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Beyoncé

, Singer / Actor

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Born: 4 September 1981
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
Best Known As: Singer of "Crazy in Love" and "Irreplaceable"

Name at birth: Beyoncé Knowles

Beyoncé's 2003 solo debut album, Dangerously in Love, won her five Grammy Awards, including best contemporary R&B album and best female R&B performance. Only 21 when the album was released, Beyoncé already was a pop music veteran: she had spent years with the all-female R&B group Destiny's Child, which won its own Grammys with hits like "No No No" and "Say My Name." Destiny's Child was formed and managed by Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, and Beyoncé gradually became first among equals in the manner of Diana Ross and the Supremes. (She was named ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year in 2001, the first African-American woman ever to win that award). Destiny's Child went on hiatus in 2002 and Beyoncé went solo, appearing as sexy secret agent Foxxy Cleopatra in the Austin Powers sequel Goldmember and adding a hit single, "Work It Out," to the movie's soundtrack. In 2003 she had another hit with the single "Crazy in Love" (featuring rapper Jay-Z). Knowles also continued her screen career in 2003, co-starring with Cuba Gooding, Jr. in The Fighting Temptations. Destiny's Child reunited in 2004 to record the album Destiny Fulfilled, but then formally split up amid much fanfare at the end of 2005. In 2006 Beyoncé released another single with rapper Jay-Z, "Déjà Vu," from her solo album B'Day and had a number one hit with "Irreplaceable." That same year she appeared as Deena in the musical drama Dreamgirls (co-starring Eddie Murphy). She and Jay-Z were married on 4 April 2008, according to reports from People magazine.

Originally billed as Beyoncé Knowles, she now prefers to be known by the single name Beyoncé, in the manner of Prince and Sting... She and Stevie Wonder won a Grammy award in 2006 their duet "So Amazing."

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Library

Artist: Beyoncé

Born:
Sep 04, 1981 in Houston, Texas

Representative Songs:

"Deja Vu," "Crazy in Love," "Irreplaceable"

Representative Albums:

Dangerously in Love, B'day

Is Also Known As:

Sasha

Influences:

Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Rachelle Ferrell, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston

Followers:

Gia Farrell, Cherish, Paris Bennett, Megan Rochell, Rihanna, Natalie

A Member of the Group:

Destiny's Child

Relationship with:

Solange

Birth Name: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
Genre: Rhythm & Blues
Active: '90s, 2000s
Instrument: Vocals

Biography

Born in Houston in the fall of 1981, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles started performing at age seven. From dance classes to singing in the church choir, Beyoncé was a natural. She and cousin Kelly Rowland met Latavia Roberson during this time, and the trio formed a group with Letoya Luckett. Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father and Rowland's legal guardian, signed on to be the girls' manager. This situation would ultimately lead to the formation of one of the most popular female R&B groups of all time -- Destiny's Child.

Destiny's Child made its debut 1990 and within ten years, the vocal act had experienced personal and political highs and lows that fueled the group's desire to make it big. Destiny's Child sold 33 million albums worldwide by 2002 and earned a slew of Grammys and additional music awards. "Jumpin' Jumpin'," "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Say My Name," and "Survivor" were smash hits, and the group appeared unstoppable.

In 2001, Beyoncé, Rowland, and Michelle Williams allowed themselves a break from the singing group and tried their hands at individual solo careers. Before landing several movie roles, Beyoncé became the first African-American female artist and second woman ever to win the annual ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year Award. An appearance in the MTV drama Carmen: A Hip Hopera quickly followed, but it was her role as Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember in 2002 that eventually moved Beyoncé from the stage to the screen.

Her first single, "Work It Out," coincided with the release of the Mike Myers comedy and cemented her celebrity status. A guest spot on Jay-Z's "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" was equally popular when it appeared in October. In 2003, she rejoined Jay-Z for her proper debut single, the funkadelic "Crazy in Love," as the press and fans christened her a bona fide star. Beyoncé's debut album, Dangerously in Love, which appeared in June 2003, featured collaborations with Sean Paul, Missy Elliott, and OutKast's Big Boi. The multi-platinum album spawned a total of four Top Ten singles. Nearly two years after another Destiny's Child album (Destiny Fulfilled), Beyoncé released her second album, B'day. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

