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Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981) is an American R&B Grammy-Award winning singer, songwriter, record producer, Golden Globe-nominated actress, dancer, and fashion designer and model for House of Deréon. Knowles rose to fame as the creative force and lead singer of R&B girl group Destiny's Child, the best-selling female group of all time, with over fifty million records sold.

After a series of commercially successful releases with the group, Knowles released her debut solo album Dangerously in Love in 2003. The album became one of the biggest commercial successes of the year, topping the album charts in the U.S. and the UK. It also spawned the number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy" and earned Beyoncé a record-tying five Grammy Awards in a single night in 2004. Knowles's sophomore album B’Day, which was released worldwide on September 4, 2006 (her twenty-fifth birthday), continued her success. The album spawned the UK number-one single "Deja Vu," "Ring the Alarm," and the worldwide number-one hit "Irreplaceable," and earned Beyoncé her seventh solo Grammy Award.

Knowles has contributed to the soundtracks of films in which she has starred, including Dreamgirls (2006), for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination for acting. Knowles is a major contender in the music industry, with 10 Grammy Awards, 24 Billboard Music Awards, 7 World Music Awards, 7 NAACP Image Awards, and a combined sales total (from Destiny's Child and from her solo projects) of over 110 albums and singles worldwide.

Early life

Knowles is the elder of two daughters born to Mathew Knowles and Tina Beyince in Houston, Texas. Her father is African-American and her mother is an African-American of Louisiana Creole descent. Her maternal grandparents, Lumis Beyince and Agnéz Deréon (a seamstress), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles. She has an uncle, who is her mother's younger brother. She is the older sister of Solange Knowles, cousin to Angela Beyince, and aunt to Daniel Juelz Smith. Her parents decided on her first name as a tribute to her mother's surname. By age seven, she was attending dance school and was a soloist in her church choir. Her dance instructor took an interest in Knowles and took her star student to various competitions. Knowles went on to win over thirty local singing and dancing competitions.

Knowles and her former best friend LaTavia Roberson met Kelly Rowland and LeToya Luckett. They formed a quartet that would perform in their backyards and in Tina Knowles' hair salon. After singing at local events, they got their break when they entered Star Search. The group, then named "Girl's Tyme", were disappointed after losing the competition. Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father and Rowland's legal guardian, decided to help the girls reach their dreams of becoming singers. He quit his six-figure salary job as a multi-million dollar equipment salesman at Xerox to manage the group. This decision by Mathew eventually affected the whole family. Their income had been cut in half, causing the family to move into two different apartments. When the group was signed to Columbia Records in 1996, it gave the entire family a second chance at making things work.

As a teenager, Knowles attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, where she showed her musical talents. She later went to Alief Elsik High School, also in Houston.

Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child rose to fame in 1998 with the Billboard top ten hit and R&B number-one single "No, No, No Part 2". Even after much-publicized turmoil involving the departure of LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, Destiny's Child (eventually a trio) became the most successful R&B/pop acts of the early 2000s, charting four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, several top ten hits, and two number-one albums.

Their 1998 Platinum-selling debut album Destiny's Child was produced by Wyclef Jean and Jermaine Dupri and featured the double Platinum number-one single "No, No, No Part 2". The group's second album, The Writing's on the Wall, released in 1999, featured two number-one hits: "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name". "Bug a Boo" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'" were also popular singles from the album. It went on to sell thirteen million copies worldwide and eight million in the U.S. Furthermore, "Say My Name" won two awards at the 2001 Grammy Awards: "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" and "Best R&B Song".

Their following album, Survivor, proved to be another big success, going to number one on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, as well as the Canadian and the UK albums charts. Two singles from the album went to the top of the Hot 100: "Independent Women Part I" and "Bootylicious", while "Survivor", the album's title track, reached number two. In the United Kingdom, the first two tracks released reached number one consecutively. "Independent Women Part I" had been the theme song for the film Charlie's Angels (2000), before the album's release. The title track, "Survivor", won the group their third Grammy Award, "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal".

In 2001, Knowles won the "Songwriter of the Year" award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Pop Music Awards. She is the first African-American female and second overall female songwriter of all time to accomplish this.

After the three-year journey that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Knowles rejoined Rowland and Williams for Destiny's Child's fourth (and so far final) studio album, Destiny Fulfilled, released in November 2004. The album hit number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned the hits "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "Girl", and "Cater 2 U". It has sold eight million copies worldwide.

