Facts about Beyonce Knowles

"I wanted to sell a million records, and I sold a million records. I wanted to go platinum; I went platinum. I've been working nonstop since I was 15. I don't even know how to chill out."
―Beyoncé

Beyonce, as she is fondly known as, is popular for her thrilling vocals and electrifying stage shows, easily making her one of the most recognizable music icons of today. Knowles topped the list of 'Forbes Richest Celebrity Under 30' in 2008. She was the highest paid musician in 2016 with an estimate of $62.1 million, announced Billboard.

Born in Texas, on September 4, 1981, to Mathew Knowles and Tina Beyince, Beyonce's inclination towards music and dance was discovered at a very young age. She is fondly called Bee, Moth, and Juju by her friends. Her father is a professional record manager and mother, a costume designer and hairstylist.

She has a younger sibling, Solange Knowles who is also a singer and a songwriter. Beyonce's parents have been a great support system throughout, especially in her early days. From a richly paying salary, Beyonce's father, Mathew Knowles, resigned, to fully concentrate on his daughter's career.

She married American rapper, Jay-Z on April 4, 2008. In 2011, Beyonce announced that she and Jay-Z were expecting their first child, and on January 7, 2012 she gave birth to a baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter, in New York. In 2017, she gave birth to twins, Sir and Rumi Carter, in California.

A sneak peek into Beyonce's career graph explains, how taking up music lessons from childhood has played a pivotal role in her musical career.

Girl's Tyme
Beyonce's unbeatable love for music has been of immense help in forming the band, 'Girl's Tyme'. The band consisted of six members.

• Beyonce, along with her childhood friend, Kelly Rowland and two other classmates, formed 'Girl's Tyme'.
• The group made their debut in a talent show on television, but tasted failure.

• However, the group gave several performances at local events, which was just the beginning of their rising popularity.
• The group rose to fame in the late 1990s, when it signed a deal with Columbia Records and renamed itself as Destiny's Child.

Destiny's Child
Renamed as Destiny's Child, it composed of four members, Beyonce's distinct voice was recognized right from her first album as it was the onset of her career. Her fame traces back to her debut which is why the band is an integral part of her career.

• An album bearing the band name i.e., Destiny's Child (1998) became an outstanding success.

• The all-female group went on to become one of the world's best-selling groups of all time. The album churned out the first major hit,'No, No, No'.
• Later in the year 1999, the second album, The Writing's on the Wallgave the song 'Say My Name', which became a huge rage and went on to win a Grammy Award in the category of The Best R&&B song.

• The 3rd album Survivor (2001) earned the group a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Group with Vocals for the title track.
• In 2001, they released a Christmas album, 8 Days of Christmas, that had Christmas songs.

• Cracks within the group widened as each one wanted to pursue solo careers.
• Following a worldwide concert, Destiny's Child dissolved in the year 2005.

Solo Performances

• In 2003, she made her debut solo album Dangerously in Love, which gave super-hits like Crazy in Love and Baby Boy and became one of the most celebrated albums that year and won 5 Grammys in 2004.
• She released her 2nd solo album B'Day (2006) on her 25th birthday, featuring the song 'Irreplaceable', it topped the charts in numerous countries.

• Her first worldwide concert was in 2007, wherein she gave ninety-seven stage performances.
• The same year, she re-released her album B'Day, which had five additional songs, one being 'Beautiful Liar', a duet with singer Shakira. The song was a huge rage and was the number one chartbuster in several countries.

• She released her third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce in 2008. The album was a mind-boggling success which had tracks like 'If I Were a Boy', 'Single Ladies' and 'Halo'.
• She received ten nominations in the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010, and went to secure six awards in one night, a record currently tied with English singer and song-writer, Adele.

• Her fourth album 4, came out in 2011 and gave her the distinction of having her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US.
• The album was a mixed bag of successful and unsuccessful songs, but the song 'Love on Top' was a big success.
• The album earned her two Grammy nominations at the 54th Grammy Awards, without winning any.

• In December 2013, she released her 5^th album Beyoncé without prior promotion, selling 1 million digital copies worldwide within 6 days.
• On April 23, 2016, Lemonade, her 6^th album was released which debuted #1 on US Billboard 200, becoming her most universally acclaimed work till date.
• She won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 59^th Grammys for the same.

• She released 'Formation' on February 6, 2016, which won the Best Music Video at the 59^th Grammy Awards in February 2017.

Her range, depth, power and versatility is admired globally. She has a whopping 22 Grammys in her kitty, making her second in the list of most Grammys won by a female artist. Stevie Wonder is among her favorite musicians.

• In 2001, she explored another field by bagging a role in the movie, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, featuring American actor Mekhi Phifer.
• She then appeared as the protagonist in the comic film Austin Powers In Goldmember opposite Mike Myers and released the track 'Work It Out' for the film, in 2002.

• In 2006, she starred in the musical film, Dreamgirls alongside Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, and Jamie Foxx. Her performance earned her several nominations, one being, Best Actress at Golden Globe Awards.
• She also starred in the comedy film, The Pink Panther opposite Steve Martin.

• In 2008, she featured in a biopic film Cadillac Records based on singer Etta James, and received critical acclaim.
• She starred in Obsessed, a thriller, alongside American actress Ali Larter, in 2009.
• In 2013, she would be seen voicing for a character in the 3D animated movie, Epic.

• On April 16, 2016, she released a teaser of her album Lemonade which was an hour long film. It aired on HBO a week later.
• She will be voicing Nala, the lead role, in Disney's remake of The Lion King (a 2019 film).

An ardent fan of Tom Hanks, Knowles acting skills have been praised by critics and audiences alike.

• Knowles is a very prominent figure in the commercial segment too.
• She has been a part of a wide range of products from soft drinks, perfumes to beauty care products.
• Pepsi, L'Oréal, Tommy Hilfiger, Emporio Armani are some of the products she has endorsed along with the likes of Britney Spears, David Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, and Enrique Iglesias.

• She and her mother launched House of Dereon, a ready-to-wear clothing line, in the name of her maternal grandmother Agnèz Deréon.
• The clothing line is tag lined 'Couture.Kick.Soul', representing the three generations of women in the family.
• Her mother being a costume designer, designed clothes for the group.

• Along with her band mate, Kelly Rowland, she founded the Survivor Foundation, the charitable institution which aims to provide transitional housing to end homelessness and has been of incredible help to the hurricane victims.
• At times, she has donated her absolute fee, earned from certain movies to rehabilitation centers.

• She has aided Earthquake Relief Fund and supported campaigns against child obesity.
• Done numerous shows to raise funds for the New York Police, Widows, to name a few.
• She supports 34 charities: Keep A Child Alive, American Foundation for AIDS Research, Women's Fund for Scotland being a few.

It is said that had she not been performing, she would have been a therapist, as she loves to help others. This is very evident from the fact that once, during a concert some fans were hurt and she made it a point to rush to the hospital to make sure her fans were in good health.

It truly explains, that this exceptionally grounded person, owns a heart of gold. Having given birth to a beautiful baby girl in 2012, Beyonce took a mini break. However, of late she did team up with some celebrities for a social cause.

One is undoubtedly tempted to ponder upon the fact, as to whether there exists anything on Earth, that Beyonce cannot do. One can easily put it this way, that, even the sky is no limit to her.

A brilliant singer, an awesome songwriter, a graceful dancer, a natural actress, an intelligent entrepreneur, a loving daughter, a hands-on mother; all these, interchangeable to one name - BEYONCE KNOWLES!