Discography: Beyoncé

B'day [Deluxe Edition] Buy this CD	B'day [Bonus Tracks/Bonus DVD] Buy this CD	B'day [Bonus Track] Buy this CD	B'day Buy this CD	B'day [Circuit City Exclusive] Buy this CD
Dangerously in Love Buy this CD	Dangerously in Love [Import Bonus Tracks] Buy this CD	Crazy in Love [Australia CD] Buy this CD	Dangerously in Love [Japan Bonus Tracks] Buy this CD	Dangerously in Love [Australia] Buy this CD

Black Biography: Beyonce Knowles

singer; actor

Personal Information

Born Beyoncé Giselle Knowles on September 4, 1981, in Houston, TX,; daughter of Mathew and Tina Knowles.

Career

Singer, 1990-; actress, 2001-; formed Destiny's Child in Houston, TX, c. 1990; signed with Columbia Records, 1996-.

Life's Work

Pop singer Beyoncé Knowles made her name as part of the superstar R & B-pop trio Destiny's Child, but has emerged as a singular talent. A veteran performer before her pre-teens, Knowles was rehearsing while her schoolmates were goofing around. The payoff came with a string of Grammy and Billboard awards, number-one singles, and platinum-selling records for the group, including "No, No, No," The Writing's on the Wall, "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Bugaboo," "Jumpin' Jumpin'," "Say My Name," and Survivor. After selling more than 28 million records worldwide, Knowles maintains her place in the group but has stepped out on her own, starring in the blockbuster comedy Austin Powers in Goldmember and working on a solo album, Dangerously in Love.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, on September 4, 1981, to Mathew and Tina Knowles. A quiet girl, Knowles shocked her parents when she took the stage at a school talent show and belted out a version of John Lennon's "Imagine." "I wanted to be a performer," Knowles told the Chicago Tribune. "I was a shy girl until I was performing." She cites her influences as Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Sheila E. She had collected a roomful of talent competition trophies before it dawned on her parents that their little girl could really have what it takes to become successful in music. The Knowles's were very different from the stereotypical overbearing stage parents--they only encouraged their daughter to have fun. They began taking her performances more seriously, however, and working with her on her dance and singing performances, her mother designing costumes. Before Mathew Knowles became manager of Destiny's Child, he was a successful salesman. Tina Knowles worked in a bank for years before opening her own hair salon--which became the biggest salon in Houston--before becoming the group's stylist and clothing designer.

Driven to Pop Stardom

Knowles's work ethic was strong, even as a girl--she dedicated herself to a regimen of dance and vocal classes. Her parents never made her practice or attend class, but they were always clear with her about the payoffs for hard work. "I thought of rehearsing as fun," Knowles wrote in Soul Survivors. "It was my time to create dance routines and vocal arrangements. It seemed like playtime."

Things got more serious in 1990, when Knowles went up against 50 other girls to audition for a new female singing group called Girl's Tyme. With an ever-changing lineup--about 100 girls were in and out of the group--Knowles performed at banquets and other Houston events. Kelly Rowland joined Girl's Tyme around 1991, and she and Beyoncé became friends. Rowland and her mother--a nanny and single parent--struggled financially and moved often, until the Knowleses took Kelly in, giving her a stable home. After Kelly moved in, she and Knowles were like sisters. Girl's Tyme got more serious when the group appeared on the TV talent show Star Search in 1992.

The six members of Girl's Tyme rehearsed for months before appearing on Star Search. They were all about 12 years old at the time, and thought the show was going to be their big break. They were crushed when they lost, but maintained frozen smiles in front of the cameras, and all cried uncontrollably once they got backstage. "We almost went crazy from crying," Knowles wrote in Soul Survivors. "A lot was riding on that performance." It was at that point that Mathew Knowles decided to become the girls' manager, "because he couldn't stand to hear me bawling anymore," Knowles wrote. After the loss, the girls decided to call it quits--they were done with show business. Mathew Knowles convinced them to reconsider their hasty decision.

After the demise of Girl's Tyme, the group reorganized several times, with different lineups and new names, including Somethin' Fresh, Borderline, Cliché, the Dolls, and Destiny. At this point a quartet, they were asked to record "Killing Time" for the Men in Black movie soundtrack in 1997, and were forced to stick with the name Destiny's Child. The lineup consisted of Knowles, Rowland, LaToya Luckett, and LaTavia Roberson. The girls were tight-lipped about the group--it was some time before even Knowles' childhood sweetheart knew she was a performer. They felt that their music was very personal, and that it was nobody's business but their own.