In 2005, Destiny's Child embarked on a world tour sponsored by McDonald's titled Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It, visiting over seventy cities throughout Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America from April to September. On June 13, 2005 it was announced that the group would disband after their world tour ended in September 2005. In October 2005, the group released their final album, entitled #1's, including all of Destiny's Child's number-one hits and most of their well-known songs. The greatest hits collection also includes three new tracks, including "Stand Up for Love". The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and number seven on the UK Singles Chart. #1's has gone on to sell three million copies worldwide; it was also the best-selling number ones album by a female group ever.

Solo career

During the autumn of 2002, Beyoncé was the featured vocalist on rapper Jay-Z's hit single, "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". In the spring of 2003, Beyoncé remade a duet with Luther Vandross, "The Closer I Get to You", originally made famous by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. In this version, the vocal parts are switched, with Vandross taking Flack's part and Knowles taking Hathaway's. The song was included on both her solo debut album and on Vandross's Dance with My Father album, and the two shared the Grammy for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" that same year. She recently collaborated with her beau, Jay-Z, on his latest album, Kingdom Come, providing the vocals and the hook for the track entitled "Hollywood".

In 2003, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number one selling 317,000 copies in its first week. It was certified Platinum just three weeks later on June 22, 2003. Its first single, the funky "Crazy in Love", was a track constructed around a propulsive riff sampled from The Chi-Lites' 1970 "Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)" and featured a guest rap from Jay-Z. It rapidly became one of the biggest hits of that summer, staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks. Dangerously in Love went to the top of the album charts in the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, and the Philippines, and peaked on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and R&B charts. The album has sold over four million copies in the U.S. and over twelve million copies worldwide. When her single and album simultaneously topped the main charts in both the U.S. and the UK, she became the first act to achieve this feat since Men at Work in 1983 and The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and Rod Stewart in the 1960s and 1970s; she is the first and so far the only female artist to do this. Beyoncé was consequently one of the biggest-selling artists of 2003.

Towards the end of the summer, "Baby Boy", Dangerously in Love's second single, which featured dancehall artist Sean Paul, began to climb the charts. It went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2003, dominating radio airplay in the autumn of 2003, and spending nine weeks at number one – one week longer than "Crazy in Love". This single is also featured on Sean Paul's re-released version of his second album Dutty Rock. Afterwards Knowles released her third solo single, "Me, Myself and I"; Dangerously in Love's fourth single, "Naughty Girl", came out in mid-2004.

At the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony, Knowles won a record-tying five Grammy Awards for her solo effort. These awards included "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for "Dangerously in Love 2" and "Best Contemporary R&B Album". Three other female artists hold this record: Lauryn Hill (1999), Alicia Keys (2002), and Norah Jones (2003). She also won a Brit Award in 2004 for "International Female Solo Artist" in the United Kingdom.

In December 2005, Knowles released "Check on It", featuring rappers Slim Thug and (in the official remix) Bun B. The song was from the Destiny's Child's greatest hits compilation, #1's and the soundtrack to the 2006 film The Pink Panther and it was Knowles' sixth top five hit and third number one in the U.S.

At the 2006 Grammy Awards, Knowles won a Grammy in the category of "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for the song "So Amazing", a duet with Stevie Wonder from the Luther Vandross tribute album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross.

Knowles' sophomore album B’Day was released worldwide on September 4, 2006 and on September 5, 2006 in the U.S. to coincide with the celebration of Knowles's twenty-fifth birthday. In its first week, the album sold more than 541,000 copies in the U.S., immediately coming in at number one, making it her highest first-week sales as a solo artist. This is also the highest first-week sales of any solo female artist in 2006, a record which used to be held by pop singer Christina Aguilera whose album Back to Basics sold 346,000 copies in its first week. In the UK, it debuted at number three with sales of 35,000 copies, and has sold in excess of 300,000 copies, making the album Platinum. "Deja Vu", the album's first single, features Jay-Z. Also with the co-production by Rodney Jerkins. Other co-producers on B’Day included Rich Harrison, The Neptunes, and Swizz Beatz. The album was Platinum in a month of its initial release. Currently, the album is certified 2x Platinum and has sold two million copies in the U.S. and more than four million copies worldwide.

