Grammys.

This was a period of turmoil as well, however. LaToya Luckett, who had joined the group, and LaTavia Roberson, filed a lawsuit against the group for breech of contract when they discovered that they had been replaced in Destiny’s Child when they saw new members Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin in the music video for Say My Name. Franklin also left the group soon after, leaving a core of Beyonce, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, who would stay in Destiny’s Child until the end.

Beyonce Knowles Biography – Solo Career

Beyonce began to establish herself as a solo artist as early as 2000, performing solo shows even while with Destiny’s Child and showing up as a guest artist on various tracks (including 03 Bonnie and Clyde with her future husband, Jay-Z). She signed a three album solo deal that year. During this time, she also began to focus on her acting career, in particular landing a lead role in Austin Powers: Goldmember.

After waiting for the other members of Destiny’s Child to release their solo albums, Beyonce finally put out her much anticipated solo release, Crazy in Love. The album, which featured Jay-Z and Sean Paul, debuted at number one in the Billboard Charts and won her a score of international music awards.

After wrapping up a final album and farewell tour with Destiny’s Child, Beyonce released two more solo albums: B’Day in 2006 and I Am…Sasha Fierce in 2008. These albums have helped her earn the title as the woman who has had the most number one hits in the 2000s.

Beyonce has also made great stride in her acting career, notably with roles in Dreamgirls and Cadillac Records.

Mathew Knowles

Beyonce’s parents, especially her father, have earned a reputation as “stage parents” in the industry. The deals the members excluded from Destiny’s Child got are considered by many in the industry to be shady and unfair. Most recently, Mathew Knowles was accused of stealing Beyonce’s hit If I Were a Boy from another writer, who wasn’t informed until the song was released, and then attempting to strong arm her into giving up her rights. Rumors continue to swirl that Beyonce may fire her father as her manager.

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