Redoubled Their Efforts

Mathew Knowles eventually quit his job to manage the group, and invested the family's money in helping his daughter succeed. The stresses of Mathew being a husband, father, and manager took their toll on the family, and Knowles's parents separated briefly when she was 14. Her mother moved with her, her little sister Solange, and Rowland into a small apartment. Her parents eventually reunited, and remain married. "The stability and support my parents provided when we were growing up at home has a lot to do with why Kelly and I are still around today," Knowles wrote in Soul Survivors.

It took six years for Destiny's Child to secure a recording contract, and it was a tough road. One of the most difficult things for Knowles, then still just a girl, was the strict diet regimen she and LaTavia had to follow. While Rowland and Roberson were wiry and could eat as they pleased, Knowles and Luckett were forced to eat nonfat foods and to abstain from fattening junk food. "It's a shame that a kid would have to worry about her weight," Knowles wrote in Soul Survivors, "but I was trying to get a record deal and that was a reality."

Mathew Knowles worked hard to raise record company interest in his girls. They traveled to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland, California, regularly to perform in talent showcases, and lived in San Francisco for a couple of months to record their demo tape. Finally, when Knowles was about 14, Destiny's Child signed with Silent Partner Productions, an Elektra imprint. The four girls moved to Atlanta, where Silent Partner was based. They continued their academic studies with a tutor in the mornings, and spent the rest of the day in the recording studio. The deal with Elektra was short-lived--just a "little taste of a career," Knowles wrote in Soul Survivors. The group was dropped, but rallied and redoubled their efforts to get signed. A contract with Columbia Records followed in 1996, soon after the Elektra debacle.

Debut Album Worth the Wait

Destiny's Child's first album of the same name, took two years to finish, with hot hip-hop producer Wyclef Jean at the helm. It was during this time that Columbia hired a team of stylists to spruce up the girls' looks--to a disastrous and trendy result. Tina Knowles stepped in and became their official stylist and costume designer at this point. Not only did the girls know and trust Tina Knowles, but she also knew their personalities better, and was able to design stylish clothes that both flattered them and reflected their personal style.

The first single from Destiny's Child, "No, No, No," sold more than three million copies and pushed the album to gold certification for record sales. The album's great flaw, however, was that it did not present a singular style for the group; listeners were confused about whether the group was straight R&B or hip-hop. Knowles stopped attending high school a few months into her ninth-grade year to record, rehearse, and tour. She continued her education with tutors until finishing her high school requirements in 2000.

The group's follow-up album, The Writing's on the Wall, released in 1999, made the serious impact that their debut had not. It featured a string of number one hits, including "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Bugaboo," and "Jumpin' Jumpin'," which was Knowles's first serious attempt at writing and producing. Fueled by the hit single "Say My Name," the album went on to sell more than ten million copies.

1999 was a very tumultuous year for Knowles. Both Luckett and Roberson left Destiny's Child, leaving a swirl of rumors and litigation in their wake. The media pitted them against Rowland and Knowles, and turned it into a no-holds-barred drama. Knowles remains mum on the subject other than to say that egos, emotions, competition, and money were the roots of their problems. "Once Destiny's Child started to get successful, that's when we found out who our friends really were," Knowles wrote in Soul Survivors. "Our whole world changed, and that makes friendship way more complicated. Sometimes I still get mad about it, and sometimes it hurts, but it's now to the point where it's ridiculous," she told Ebony. "All I want to do is go into the studio, write my music, do my movies and perform. I'm not trying to hurt anybody, or offend anybody."

Controversy Drew Attention, Boosted Sales

If there was an up side to the split, it was media attention. The media had overlooked Destiny's Child before, but with scandal and drama attached, they became a hot commodity. "Destiny's Child was always very talented," Knowles told Newsweek, "but I think the thing we were lacking was controversy. I think in order for your group to be successful your story has to be interesting. Our story was very squeaky clean, so I thank God for the controversy. I'm happy because it helps me sell records." They appeared on numerous magazine covers and record sales soared. Because they were in the public eye, however, they needed to replace Luckett and Roberson swiftly, before the split upset their growing popularity. Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin rounded out the quartet in early 2000, and Destiny's Child was back on track. Franklin left the group five months later during a publicity tour. Destiny's Child hit the stage as a threesome at an Australian concert soon after, and never looked back. They have toured with such hit acts as Christina Aguilera and TLC.

