Born on September 4, 1981, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, songwriter, and businesswoman. She is referred to as "Queen Bey" and is known for her performances, voice, and boundary-pushing talent. Rolling Stone named her one of the greatest vocalists of all time, and her concert performances and contributions to music and visual media have made her a major 21st-century cultural icon.
When Beyoncé was younger, she began participating in several singing and dance competitions. As a part of one of the all-time best-selling girl groups, Destiny's Child, an R&B group, she became well-known in the late 1990s. Dangerously in Love, her debut album, was released during their break. The financially successful solo albums B'Day, I Am... Sasha Fierce, and 4 were subsequently released by her. Following the establishment of her own management business, Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé gained recognition for the release of the musically experimental visual albums Lemonade and Beyoncé, which delves into many societal subjects including womanism, feminism, and relationships. She became the first solo artist to have their first seven studio albums debut at number one after the release of the queer-inspired dance album Renaissance.
Beyoncé is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, having sold over 200 million records worldwide. Having won more awards than any other artist in the music industry, she has been recognised with 32 Grammys, 26 MTV Video Music Awards, 24 NAACP Image Awards, 35 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards. She was named the Top Female Artist of the Decade by Billboard and the Top Certified Artist of the Decade by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for her achievements in the 2000s. The highest-earning black musician of all time, according to Billboard, was her in 2014. Pollstar ranks her as the best touring artist of the 2010s and the most successful black touring act in history.
Career And Life
Beyoncé's parents, Lumas Beyince and Agnez Dereon, were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles with origins in New Iberia. Agnez Dereon was the daughter of Odilia Broussard and Eugene DeRouen. Because of her grandparents, Beyoncé is regarded as a Creole. Beyoncé is descended from a number of French aristocracy from the southwest of France through her mother, notably the Viscounts de Belzunce and Béarn families, who had been in the area since the ninth century. She is descended from Joseph Broussard, an Acadian militia officer banished to French Louisiana following the Acadians' expulsion.
The group continued to play as opening acts for other well-known R&B girl groups when Mathew reduced the initial lineup to four members. The girls went to many record labels for auditions before being signed to Elektra Records. They then briefly relocated to Atlanta Records to begin making their debut album, but the label decided not to release it. As a result, Beyoncé's parents split up, severely straining the family. Grass Roots Entertainment, owned by Dwayne Wiggins, signed the group on October 5, 1995. With the help of Columbia talent scout Teresa LaBarbera Whites, the sisters signed a contract with Columbia Records in 1996 and started work on their debut album under a Sony Music agreement. Shortly after, the Knowles family got back together.
Influences
Michael Jackson is cited by Beyoncé as her main musical inspiration. When Beyoncé saw Michael Jackson perform at her first concert when she was five years old, she says she understood her destiny. Beyoncé declared, "I would never have performed if it weren't for Michael Jackson," during her 2006 World Music Awards homage to him. Tina Turner had a big effect on Beyoncé, who stated, "I admire Tina Turner because she made her strength feminine and sexy."
Beyoncé has declared that Oprah Winfrey is "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman" and that Michelle Obama is "she proves you can do it all," citing Obama as her personal influence. She has also said about how Jay-Z's lyrical creativity and the challenges he has faced in life serve as constant sources of inspiration for her. Beyoncé wrote in a letter that she admires Jean-Michel Basquiat's artistic vision, saying, "What I find in his work, I search for in every day in music... he is lyrical and raw." Cher was another fashion inspiration mentioned by Beyoncé.
Personal life
A collaboration between Beyoncé and Jay-Z, "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" was released on the latter's eighth album, The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). The song's music video featured Beyoncé as Jay-Z's girlfriend, which stoked rumours about their romance. Beyoncé and Jay-Z wed in secret on April 4, 2008, away from the public eye. Together, the pair have sold 300 million albums as of April 2014. They have a reputation for having secret relationships, but since 2013, they seem to be becoming more laid back. Both have said that following Jay-Z's infidelity, they experienced marital difficulties.
She announced her pregnancy for twins on her Instagram account on February 1, 2017. In only eight hours, her announcement received over 6.3 million likes, shattering the previous record for the most liked image on the platform. The first picture of Beyoncé with the twins was posted to her Instagram account on July 13, 2017, which confirmed that they were born one month earlier on June 13, 2017. The post quickly gained popularity and was followed by her own announcement of her pregnancy. At the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre in California, a daughter called Rumi and a son named Sir were born. She discussed her pregnancy and its consequences in an article for Vogue published in September 2018.
Net Worth
Before Madonna and Celine Dion, Beyoncé was the highest paid music celebrity in the world in 2008, according to Forbes magazine, which started covering her earnings in 2008. The magazine calculated that Beyoncé earned $80 million between June 2007 and June 2008 from her songs, tour, films, and clothing business. She was ranked ninth on the "Most Powerful Women in the World" list in 2010 and fourth on the Celebrity 100 list in 2009. Having made $35 million in the previous year through her clothing business and sponsorship deals, she was ranked ninth on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list by the magazine the following year. Beyoncé made $40 million in 2012, however her position on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list was number 16, twelve spots down from three years prior.
The couple paid $200 million for the purchase of 27712 Pacific Coast Highway, a Tadao Ando-designed home in Malibu, California, in 2023. It set a record for the highest-priced house sold in California.