Stong may refer to:

People:

• Alfred Stong (born 1940), Canadian lawyer, judge and former politician
• Phil Stong (1899-1957), American writer and journalist
• Robert Evert Stong (1936-2008), American mathematician

Other uses:

• Mount Stong (see list of mountains in Malaysia)
• Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng, viking-era long house in Iceland

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Aaron Watson is an Texas country music singer.

Watson was born in Amarillo, Texas and attended Abilene Christian University, where he began learning guitar, after playing junior college baseball in New Mexico.^[1] He gigged around Texas before releasing his debut album, A Texas Cafe; the follow-up, Shuttupanddance, was a regional sales success.^[1] His 2004 album, The Honky Tonk Kid, was produced by Ray Benson and features an appearance from Willie Nelson. Watson's band is called the Orphans of the Brazos; they appear on his 2005 album, Live at the Texas Hall of Fame. In 2006, his San Angelo release hit #60 on the U.S. Billboard country charts and #50 on its Heatseekers chart.^[2]

Later that year, Watson released a collection of gospel songs entitled Barbed Wire Halo which includes readings by Billy Joe Shaver. On April 1, 2008, Watson's 8th album, Angels & Outlaws, reached #4 on the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers chart, #28 on its Country Albums chart, and landed in the The Billboard Top 200. The album's debut single, "Hearts Are Breaking Across Texas", reached the #1 spot on the Texas Music Chart. "Love Makin' Song" was released later that year, and "Rollercoaster Ride" followed in 2009.

On September 15, 2009, Watson released Aaron Watson LIVE: Deep in the Heart of Texas, a dual disc CD/DVD set recorded live at the Hog Creek Ice House in Waco, TX on June 27, 2009.^[3]

On July 7, 2009, Watson performed at the 81st Texas FFA Convention in Dallas, Texas.

Watson and his wife Kimberly have two sons and one daughter, Jacob born in 2006, Jack born in 2007, and Jolee Kate born in 2009.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

Delta Goodrem
Goodrem in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Delta Lea Goodrem
Born	(1984-11-09) 9 November 1984 (age 27) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Pop, soft rock, adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, performer, actress
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Sony Music (WW) (2000–present) Columbia Records (US) (2005–2008) Mercury Records (US) (2008–present)
Website	www.DeltaGoodrem.com

Delta Lea Goodrem (born 9 November 1984) is an Australian singer-songwriter and pianist. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she enrolled in dancing, acting, singing and piano classes at a young age. She began her career as a child actress, starring in various television shows and rose to prominence in 2002 in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker.

Venturing into the music industry, Goodrem recorded an album entitled Delta through an independent label, which was never released due to legal reasons. Subsequently signing to Sony at the age of 15, she released her multi-platinum album Innocent Eyes which topped the Australian albums chart and UK Albums Chart. It became one of the highest selling albums in Australian history, with 4.5 million copies sold worldwide^[1] and all five of its singles— "Born to Try", "Lost Without You", "Innocent Eyes", "Not Me, Not I", and "Predictable"—reaching number one in Australia and three of them reaching the top ten in the UK. This gave her the record for becoming the first ever artist to have five Number 1 singles from a debut album.^[2]

Her subsequent albums, each followed with similar commercial success. Her second studio album, Mistaken Identity, was created during her battle with cancer (and several of its themes reflect this) and became her second consequent Number 1 album. In 2007, she released Delta, her third Number 1 album. Goodrem has continued to have a string of top-ten hits, including "Out of the Blue", "Mistaken Identity", "Together We Are One", "In This Life", "Believe Again" and "Sitting on Top of the World". Goodrem has achieved eight Number 1 singles and three Number 1 albums in her home country.^[3] As of the late 2000s or early 2010s, she holds the Australian record for the highest-selling album of the last decade and the most Number 1 singles from a debut album. As of 2012, she is a coach on The Voice Australia.