After the media blitz about yet another Destiny's Child lineup change died down, Knowles set to work on Survivor, the group's third album, which she both produced and co-wrote. Knowles penned the album's title track after a wise-cracking morning DJ quipped harshly that being a member of Destiny's Child was like being on the reality-TV show Survivor. She wrote "Happy Face" about the face she has to put on when she gets down. "There are so many people out there who want to be in my shoes," she wrote in Soul Survivors. "Of course, they don't realize my shoes are uncomfortable and they give me blisters--but I can't complain. People think I live in an MTV Barbie World, but I don't. I am by no means a living doll."

Knowles wrote the song "Independent Women Part I" even before the director of the film Charlie's Angels asked the girls to contribute to the movie's soundtrack. The song salutes hard-working women who provide for themselves rather than depending on handouts from others. It broke records worldwide and was one of the biggest-selling singles in history. Knowles was nominated for a Grammy award in 2000 for writing the song. "It seems that the songs I write because of extreme anger, happiness, or sadness become the biggest hits," Knowles wrote in Soul Survivors. "I guess that's because a lot of other people can relate to them. For me the studio is where I got to get stuff off my chest.... It's my therapy." Out of five Grammy award nominations in 2000, Destiny's Child took home two--one for best R&B song for "Say My Name," and one for best R&B performance by a duo or group.

Hit Big Screen as Foxxy Cleopatra

2001 was a banner year for Knowles. Destiny's Child won two Grammy awards and five Billboard awards, taking home the award for artist of the year for the second year in a row. The day after the Billboard awards show, however, the press was reporting the group was through. The media pounced on a remark Knowles made about needing a break from four non-stop years of touring, recording, and promoting Destiny's Child, and twisted it into headlines that the group was breaking up. Destiny's Child did not break up, but the girls did take a break. Williams and Rowland each released a solo album and Knowles began developing an acting career and working on her own solo album, released in 2003.

Knowles made her acting debut as Carmen in the MTV production of Carmen: The Hip-Hopera to favorable reviews in 2001. Her major Hollywood break came with Austin Powers in Goldmember, starring comedian Mike Myers. In it, Knowles played Meyers' sexy sidekick, secret agent Foxxy Cleopatra, who was an amalgamation of the black action film heroines of the 1970s. She also performed the film's theme song, "Hey Goldmember." According to the film's producer, John Lyons, Knowles "can do anything and have this amazing career in both music and film," he told Jet. "If she wants it."

Awards

Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist award, Lady of Soul Awards, 1998; Favorite Group: Urban/Hip-Hop award, Artist Direct Awards, 2000; Artist of the Year, Artist of the Year: Duo or Group, Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year, and Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year: Duo or Group awards, Billboard Music Awards, 2000; Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Group or Duo with Vocal for "Say My Name."

Works

Selected works

Albums
Destiny's Child, Columbia, 1998.
The Writing's on the Wall, Columbia, 1999.
Survivor, Columbia, 2001.
8 Days of Christmas, Columbia, 2001.
(solo release) Dangerously In Love, Columbia, 2003.
(contributor)Men in Black, 1997.
(contributor)Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, 1999.
(contributor)Life, 1999.
(contributor)Romeo Must Die, 2000.
(contributor)Charlie's Angels, 2000.
Films
Carmen: The Hip-Hopera, 2001.
Austin Powers in Goldmember, 2002.
The Fighting Temptations, 2003.