The album's lead single "Deja Vu" became a top five hit in the United States and a number-one hit on the U.S. R&B chart and the UK chart, making it Knowles's second UK number-one single, when it climbed twenty spots to take the top spot over Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean's "Hips Don't Lie" in the week of August 27, 2006.

The second single, "Ring the Alarm", was leaked to the Internet on August 8, 2006. The video for "Ring the Alarm" was released on August 16, 2006 on Yahoo.com and peaked at number one on the site's video chart. "Ring the Alarm" became Beyoncé's highest-charting single debut, when it debuted at number twelve on the singles chart. However, it was her first single to miss the top ten in the U.S. Outside North America, "Irreplaceable" was released as the album's second international single in October 2006. It debuted at number fourteen on the official chart and is a number-one on the Irish chart. The single debuted at number eighty-seven on the Hot 100 and number forty-two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart. The single has also been taking over on the Irish charts, peaking at number one in its second week. "Irreplaceable" is her fourth number-one as solo artist on Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is Knowles's eighth top ten hit in the U.S. as a solo artist and fourth number-one hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In December 2006, a Spanish-language version of "Irreplaceable", called "Imprescindible", was released. "Irreplaceable" is now in its tenth consecutive week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Knowles won her seventh MTV Video Music Award – "Best R&B Video" for "Check on It" – at the 2006 ceremony in August 31. She also performed her hit single "Ring the Alarm" at the awards ceremony. In September 2006, Knowles won three awards at the UK's MOBO Awards ceremony. In November 2006, she took home an award for "World's Best-Selling R&B Artist" at the 2006 World Music Awards.

On December 6, the nominations for the 2007 Grammy Awards were announced, and Beyoncé received five: "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for "Ring the Alarm", "Best R&B Song" for "Deja Vu", "Best Contemporary R&B Album" for B’Day, "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" for "Deja Vu", and "Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical" for "Deja Vu" (Freemasons Club Mix - No Rap) (remixed by Russell Small and James Wiltshire), of which she won "Best Contemporary R&B Album". Knowles has also confirmed rumors to Univision that she and Latin superstar Shakira will be releasing a Spanglish Latin pop song entitled "Beautiful Liar". It will be featured on the re-issue of B’Day, which will also include Spanish-language versions of "Deja Vu", "Irreplaceable", and "Ring the Alarm", and the T.I.-featured version of "Upgrade U". In 2007, Knowles will embark on her lengthy B'Day World Tour. Knowles also has been hailed by Entertainment Weekly as the 7th Most Entertaining Person of the Year of 2006 and she was ranked the highest musician on the list. Knowles has also made a pop culture phenomenom.

On February of 2007. Beyonce Knowles became the second African American (after supermodel Tyra Banks) and first non-model, non athlete woman to be on a cover shot of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for the year.The singer and now movie star (Dreamgirls) posed on a Florida beach in a yellow-and-pink bikini by House of Dereon, the fashion label she started with her mother, Tina Knowles. There’s also a photo spread inside.”The Dreamgirl As You’ve Never Seen Her,” a cover headline teases.

Personal life

Knowles has been dating rapper Jay-Z since 2002. The couple have never publicly discussed their relationship, but have reportedly been together for over four years. Knowles has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z has said in a People magazine article that "we don't play with our relationship".

Film career

In 2001, Knowles turned to acting, starring alongside actor Mekhi Phifer in the MTV made-for-television film Carmen: A Hip Hopera.

In the summer of 2002, Beyoncé co-starred in the film Austin Powers in Goldmember, playing Foxxy Cleopatra opposite Mike Myers and Michael Caine. Beyoncé also recorded the song "Work It Out" for the film's soundtrack. "Work It Out" was a top ten hit in the UK and a top forty hit in the Netherlands, Australia, and Ireland, despite being Knowles's biggest commercial disappointment to date in the U.S., where radio stations barely played the song and the video received very minor exposure, playing only on digital video channels, MTV Jams, and VH1 Soul.

In 2003, Knowles starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the film The Fighting Temptations, and recorded a song for it called "Fighting Temptation", alongside female rappers Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free. Unlike Knowles' own singles, the song did not become a hit, although the film was a moderate success at the box office.