Biography[link]

1984–2001: Early life, education, and discovery[link]

Delta Lea Goodrem was born on 9 November 1984 to parents Denis and Lea Goodrem (who are now divorced). She has a younger brother, Trent,^[4] who is an Australian Rules football player with the Central District Football Club in the SANFL.^[5]

Her parents named her Delta after Joe Cocker's song "Delta Lady".^[6] At the age of seven she appeared in an American advert for the Galoob toy company, starring alongside fellow Australian Bec Cartwright^[7] and began playing piano at the same age while taking up singing, dancing and acting lessons. She appeared in numerous commercials for companies such as Optus and Nesquik, and had several minor roles in episodes of successful Australian television shows including Hey Dad...!, A Country Practice, and Police Rescue.^[8]

While residing at Glenhaven, a suburb of Sydney, Goodrem attended the Hills Grammar School in neighbouring Kenthurst, from kindergarten till tenth grade. She is known to return to her alma mater for visits.^[9]

At the age of thirteen, Goodrem recorded a five-song demo CD, financed through her television work.^[10] It was sent to the Sydney Swans Football Club (of which Goodrem is a supporter) and they passed it onto Glenn Wheatley,^[11] the manager behind successful Australian artists, Little River Band and John Farnham. Interested in Goodrem's potential as a recording artist, Wheatley signed Goodrem an artist development deal with independent label, Empire Records.^[12] Between June 1999 to September 2000, she worked with producers Paul Higgins and Trevor Carter on thirteen tracks for an album called Delta, which saw "an ambitious 15-year-old keen to emulate the pop sound of the Spice Girls, Britney Spears and Mandy Moore."^[13] The album has yet to surface, Goodrem preventing its release years later via civil action in 2004.^[14]

[edit] 2001–03: Career launch, Neighbours, and Innocent Eyes

Delta Goodrem at The Palazzo resort in Las Vegas

	"I Don't Care" (2001) noicon Goodrem's debut single was a pop-dance song which failed to make an impact on the charts.
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At the age of 15 Goodrem signed a record deal with Sony^[3] and began work on an album of pop-dance songs including the unsuccessful debut single "I Don't Care", which peaked at number sixty-four on the ARIA singles chart in November 2001.^[15] The album and proposed second single "A Year Ago Today" were pushed aside as a result, allowing Goodrem and Sony to re-evaluate her future musical direction. In 2002 Goodrem took up the role as shy school girl and aspiring singer Nina Tucker in the popular soap Neighbours,^[3] which helped re-launch Goodrem's music career. The piano-based ballad "Born to Try" co-written by Audius Mtawarira premiered on the show and became her first ARIA number one and UK Top 3.^[16] Goodrem's role on the show scored her a Logie for "Most Popular New Talent" at the 2003 Logie Awards^[17] and two other nominations at the 2004 Logie Awards (including a Gold Logie nomination).

In January 2003 "Lost Without You" again topped the ARIA singles chart^[18] and reached number four in the UK, increasing Goodrem's popularity. Her largely self-penned debut album Innocent Eyes was released in March and debuted at number-one on the ARIA album charts, breaking Australian records previously held by John Farnham's Whispering Jack (1986) by staying at number-one for 25 consecutive weeks, while tying with Neil Diamond's Hot August Night (1972) as the second longest charting number-one album with a total of 29 weeks at top spot.^[15] It was the highest selling album in Australia of 2003^[19] and sold over a million copies in Australia alone, 4.5 million worldwide.^[20] The album also charted highly in the UK, peaking at No. 2.^[15] "Not Me, Not I", released following the announcement Goodrem had been diagnosed with cancer, became her fourth consecutive ARIA number-one single, overtaking the previous effort of three number-one's from Kylie Minogue's debut Kylie album.^[21] Goodrem ceased work on Neighbours and her music to begin treatment and in early August, announced she would not renew her contract with Glenn Wheatley, mother Lea Goodrem replacing him as her manager.^[22] Later that month, Goodrem won seven ARIA Awards, including "Best Female Artist", surpassing Natalie Imbruglia's previous record of six awards in 1999.^[23] Too unwell to perform at the ceremony, singer Darren Hayes performed a rendition of "Lost Without You" as a tribute, bringing an overwhelmed Goodrem to tears. Her first full-length DVD Delta became the highest selling music DVD by an Australian artist in Australia ever, with a certification of 12x platinum,^[15] while Australian-only release "Predictable" became her fifth consecutive number one ARIA single in December. Goodrem made a recording that she didn't want to be released publicly and had to battle with her old record company to prevent them from releasing it.^[24]