Beyoncé
Beyoncé performing "Listen" during her The Beyoncé Experience tour in Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Background information
Birth name	Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
Born	September 4 1981 (1981--) (age 26) Houston, Texas, United States
Genre(s)	R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, actress, dancer, fashion designer
Years active	1990–present
Label(s)	Columbia, Sony Urban Music
Associated acts	Destiny's Child, Jay-Z
Influences	The Chi-Lites, En Vogue, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Karen Clark Sheard, Vanessa Williams, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Prince, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, TLC, Tina Turner, Mary J. Blige
Website	www.beyonceonline.com

Early life

Knowles is the elder of two daughters born to Mathew and Tina Knowles in Houston, Texas. Her parents decided on her first name as a tribute to her mother's maiden name.^[5] Her maternal grandparents, Lumis Beyincé and Agnéz Deréon (a seamstress), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles.^[5] She is the older sister of Solange Knowles, cousin to Angela Beyincé (her personal assistant and song co-writer), and aunt to Solange's son Daniel Julez Smith, Jr. By age seven, she was attending dance school and was a soloist in her church's choir. Her dance instructor took an interest in Knowles and took her star student to various competitions. Knowles went on to win over thirty local singing and dancing competitions.

As a teenager, Knowles attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, where she showed her musical talents. She later went to Alief Elsik High School, in the Alief neighborhood of Houston.

Destiny's Child

Main article: Destiny's Child

Knowles and her childhood best friends LaTavia Roberson and Kelly Rowland along with LeToya Luckett formed a quartet that would perform in their backyards and at Tina Knowles' hair salon. After singing at local events, they got their break when they entered Star Search.^[6] The group, then named "Girl's Tyme",^[7] were disappointed after losing the competition. Mathew Knowles, Knowles' father and Rowland's legal guardian, decided to help the girls reach their dreams of becoming singers. He quit his six-figure salary job as a multi-million dollar equipment salesman at Xerox to manage the group.^[8] This decision by Mathew eventually affected the whole family. Their income had been cut in half, causing the family to move into two different apartments. When the group was signed to Columbia Records in 1996, it gave the entire family a second chance at making things work.

The group underwent several name changes—Girl's Tyme, The Dolls, Something Fresh, and Cliché—before sticking with Destiny's Child, based on a passage from the Book of Isaiah in the Bible. After making their recording debut with "Killing Time" for the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black, the group rose to fame in 1998 with the Billboard Hot 100 top five, R&B number-one single "No, No, No Part 2". Even after much-publicized turmoil involving the departure of LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, Destiny's Child (eventually a trio) became one of the most successful R&B/pop acts of the early 2000s, charting four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, several top ten hits, and two number-one albums.

Their platinum-selling debut album, Destiny's Child, released in 1998, was produced by Wyclef Jean and Jermaine Dupri and featured the double platinum number-one single "No, No, No Part 2". The group's second album, The Writing's on the Wall, released in 1999, featured the number-one hits "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name", besides the popular singles "Bug a Boo" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'". It went on to sell eight million in the U.S. and twelve million copies worldwide. Furthermore, "Say My Name" won two awards at the 2001 Grammy Awards: "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" and "Best R&B Song".

Their following album, Survivor, proved to be another big success, going to number one on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, as well as the Canadian and the UK Albums Charts. Two singles from the album went to the top of the Hot 100: "Independent Women Part I" and "Bootylicious", while "Survivor", the album's title track, reached number two and "Nasty Girl", the final single, missed the chart. In the United Kingdom, the first two tracks released reached number one consecutively. "Independent Women Part I" had been the theme song for the 2000 film Charlie's Angels, before the album's release. The title track, "Survivor", earned the group their third Grammy Award, "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals". The album has sold over ten million copies worldwide.

In 2001, Knowles won the "Songwriter of the Year" award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Pop Music Awards, becoming the first African-American female and second overall female songwriter of all time to accomplish this.

After the three-year journey that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Knowles rejoined Rowland and Williams for Destiny's Child's fourth (and so far final) studio album, Destiny Fulfilled, released in November 2004. The album hit number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned the hits "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "Girl", and "Cater 2 U". It has sold seven million copies worldwide.

In 2005, Destiny's Child embarked on a world tour sponsored by McDonald's titled Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It, visiting over seventy cities throughout Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America from April to September. On June 13, 2005, it was announced that the group would disband after their world tour ended in September 2005. In October 2005, the group released their final album, entitled #1's, including all of Destiny's Child's number-one hits and most of their well-known songs. The greatest hits collection also includes three new tracks, including "Stand up for Love". The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and number seven on the UK Albums Chart. #1's went on to sell three million copies worldwide.

