Beyonce Biography

Birth Name: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
Birth Date: September 4, 1981
Birth Place: Housten, Texas, USA
Occupation: Singer, Model, Actress
Claim to Fame: Lead singer of Destiny's Child
Height: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Nickname: JuJu , Mothe , Bee

Synopsis

Beyoncé Knowles (b. September 4, 1981) is an American Pop and R&B singer. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child. Knowles is the only artist in history to have all her studio albums win the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. In February 2010, the RIAA listed her as the top certified artist of the decade.

Early Life and Career

Born Beyoncé Giselle Knowles on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas. Beyoncé started singing at an early age. As a child, she competed in local talent shows. Beyoncé won many of these events by impressing audiences with her natural singing and dancing abilities.

Teaming up with her cousin Kelly Rowland and two classmates, Beyoncé formed an all-female singing group. Her father, Matthew Knowles, served as the band's manager. The group went through some name and line-up changes before landing a record deal in 1997 with Columbia Records. Destiny's Child soon became one of the most popular R&B acts with the release of their first self-titled album. Gaining momentum, the group scored its first No. 1 single on the pop charts with "Bills, Bills, Bills" off their second album. The recording also featured another smash hit, "Say My Name."

Solo Career

On her own, Beyoncé continued to enjoy great success. Her second studio album, 2006's B'Day featured such hits as "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar." On the big screen, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jaime Foxx and Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls. The film was adapted from the hit Broadway musical of the same name.

In 2008, Beyoncé married rapper and music mogul Jay-Z in a small, private ceremony in New York City. Among the guests sighted at the wedding were Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles, her father and manager Matthew, her sister Solange, Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and friend Gwyneth Paltrow.

The newlywed continued to work as hard as ever, promoting her latest effort, I am . . . Sasha Fierce (2008). Beyoncé scored two big hits off the album—"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" and "If I Were a Boy." She also returned to the big screen that year, starring as R&B legend Etta James in Cadillac Records. The following January, Beyoncé sang James' trademark song, "At Last," for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at his inaugural ball.

A Grammy Says Her Name

After making her acting debut in MTV's "hip-hopera" Carmen, Beyoncé wins her first Grammy with Destiny's Child for "Say My Name," a song she cowrote. She goes on to write "Survivor," a song about success despite trying circumstances off the group's third album, which sells more than 4 million copies. In 2002, Beyoncé becomes the first black woman to win ASCAP's Pop Songwriter of the Year Award.

The Dating Dirt

Reports begin to circulate that Beyoncé is dating hip hop mogul Jay-Z after she appears on his song "'03 Bonnie & Clyde." (They play a couple on the run in the video.) The duo will go on to collaborate on Beyoncé's solo hits, 2003's "Crazy in Love" and 2006's "Deja Vu" before going public as a couple.

Sipping Spears' Pepsi

Replacing Britney Spears, who famously starred in Pepsi commercials for two years, Beyoncé lands pop's most sought-after endorsement. Before taking over for Spears, Beyoncé stars with her and Pink as ancient Roman gladiators singing "We Will Rock You" at the Coliseum. The sonic vibrations of their voices cause Pepsi cans to fall out of the emperor's box to the feet of the three pop stars in the arena.

During the turmoil of Destiny's child beyonce has admitted to being depressed. She was also publicly attacked by the media for causing the split up. Her boyfriend (From 12-19) also split up with her during this time. Her depression was very severe and lasted a couple of years, she would lock herself in her bedroom and refused to eat anything. She didn't want to speak out about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won a Grammy Award so she thought that no one would take her seriously.

Beyonce has been in a relationship with rapper Jay Z since 2002 and together they have collaborated on numerous singles. Beyonce and Jay Z are a very private couple and hide anything to do with the relationship. In April 2008 the couple were married in New York city but Beyonce did not show her wedding ring until September 2008. She only announced their marriage in an opening montage for a listening party for I am ... Sasha Fierce.