Knowles co-starred in the film The Pink Panther, playing the role of Xania, an international pop star, opposite Steve Martin, who plays Inspector Clouseau. The film was released on February 10, 2006, and was number one at the box office on its opening weekend. With Austin Powers in Goldmember and The Pink Panther, Knowles appeared in two films that opened at number one at the box office; the two films have grossed over $481,364,728 worldwide.

Knowles's latest film work is Dreamgirls, the film adaptation of the hit 1981 Broadway musical about a 1960s singing group loosely based on Motown all-female group The Supremes, as the Diana Ross-based character Deena Jones. The film received a limited release on December 15, 2006 and a wider release on December 25, 2006. On December 14, 2006, Beyoncé was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for the film Dreamgirls – "Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy" and "Best Original Song" for "Listen". The film opened number three at the box office with an eight-million-dollar opening weekend. Beyoncé was quoted to say this was her first real acting film. Dreamgirls is nominated for eight 2007 Academy Awards, including "Best Original Song" for "Listen".

Film Awards/Nominations

    * Black Reel Awards
          o 2007, Best Actress: Dreamgirls (Nominated)
          o 2007, Best Song Original or Adapted: Dreamgirls for "Listen" (Nominated)
          o 2004, Best Original Song: The Fighting Temptations for "He Still Loves Me" shared w/ Walter Williams Sr. (Winner)
          o 2004, Best Actress: The Fighting Temptations (Nominated)
          o 2003, Best Breakthrough Performance: Austin Powers in Goldmember (Nominated)
          o 2002, Best Original Song: Charlie's Angels (Nominated) credited as Destiny's Child

    * Broadcast Film Critics
          o 2007, Best Song: Dreamgirls for the song "Listen" (Winner)

    * Golden Globes
          o 2007, Best Original Song: Dreamgirls for the song "Listen" shared w/ Anne Preven, Scott Cutler & Henry Krieger (Nominated)
          o 2007, Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy: Dreamgirls (Nominated)

    * Image Awards
          o 2007, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Dreamgirls (Nominated)
          o 2004, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: The Fighting Temptations (Nominated)

    * MTV Movie Awards
          o 2006, Sexiest Performance: The Pink Panther (Nominated)
          o 2003, Best Female Breakthrough Performance: Austin Powers in Goldmember (Nominated)

    * Screen Actors Guild
          o 2007, Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture: Dreamgirls (Nominated)

Discography

Albums

Dangerously in Love

    * Released: June 24, 2003
    * Chart positions: #1 U.S., #1 U.S. R&B, #1 UK, #2 AUS, #1 GER #1 Nor
    * U.S. certification: 5x-Platinum
    * U.S. sales: 4.98 million
    * Worldwide sales: 11 million

Live at Wembley

    * Released: April 27, 2004
    * Chart positions: #17 U.S., #8 U.S. R&B, #2 UK, #59 GER
    * U.S. certification: 2x-Platinum
    * U.S. sales: 210,000
    * Worldwide sales:

B’Day

    * Released: September 5, 2006
    * Chart positions: #1 U.S., #1 U.S. R&B, #3 UK, #8 AUS, #5 GER #6 Nor
    * U.S. certification: 2x-Platinum
    * U.S. sales: 2,247,000
    * Worldwide sales: 3,931,000

B'Day Deluxe Edition

    * Released: April 2, 2007
    * Chart positions:
    * U.S. certification:
    * U.S. sales:
    * Worldwide sales:

Singles

2002 "Work It Out" Austin Powers in Goldmember soundtrack
          "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" (Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé) The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse
2003 "Crazy in Love" (featuring Jay-Z) Dangerously in Love
          "Baby Boy" (featuring Sean Paul)
          "Fighting Temptation" (with Missy Elliott, Free and MC Lyte) The Fighting Temptations soundtrack
          "Me, Myself and I" Dangerously in Love
2004 "Naughty Girl"
2005 "Check on It" (featuring Slim Thug) #1's / B'Day
2006 "Deja Vu" (featuring Jay-Z) B'Day
          "Ring the Alarm"
          "Irreplaceable"
          "Listen" Dreamgirls soundtrack / B'Day
2007 "Beautiful Liar" (featuring Shakira)

Filmography

2001 Carmen: A Hip Hopera Carmen Brown
2002 Austin Powers in Goldmember
2003 The Fighting Temptations
2004 Fade to Black
2006 The Pink Panther
          Dreamgirls