Solo career

During the autumn of 2002, Knowles was the featured vocalist on rapper Jay-Z's hit single, "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". In the spring of 2003, Knowles remade a duet with Luther Vandross, "The Closer I Get to You", originally made famous by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. In this version, the vocal parts are switched, with Vandross taking Flack's part and Knowles taking Hathaway's. The song was included on both her solo debut album and on Vandross' Dance with My Father album, and the two shared the Grammy Award for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" that same year. She has collaborated with Jay-Z on his eight studio album, Kingdom Come, providing the vocals and the hook for the track entitled "Hollywood".

Dangerously in Love (2003)

Main article: Dangerously in Love

In 2003, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number one selling 317,000 copies in its first week. It was certified platinum just three weeks later on June 22 2003. Its first single, the funky "Crazy in Love", was a track constructed around a propulsive riff sampled from The Chi-Lites' 1970 "Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)" and featured a guest rap from Jay-Z. It rapidly became one of the biggest hits of that summer, staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks. Dangerously in Love went to the top of the album charts in the UK, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Greece, and the Philippines, and peaked on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and the R&B chart. The album has sold over four million copies in the U.S. and over twelve million copies worldwide.^[9] When her single and album simultaneously topped the main charts in both the U.S. and the UK, she became the first act to achieve this feat since Men at Work in 1983 and The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and Rod Stewart in the 1960s and 1970s; she is the first and so far the only female artist to do this. Knowles was consequently one of the biggest-selling artists of 2003.

Towards the end of the summer, "Baby Boy", the second single from Dangerously in Love, which featured dancehall artist Sean Paul, began to climb the charts. It went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2003, dominating radio airplay in the autumn of 2003, and spending nine weeks at number one—one week longer than "Crazy in Love". Afterwards, Knowles released her third solo single, "Me, Myself and I"; Dangerously in Love's fourth and final single, "Naughty Girl", came out in mid-2004.

Audio samples:

"Crazy in Love" (2003)

Beyoncé's first solo number-one hit around the world.

"Baby Boy" (2003)

Beyoncé's second single from her debut album Dangerously in Love.
Problems playing the files? See media help.

At the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony, Knowles won five Grammy Awards for her solo effort, which included "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for "Dangerously in Love 2", "Best R&B Song" for "Crazy in Love", and "Best Contemporary R&B Album". Three other female artists hold this record: Lauryn Hill (1999), Alicia Keys (2002), and Norah Jones (2003). She also won a BRIT Award in 2004 for "International Female Solo Artist".

In December 2005, Knowles released "Check on It", featuring rappers Slim Thug and (on the official remix) Bun B. The song was from the Destiny's Child's greatest hits compilation, #1's, and the soundtrack to the 2006 film The Pink Panther. It was Knowles' sixth top five hit and third number one in the U.S.

At the 2006 Grammy Awards, Knowles won a Grammy in the category of "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for the song "So Amazing", a duet with Stevie Wonder from the Luther Vandross tribute album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross.

B'Day (2006)

Main article: B'Day

Knowles' second studio album, B'Day, was released worldwide on September 4, 2006 and on September 5, 2006 in the U.S. to coincide with the celebration of Knowles' twenty-fifth birthday. In its first week, the album sold more than 541,000 copies in the U.S., immediately coming in at number one, making it her highest first-week sales as a solo artist. This is also the highest first-week sales of any solo female artist in 2006, a record which used to be held by pop singer Christina Aguilera whose album Back to Basics sold 346,000 copies in its first week. In the UK, it debuted at number three with sales of 45,000 copies, and, with combined sales with the deluxe edition, has sold 497,000 copies and has been certified double platinum. "Déjà Vu", the album's first single, features Jay-Z and co-production by Rodney Jerkins. Other co-producers on B'Day included Rich Harrison, The Neptunes, and Swizz Beatz. Currently, the album has been certified triple platinum in the U.S. for shipments of over three million copies. The album has had worldwide success selling over seven million copies worldwide.^[10]

The album's lead single "Déjà Vu" became a top five hit in the United States and a number-one hit on the U.S. R&B chart and the UK chart, making it Knowles' second UK number-one single, when it climbed twenty spots to take the top spot over Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean's "Hips Don't Lie" in the week of August 27, 2006.

Audio samples:

"Déjà Vu" (2006)

Beyoncé's second solo number-one single on the UK Singles Chart.

"Irreplaceable" (2006)

Beyoncé's fourth solo number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Problems playing the files? See media help.

