Beyonce Giselle Knowles born on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas is an African-American R&B singer, actress and songwriter in the group Destiny's Child. Her father, Matthew Knowles works as Destiny's Child manager, while her mother Tina Knowles, designs the group members glittering costumes. She has one younger sister who she loves very much, named Solange Knowles. Beyonce once attended The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas before she finally stepped her foot on music production.
Thanks to senior singer, Whitney Houston who has found Beyonce and her group, Destiny's Child. To be with the group, Beyonce has become a worth asset perceived as its leader for she's the one writes and produces many of the group's songs, including smash hits "Jumpin Jumpin", "Bootylicious", "Nasty Girl", "Independent Women", "Happy Face" and "Apple Pie a la mode." To begin Destiny's first career, Beyonce and the other group's members, Rowland, and Michelle Williams, toured as an opening act for Christina Aguilera and TLC. Then in 1998 they released their group self-titled album, "Destiny's Child", which was produced by Wyclef Jean and Jermaine Dupri and featured the platinum-selling, number one Hot 100 single "No, No, No." What a ...
great achievement that this album itself also then went platinum.
Shortly thereafter, Destiny's Child, in the year of 1999 released its second album "The Writing's on the Wall", featuring two number one hits in "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name" that won two awards at the 2001 Grammys for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best R&B Song, the latter of which was awarded to the songwriters, including Beyonce herself. Following both albums success, Destiny's Child soon released its third album, "Survivor", which became another smash, topped both the American Billboard 200 and R&B Albums charts, as well as reigning the Canadian album chart while became generally success around the world. What's more, two singles from the album, namely "Independent Women (Part 1)" and "Bootylicious", went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. To add, "Independent Women (Part 1)" had also become the theme song for "Charlie's Angels" in late 2000, prior to the album's 2001 release. More on the set, its title track "Survivor" gloriously won the band their second Grammy for B
est R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and its fourth and final single named "Emotions", has also become a cover for Bee Gees hit of the same name, carried on the group's impressive string of top ten hits.
After the many success, Destiny's Child current members, Rowland, Michelle and Beyonce herself decided to temporarily pursue solo careers that they in 2001 took a break from the group activity. After their hiatus, in 2004 the three of them mentioned their plan to produce two new albums, the first album entitled "Destiny Fulfilled" has been released along with its first single "Lose My Breath." Either the album or the single has been very success that both reached the top 10 Billboard album and singles charts respectively. Along with the group success, Beyonce's solo career also rose up. Appeared to be true that in 2002 she won the Songwriter of the Year award from the ASCAP Pop Music Awards, made her the first African American woman and the second woman of any race to win the honor. Gained fame and success in music production, Beyonce curious to expand her career to acting, which resulted in her starring in MTV's "Carmen" without any previous training.
Came after that was her summer 2002 co-starred in the film "Austin Powers in Goldmember" as ...
Foxxy Cleopatra opposite Mike Myers. After that Beyonce recorded a song and produced a music video, called "Work It Out", used for the movie soundtrack that was a top 10 hit in the UK and a top 40 hit in Netherlands, Australia, and Ireland. Later, during the fall of 2002 Beyonce worked on the featured vocalist on Jay-Z's smash single, "03 Bonnie And Clyde." Both fell in love, started going on a date before then got engaged.
In the spring of 2003 Beyonce remade a duet with Luther Vandross, called "The Closer I Get To You", originally performed by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. The song was included both on her debut solo album and on Luther's "Dance With My Father" set, for which the two singers shared the Grammy for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals. Still in 2003, Beyonce released her debut solo album "Dangerously in Love", which first single named "Crazy In Love" featuring a guest rap from boyfriend Jay-Z, quickly became one of the biggest hits of that summer, staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart for ten weeks. Soon afterwards "Dangerously in Love" went to the top of the album charts in the UK and Canada, as well as on both the American pop Billboard 200 and R&B charts. As the single and album simultaneously topped the pop charts in both the US and UK, Beyonce then became the first actress to achieve this feat since "Men At Work" in 1983, in the '60s and '70s, which was performed by The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and Rod Stewart.
To welcome the end of 2003 summer, the second single of the "Dangerously in Love" album, "Baby Boy" which featured reggae star Sean Paul had soon climbed the charts, went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2003 and dominated radio airplay for the fall of 2003. During the same time Beyonce also starred in the movie "The Fighting Temptations," for which she, together with rapper Missy Elliott, Free, and MC Lyte, recorded a song for it called "Fighting Temptation" that unfortunately failed to be popular despite the moderate success of the movie itself. Completed the works, Beyonce then towards the end of 2003 released the set's third single, "Me, Myself And I" after which its fourth single "Naughty Girl" then came out in mid-2004. Just like ...
their predecessors, both singles also made the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
After sometimes off from the scene and following their solo career's success, the trio then in September 2005 decided to part ways, retiring as Destiny's Child and moving forward to pursue personal goals and individual careers in music, theater, television and film as well. Though so, prior to their split the three personnel released a special greatest hits package titled "#1's". Hit the market October 25th the same year, it consists of not only some old tracks, like "Independent Women Part I," "Survivor," "Soldier," and "Jumpin', Jumpin'", but also three brand new tracks, namely "Stand Up For Love," "Feel the Same Way I Do," and that of "Check on It," which also is becoming the soundtrack for "The Pink Panther" (2006) which Beyonce starred in alongside Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, and Jason Statham among others. Subsequent to the album, Beyonce concentrated more on her solo career, even invading the world of fashion, launching her new fashion line, "House of Dereon", named after her grandmother, Agnes Dereon. "The whole theme is taking nothing and turning it into something because that's what my grandmother did with all kinds of fabrics. She just turned everything into masterpieces, and that's what my mother does," so she said on the line which features denim, handbags, casual sportswear, furs and footwear.
Time went on and on and back into the studio, Beyonce worked on her second solo album "B'Day" while also was filming her another movie "Dreamgirls", the Bill Condon-directed film adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name due to hit worldwide theaters December 22nd, 2006. Co-produced, wrote and arranged all the tracks on the set, Beyonce moreover also had boyfriend Jay-Z featured on the first single of the album, tentatively titled "Deja Vu", which was a top 5 hit in the U.S., a #1 hit on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at #1 in the UK. Was released worldwide on September 4, and on September 5, 2006 in the U.S. to coincide with the celebration of Beyonce's twenty-fifth birthday, "B'Day" amazingly sold more than 540,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week in stores, coming in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making it her highest selling first week as a solo artist.
She had a second 'birthday' after releasing "B'Day [Deluxe Edition]" on ...
April 3, 2007. The double CD took in materials both in English and Spanish that didn't make it to the first. This was the same record that sparked a feud between her and singer Des'ree. Included in the record was a track titled "Still in Love (Kissing You)" which was the remake of Des'ree's hit "I'm Kissing You". Beyonce was claimed trespassing the copyright law by not completing the terms and conditions that clearly stated that the song should not be re-titled or made a video. Des'ree as the co-writer of the song sought justice by filing a lawsuit and demanding a $150,000 compensation. While waiting for the court decision, the album was withdrawn from the market and shortly after re-released without the problematic track. In August 2007, Beyonce confirmed during an interview with USAToday.com that she will be back in the studio in December to work on the follow up of 'B'Day'. Among the confirmed collaborators is Timbaland. In a statement released in November 2007, Beyonce said that she will make a dance record.
