Facts about Beyonce Knowles

Facts about Early Life
Beyonce was born on the 4th September 1981 to an African-American father Mathew Knowles, a successful record manager and Tina Beyonce, a costume designer and a hairstylist. The talent for music was discovered in Beyonce Knowles when she was just eight years old. A Texan by birth, Beyonce teamed up with Kelly Rowland and some other friends to form a band called the Girl's Tyme in 1990, in Houston, that was renamed to Destiny's Child in 1993. However, her real brush with fame was in 1998 when the group's first self titled album Destiny's Child was released. This album had phenomenal success and although Destiny's Child split in 2005, the band is still one of the most popular 'all-girl bands'.

The album Destiny's Child gave Beyonce's voice, instant recognition. In 1999, the group released their breakthrough album The Writing's on the Wall. It featured their signature song Say My Name that won the 2001 Grammy Award for the best R&B song. Within ten years of its formation, the group had already given smash hits like Jumpin Jumpin, No, No, No, Survivor and Bootylicious that won the group a slew of awards.

Even while she was a part of the group Destiny's Child, Beyonce was carving a separate entity for herself. She sang her first solo Work It Out which was the soundtrack of her movie Austin Powers in Goldmember. She also recorded the soundtrack for her other movie The Fighting Temptations with rappers like Missy Elliot, Free and McLyte.

In 2001, the members of the group took a break to pursue their solo career. In 2003, Beyonce released her first solo album Dangerously in Love that won the 2004 Grammy Awards for the Best Contemporary R&B Album. She also sang Dangerously in Love 2 from the same album at the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony that won her the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Award. Beyonce released her second solo album B'Day on 4th September 2006, her 25th birthday. Her most recent solo album is I am Sasha Fierce that was released in 2008. The first track of the album If I Were A Boy went on to top the UK singles chart.

Facts about Her Acting Career
Despite having a successful career as an R&B singer, Beyonce did not restrict herself to music. In 2001, she forayed into the acting world as Carmen Hooper in the MTV musical drama Carmen: A Hip Hopera. She got to play Foxxy Cleopatra in "Austin Powers in Goldmember" in 2002 with Mike Myers in the male lead. This role opened the gates of Hollywood for Beyonce and she made a smooth transition from stage to the world of cinema. In 2003, she signed the romantic comedy,The Fighting Temptations with Cuba Gooding Junior as the male lead. She also has the credit of having acted with actors like Steve Martin in The Pink Panther in 2006. Her performance in Dreamgirls also starring Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson got her a Golden Globe Nomination in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.

Other Ventures
Beyonce turned entrpreneur when she and her mother launched House of Dereon, a ready to wear women's fashion line. Her glamorous image ensured that Beyonce became a highly sought for face in the business of endorsements. She is featured in the ad campaigns for brands like L’Oreal, Pepsi and Tommy Hilfiger along with singers like Britney Spears and Pink.

Other Facts about Beyonce Knowles

• Beyonce got her first name from her mother's name in order to prevent the name from getting lost as mostly the women of the Beyonce family carried the name.
• Bee, Moth and Juju are the pet names that Beyonce's friends have given her.
• Beyonce adopts the personality of Sasha Fierce, her alter ego, while performing on the stage.
• Stevie Wonder and N'Sync are amongst her favourite musicians.
• Tom Hanks is her favourite actor.

Beyonce being a gifted musician, a song writer, a producer and an actor who has already seen the dizzying heights of success and has plummeted to the severest depths of depression, has risen every time against all odds. She lives up to the title of her smashing hit Survivor from the album Destiny's Child and definitely is a legend in the making!