The second single, "Ring the Alarm", was leaked to the Internet on August 8, 2006. The video for "Ring the Alarm" was released on August 16, 2006 on Yahoo.com and peaked at number one on the website's videos chart. "Ring the Alarm" became Knowles' highest-charting single debut, when it debuted at number twelve on the singles chart but only peaked at number eleven.

Outside North America, "Irreplaceable" was released as the album's second international single in October 2006. The single debuted at number eighty-seven on the Hot 100—where it would later spend ten consecutive weeks at number one—and number forty-two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the Australian Singles Chart. It also took over on the Irish Singles Chart, peaking at number one in its second week. "Irreplaceable" is her fourth number one and her eighth top ten hit as a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as her fourth number-one hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In December 2006, a Spanish-language version of "Irreplaceable", called "Imprescindible", was released.

On December 6, the nominations for the 2007 Grammy Awards were announced, and Knowles received five, of which she won "Best Contemporary R&B Album".

On February 28, "Beautiful Liar", a duet with Latin superstar Shakira, and "Upgrade U", Knowles' fifth collaboration with Jay-Z, were released as the latest singles from B'Day. To promote the new releases, Knowles premiered music videos for both singles on MTV's Total Request Live and BET's 106 & Park on February 28, 2007, respectively.

Deluxe edition and B'Day Anthology Video Album

Knowles re-released B'Day as a deluxe edition on April 3, 2007. It features new tracks—including "Beautiful Liar", which made Billboard history when it jumped from number ninety-four to number three on the Hot 100 in one week on April 7, 2007, and "Amor Gitano", a duet with Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández used as the theme song for the Colombian telenovela Zorro: La Espada y la Rosa. Also included are Spanish-language versions of "Irreplaceable", "Listen", and "Beautiful Liar".

On April 2, full-length videos for "Get Me Bodied", "Green Light", and "Suga Mama" premiered on BET to promote B'Day Anthology Video Album released on the following day. A fifty-seven-second preview of "Kitty Kat" was included also, appearing as an intro in the video for "Green Light". Sony BMG has released all of the videos (with the exception of "Still in Love (Kissing You)") from the DVD to their official music video website, Musicbox.^[11]

In Australia, the deluxe edition of B'Day was released on April 16, 2007. Unlike the U.S. release, the Australian edition comes packaged in a CD/DVD combo featuring nineteen tracks on the CD and twelve music videos on the DVD. The Australian release does not feature the track "Still in Love (Kissing You)" on either the CD or DVD. However, the CD does feature the tracks "If" and "Check on It", which are not featured on the U.S. release. Additionally, "World Wide Woman" appears as a hidden track on the U.S. release while it is an officially-listed track on the Australian disc. Finally, apart from the track "Amor Gitano", the Australian disc does not feature any of the Spanish tracks. The European and the Asian edition of B'Day are the same as the Australian release.

In the week of April 22, the deluxe edition of B'Day and the B'Day Anthology Video Album that include the song "Still in Love (Kissing You)" were pulled from distribution due to a lawsuit filed by English singer Des'ree. The lawsuit is over Knowles' cover of Des'ree's 1998 "I'm Kissing You" which was granted permission—within certain limits. For one thing, they would allow use of the song, but not in video form. They would also allow use of the song only if the title was not changed. Despite follow-ups, they didn't hear back from Knowles' camp. On March 27, according to the complaint, they discovered that Knowles and her record label planned to proceed with their plans to include the song on the re-release anyway which they changed the title to the song and made a video from which they didn't follow copyrighted laws. In a letter they wrote to Knowles' lawyer and her distribution group Sony, the Royalty Network called the move "completely unacceptable. Des'ree is apparently seeking $150,000 in damages".^[12]

More singles have been released from the deluxe edition of B'Day. "Amor Gitano" was released as a CD single in South America and other countries such as Mexico; "Get Me Bodied" has been released in North America; and the Freemasons remix of "Green Light" has been released as the fifth UK single.

Knowles has embarked on her lengthy The Beyoncé Experience concert tour which has sold out various shows worldwide. Opening acts included Robin Thicke (in North America),^[13] Lemar (in Europe),^[14] Katy Shotter (in North America and the UK), and Chris Brown (in Australia).^[15] She is touring from April 10 to November 12, 2007.