[edit] 2003–06: Cancer diagnosis, Mistaken Identity, and The Visualise Tour

On 8 July 2003, at the age of 18, Goodrem was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. She was forced to put all working commitments on hold while undertaking treatment for the disease. In an exclusive interview with the Australian Women's Weekly, Goodrem revealed that, since 2002, she has suffered from a head to toe rash, fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, and a lump on her neck.^[25] "I was doing sit-ups when I felt something pop in my neck. I reached down and I felt a small lump at the base of my throat. It wasn't sore, it wasn't visible, but I could feel it."^[26] As part of her treatment, Goodrem undertook chemotherapy, which resulted in the loss of her hair, and radiation therapy.^[27] The news of her diagnosis made newspaper and television headlines and an outpouring of support was shown by fans and the general public alike, Goodrem thanking them during The Visualise Tour for all the letters and well wishes she received. Much of Goodrem's 2004 album Mistaken Identity, in particular "Extraordinary Day", is inspired by her battle.^[28] Reflecting on that period of her life, Goodrem says,

Shortly after the diagnosis, she received several ARIA nominations.

After announcing in late December 2003 that she was in remission, Goodrem began work on her second album. In September 2004 she became the face of soft drink giant Pepsi in Australia, appearing on the product, billboards, TV advertisements and performing an exclusive show for competition winners.^[30] In October, first single "Out of the Blue", co-written and produced by Guy Chambers, debuted at number-one in Australia and number nine in the UK. October saw Goodrem launch her own lingerie line titled "Delta by Annabella".^[31] Goodrem's second album Mistaken Identity, notable for its darker themes inspired by the hardships of her previous twelve months,^[28] was released in early November and debuted at number-one in Australia, Top 10 in New Zealand, but peaked at a disappointing number twenty-five in the UK. "Almost Here", a duet with Irish singer Brian McFadden, reached number three in the UK, became her seventh ARIA number one, and her first number one in Ireland. Singles released only in Australia – "Mistaken Identity", "A Little Too Late" and "Be Strong" – were moderately successful.

	"Out of the Blue" (2004) noicon This big ballad was co-written and produced by Guy Chambers. "Mistaken Identity" (2005) noicon The title track from Goodrem's second album presented a darker side to her songwriting, detailing the effects of her illness. "Together We Are One" (2006) noicon The theme song of the opening ceremony for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Co-written with Chambers and McFadden.
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In 2004 Goodrem began a nine month relationship with Australian tennis player Mark Philippoussis. Her "comeback" single "Out of the Blue" was written about his support during her cancer battle.^[32] The couple's relationship ended in controversy when newspapers reported Philippoussis had been unfaithful.^[33] Later that year, Goodrem began dating former Westlife singer Brian McFadden.^[34]

In March 2005 she starred in her first film role of Hating Alison Ashley, a film based on the popular children's novel, Goodrem acting the title character. The film performed poorly at the box office and was not a critical success, some critics citing Goodrem's performance as too robotic and detached.^[35] April saw Goodrem relocate in New York to launch her career in the United States with a re-worked version of "Lost Without You". She appeared in the last two episodes of short-lived American series North Shore in a bid to gain greater exposure around the US. "Lost Without You" proved to be modestly successful, peaking at number eighteen on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, but Goodrem was reportedly dissatisfied with its performance. Plans to release a hybrid of her first two albums were later terminated and Goodrem put America on hold. In July Goodrem embarked on her first headline concert tour of Australia, The Visualise Tour. Ticket prices (ninety-nine Australian dollars each) came under criticism for being higher than most international acts touring Australia at the time and this initially led to slow sales.^[36] By the time the concerts were due to take place, many venues sold out after tickets were reduced to $60. Once the tour concluded over 80,000 tickets had been bought in total making The Visualise Tour one of Australia's highest selling local tours.^[37] The Visualise Tour: Live in Concert was released in November and became Goodrem's second No. 1 DVD.

On 15 March 2006 Goodrem performed a new song, "Together We Are One", at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in front of 80,000 spectators and up to 1.5 billion television viewers worldwide. The song, written specifically for the event with Chambers and McFadden, was released in Australia, peaking at number two,^[38] and was performed by the Top 5 contestants on American Idol. In June, Goodrem signed to Modest! Entertainment for her worldwide management.^[39] October saw Goodrem promoting in Japan with the release of an updated version of Innocent Eyes and the Japan-only single "Flawed", which reached number one on the Japanese download chart. The album peaked at number eight on the Japanese international chart (excluding Japanese artists) and number nineteen on the official Japanese album chart (including Japanese artists). In November, Goodrem appeared with Westlife on UK talent series The X Factor to perform a duet titled "All Out of Love", which appeared on the boyband's ninth LP, The Love Album. She was in Melbourne on Christmas Eve to headline the annual Carols by Candlelight.^[40] She was a judge on the voice in 2012 alongside 3 other judges Seal,Joel Maddden and Keith Urban

