This is the
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles used
Born in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé’s name is a tribute to her mother’s French
maiden name Beyince.
At the age of 7, Beyoncé’s vocals brought home her first talent show win,
leaving competitors twice her age in the dust.
'Beyoncé Knowles, female pop vocalist.'
'I would like to thank the judges for picking me. My parents, who I love.'
As she continued to rack up top prizes at more than 30 talent shows,
her parents realized her skills needed to be nurtured.
Girls Tyme was comprised of Beyoncé and five of her school friends with
similar singing aspirations. Among them was Kelendria 'Kelly' Rowland,
who moved in with the Knowles family at 11 years old following trouble
in her own household. She stayed for more than a decade, solidifying a
sisterhood with Beyoncé and Solange.
In 1992, Girls Tyme qualified for a slot on Ed McMan’s ‘Star Search.’
'Your challengers are a young group from Houston. Welcome Beyoncé,
LaTavia, Nina, Nikki, Kelly, and Ashley. The hip-hop, rappin' Girls Tyme.'
Their loss to an older group led Beyoncé’s father Matthew Knowles
to quit his job as a Xerox sales representative and manage the group
full time. By 1995, the final lineup for the group was chosen:
It was her mother Tina who suggested the girls adopt the name Destiny’s Child.
After their time under Elektra Records turned out to be a whirlwind flop,
the group was signed by Columbia Records a week after being dropped
and released their debut, self-titled album in 1998.
♪ If you wanna be with me, You gotta keep it real ♪
♪ Tell me what's going on, Tell me how you feel ♪
Destiny’s Child put Beyoncé on everyone’s radar, but she’d have to
Sales for their debut dragged, but their sophomore album
‘The Writing’s on the Wall’ brought with it ‘Bills, Bills, Bills,’ the group’s first
chart-topper. However, there was a growing animosity in the group
that even success couldn’t pacify.
LeToya and LaTavia had their lawyers send a letter to Matthew Knowles
seeking separate management, but they were instead released from the
group and replaced with
a former backup singer for R&B star Monica.
♪ Say my name, say my name If no one is around you ♪
♪ Say 'Baby, I love you' If you ain't runnin' game ♪
Farrah couldn’t keep up with the group’s pace and was let go only five months later.
Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle — the trio that became Destiny’s Child’s most
recognizable form — gained overwhelming fandom with the 2001 album ‘Survivor,’
which delivered timeless anthems such as ‘Independent Women’ from the
‘Charlie’s Angels’ soundtrack
♪ Girl, I didn't know you could get down like that ♪
♪ Charlie, how your angels get down like that? ♪
and ‘Bootylicious.’
♪ I don't think you ready for this jelly I don't think you ready for this jelly ♪
♪ I don't think you ready for this, 'cause my body too bootylicious for ya, babe ♪
Now 22, the young women decided to 'take a break' from Destiny’s Child,
which was the perfect opening for Beyoncé claim
Fans fell ‘Dangerously in Love’ with the H-town singer’s 2003 solo debut,
with hits such as ‘Me, Myself, and I’ and ‘Crazy In Love,’ the now-iconic video for
which featured her then-boyfriend, a rap game heavyweight all the way from BK,
‘Dangerously In Love’ snatched up the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart,
setting a trend for her albums to come.
♪ Let me upgrade you, Audemars Piguet you, switch your neckties to purple labels ♪
♪ Baby, I can see your halo You know you're my saving grace ♪
♪ Who run the world Girls (Girls) ♪
For the ‘Run The World (Girls)’ video, Beyoncé flew three young men from
Mozambique to Los Angeles to not only teach her and her dancers the moves
she had been captivated by YouTube, but also be featured in the video.
There's nothing that can stop them from dancing. And I love to surround myself
with that type of energy. It just – That's the reason why you perform.
Having quickly become a household name, Beyoncé was also invited to sing
at President Barack Obama’s first inauguration ceremony.
♪ The brave ♪
In March of 2011, Beyoncé stepped out from under the management of her father
to put her career in her own hands. Although legal documents at the time
suggested that the split was a result of Matthew Knowles stealing tour money
from his daughter, Beyoncé cited different reasoning in her HBO documentary
‘Life Is But A Dream.’
'I needed boundaries. And I think my, my dad needed boundaries.'
'I needed a break. I needed my dad.'
'And did you get your dad back?'
'No. It was–It was hard.'
Luckily, Beyoncé was able to give her fans something better to talk about later that year.
After her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, she revealed that she and
her now-husband Jay-Z, who she’d privately married in 2008, were expecting
a baby bundle of love.
Now a wife, a mother, and the captain of her own ship, Beyoncé would master a
balance between mystique and vulnerability to
In 2013, her self-titled fifth album marked a shift in her artistry. She filmed a music
video for every song — 17 in total — and released them all at once, creating a
visual album that raised the bar for how music fans consume a body of work.
♪ Don't forget it, don't forget it Respect that, bow down b*tches ♪
That same year, she dazzled the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show with fan
favorites and a Destiny’s Child reunion.
In 2016, Beyoncé was back for Super Bowl L and dominated Coldplay’s
halftime performance with ‘Formation,’
♪ Ok ladies, now let's get in formation Ok ladies, now let's get in formation ♪
♪ Prove to me you got some coordination You just might be a Black Bill Gates in the making ♪
The inescapable anthem of Black pride and perseverance, which would be
featured on her new upcoming project ‘Lemonade.’
The deeply personal visual album aired on HBO in the spring of 2016 and
revealed her perspective on Jay-Z's apparent past affairs.
♪ He better call Becky with the good hair ♪
It chronicled Beyoncé’s journey from
and ultimately
On June 13, 2017, she gave birth to fraternal twins
after only revealing that she was even pregnant four months earlier.
Around the twins 1st birthday the following year, the Carters released a
long-awaited collaborative album ‘Everything is Love.’
♪ Haters in danger (dangerous) Whole lot of gangin' (gang) ♪
♪ 35 chains (chains, chains) I don't give a damn 'bout the fame (nope) ♪
They rented out the Louvre museum in Paris, France, to shoot the video for
‘Apesh*t,’ which has been viewed more than 100 million times.
♪ I can't believe we made it Have you ever seen a crowd going apesh*t? Yah! ♪
The museum even announced a tour in honor of the video’s popularity that would
guide visitors to each of the 19 works featured.
Aside from music, Beyoncé has also made a name for herself as an actress,
a philanthropist, and a business woman.
Her portrayal of Deena in the 2006 musical drama ‘Dreamgirls’ is easily her
most unforgettable big screen role.
♪ If you won't listen ♪
She even stopped recording her own music while filming so she could focus on
embodying the 1960s era songstress.
The BeyGOOD initiative has raised funds to provide relief for victims of Hurricane
Harvey in Houston and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean
islands. In 2016, she also invited attendees of the Formation Tour to donate to the
ongoing Flint Water crisis when they purchased tickets, raising
more than $80,000 for the cause.
Additionally, Beyoncé is the founder of her own music production company,
Parkwood Entertainment, and the activewear brand IVY Park.
As a symbol of the respect and notoriety she’s gained over two decades of hustle,
Vogue gave Beyoncé full creative control over her September 2018 cover.
She used that power to select Tyler Mitchell,
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s devotion to her craft and her awe inspiring performances
have aligned her with timeless, iconic creators such as
Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Prince.
It’s hard to name another modern-day artist who parallels how deeply she’s
permeated pop culture.
Beyoncé? Beyoncé?! Beyoncé?!
Everybody loves Queen Bey, and if you don’t, the BeyHive will find you.
♪ I was here ♪