Knowles' new live DVD, The Beyoncé Experience: Live, which was recorded on September 2, 2007 at Los Angeles' Staples Center, is slated for a November 20, 2007 release.^[16]

Third studio album (2008)

In an interview, Knowles stated that she is going into studio in December to begin work on her third studio album.^[17] As reported by Scratch magazine, producer Timbaland was recently signed on to produce the majority of the album.^[18] In an interview, Timbaland stated that the outcome of the album will be "huger than life".^[19]

Film career

In 2001, Knowles turned to acting, starring alongside actor Mekhi Phifer in the MTV made-for-television film Carmen: A Hip Hopera.

In the summer of 2002, Knowles co-starred in the film Austin Powers in Goldmember, playing Foxxy Cleopatra opposite Mike Myers and Michael Caine. Knowles also recorded the song "Work It Out" for the film's soundtrack. "Work It Out" was a top ten hit in the UK and a top forty hit in the Netherlands, Australia, and Ireland, despite being Knowles' biggest commercial disappointment to date in the U.S., where radio stations barely played the song and the video received very minor exposure, playing only on digital video channels, MTV Jams, and VH1 Soul.

In 2003, Knowles starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the film The Fighting Temptations, and recorded a song for it called "Fighting Temptation", alongside female rappers Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free. Unlike Knowles' own singles, the song did not become a hit, although the film was a moderate success at the box office.

Knowles co-starred in the film The Pink Panther, playing the role of Xania, an international pop star, opposite Steve Martin, who plays Inspector Clouseau. The film was released on February 10, 2006, and was number one at the box office on its opening weekend.^[20] "Check on It", which was recorded for the film, became a huge success and gave Knowles her first number-one hit from a soundtrack. With Austin Powers in Goldmember and The Pink Panther, Knowles appeared in two films that opened at number one at the box office; the two films have grossed over $481,364,728 worldwide.

Knowles' latest film work is Dreamgirls, the film adaptation of the 1981 hit Broadway musical about a 1960s singing group loosely based on Motown all-female group The Supremes, as the Diana Ross-based character Deena Jones. The film received a limited release on December 15, 2006 and a wider release on December 25, 2006. On December 14, 2006, Knowles was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for the film Dreamgirls—"Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy" and "Best Original Song" for "Listen".^[21] The film opened at number three at the box office with an eight-million-dollar opening weekend. Knowles was quoted to say this was her first real acting film. Dreamgirls was nominated for eight 2007 Academy Awards—including "Best Original Song" for "Listen"—, of which it won two.^[22] The film has passed the $100 million dollar gross mark in the United States.

Philanthropy

Knowles, music producer David Foster, and his daughter, Amy Foster Gillies, wrote Destiny's Child's single "Stand up for Love" for World Children's Day, an event which takes place annually around the world on November 20 to raise awareness and funds for children's causes worldwide. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 World Children's Day program.

Knowles and Kelly Rowland, along with Mathew Knowles, Tina Knowles, and sister Solange Knowles announced the formation of the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing for 2005 Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas area. The Survivor Foundation extends the philanthropic mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston.

Knowles had food drives during her The Beyoncé Experience tour in Houston on July 14, Atlanta on July 20, Washington, D.C. on August 9, Toronto on August 15, Chicago on August 18, and Los Angeles on September 2. "I want my tour and Survivor Foundation to encourage people to get involved in the fight against domestic hunger, Pastor Rudy's ongoing mission to help the least among us, and the work of America's Second Harvest. Any help—donating time, money or food—will make an enormous difference", she stressed.^[23]

The Survivor Foundation announced a new project called "Knowles-Rowland Temenos Place Apartments", in support of St. John's Downtown and Temenos Community Development Corporation. The housing development is the result of a collaboration with House of Deréon founders Tina Knowles and Beyoncé Knowles, Survivor Foundation, Inc., the City of Houston, and St. John's Downtown (church home of the Knowles family). The project was designed to provide permanent living accommodatio

"Crazy in Love" (2003)

Beyoncé's first solo number-one hit around the world.

"Baby Boy" (2003)

Beyoncé's second single from her debut album Dangerously in Love.

"Déjà Vu" (2006)

Beyoncé's second solo number-one single on the UK Singles Chart.

"Irreplaceable" (2006)

Beyoncé's fourth solo number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.