Beyoncé

**Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter** born September 4, 1981 is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in , Texas, she performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child and rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of girl-group . Managed by her father, , the group became one of the world's of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of Beyoncé's debut album, (2003), which established her as a solo artist worldwide, earned five and featured the number-one singles crazy in love and baby boy.

## Beyoncé

### Relatives

Solange Knowles (Sister) · Nixon Knowles (Brother)

## Physical description

### Eye color

Brown

Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2006, she released her second solo album, (2006), which contained hits and "". Beyoncé also ventured into acting, with a -nominated performance in (2006) and starring roles in (2006) and (2009). Her marriage to rapper and portrayal of in (2008) influenced her third album, (2008), which saw the birth of her alter-ego Sasha Fierce and earned a record-setting in 2010, including for Beyoncé took a hiatus from music in 2010 and took over management of her career; her fourth album (2011) was subsequently mellower in tone, exploring 1970s , 1980s , and 1990s . Her critically acclaimed fifth album, (2013), was distinguished from previous releases by its experimental production and exploration of darker themes. With the release of (2016), Beyoncé became the first artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the chart.

## Early life

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in to Houtson a hairdresser and salon owner, and , a sales manager. Beyoncé's name is a tribute to her mother's maiden name. Beyoncé's younger sister is also a singer and a former member of . Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums. Mathew is , while Tina is of descent (African, Native American, and French). Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of leader .

Beyoncé attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing talent was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing 's to beat 15/16-year-olds. In fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir. She also attended the and later . Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a for two years.

When Beyoncé was eight, she and childhood friend met while in an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed into a group with three other girls as , and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, producer Arne Frager brought them to his studio and placed them in , the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good.

## Career

### 1997–2002: Destiny's Child

Main article:

The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the . In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film, . The following year, the group released their , scoring their first major hit "". The album established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "", the group's first number-one single, "" and "", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the and the at the . *The Writing's on the Wall* sold more than eight million copies worldwide. During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with , an original member of , on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, .

and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by and . Beyoncé experienced following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause. Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time. The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first and she feared no one would take her seriously. Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it. Franklin was dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.

### 2003–2007: *Dangerously in Love* and *B'Day*

Beyoncé performing "", which spent nine consecutive weeks at number one on the chart

Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. *Billboard* Hot 100 chart. Her first solo album was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts. The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the *Billboard* 200, and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide. The album's , "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay Z, became Beyoncé' first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The single "" also reached number one, and singles, and , both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the for Best R&B Song and for "Crazy in Love" and for with .