[edit] 2007–09: Delta, and the Believe Again Tour

On 10 August 2007 Goodrem was in Los Angeles to film the music video for "In This Life", the first single which is also the opening theme for the anime Deltora Quest, based on the novels by fellow Australian Emily Rodda. The video premiered on 31 August on Sunrise. "In This Life" was released as the first single from her new album on 15 September. It debuted at number one on the Australian Singles Chart, becoming Goodrem's eighth number one single in Australia.

	"In This Life" (2007) noicon First single from her third album. Written with Brian McFadden.
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On 29 November 2007 Goodrem and McFadden announced they were engaged. In his book, McFadden wrote that he proposed to her on a trip to Bali.

Goodrem performing during promotion in Australia

Her latest album, the eponymous Delta, was released in Australia on 20 October 2007. Goodrem has described the material as "...a lot lighter" compared to her previous album Mistaken Identity.^[41] In January she stated, "As people become more aware of your life, they can pinpoint what songs are about. On this album, I've tried to remove a lot of that and just write great pop songs, songs that are from my heart but there's no baggage with them".^[42][43] The album debuted on number one on the ARIA albums chart, marking her third number one album in her home country, and received platinum certification for shipments of 70,000 records, though sales were much lower; only 23,000 copies were sold during the first week. In December the album received a 2x platinum award for shipments of 140,000 copies.^[44]

The second single of the album was "Believe Again", released in December. The song debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Singles Chart. The third single, "You Will Only Break My Heart", was released on 29 March 2008 and peaked at No. 14. The fourth single to be lifted from the album is "I Can't Break It To My Heart", which debuted and peaked at No. 13. Following the release of the lead single, Goodrem currently holds the record for most No. 1 singles on the ARIA charts by an any artist, with 8. According to Goodrem she is going to explore new places around the world in 2008, including Brazil.^[45] In January 2009 Goodrem embarked on her Believe Again Tour tour of Australia. She also recorded a duet, "Gotta Be Right Here With You", with Olivia Newton-John to help raise money for Newton-John's cancer hospital in Melbourne.^[46][47] In July 2008 it was announced that Goodrem would embark on a national tour of Australia, titled the Believe Again Tour.^[48] She originally announced nine dates in seven cities, but later announced more shows, performing 14 in eight cities. The tour ran from 9 January to 4 February 2009. Goodrem was nominated for two awards at the 2008 ARIA Awards – Highest Selling Single and Highest Selling Album – and won the award for Highest Selling Album of 2008.^[49] At the 2008 World Music Awards held on 9 November in Monaco Goodrem received her third World Music Award for World's Best Selling Australian Artist.

[edit] 2009–present: The Voice Australia and Sitting on Top of The World

A concert DVD of Goodrem's Believe Again Tour was released on 18 September 2009.^[50] The Australian launch of Michael Jackson's This Is It DVD, March 2010: Goodrem and Guy Sebastian were chosen by the Jackson estate to perform at the Australian launch of This Is It.^[51] The invitation only event was attended by the film's director Kenny Ortega, Michael's choreographer Travis Payne, and Michael's brother Jackie Jackson^[52] Goodrem and Sebastian performed "Earth Song".^[53]

On 1 April 2011, it was confirmed that McFadden and Goodrem called off their engagement. The couple released a joint statement stating that they wished each other every success and happiness in the future.^[54] Goodrem dated singer Nick Jonas from May 2011 to February 2012.^[55]

On 23 November 2011, Goodrem was confirmed to be a part of the judging panel of the Australian version of The Voice that will begin airing in early 2012. Goodrem will coach alongside Keith Urban, Joel Madden, and Seal.^[56] Since The Voice has started, some of Goodrem's decisions on the show have sparked criticism, who have panned her as "all style" and "little substance".^[57]

Goodrem's upcoming fourth studio album, which is right now lacking a title or a theme or track listing, has been in the process of recording since early 2008, with Gooodrem stating that it will be more "stripped back": "I've done a 360 back to where I started, but hopefully it's more evolved. I feel I've stepped up my game. I'm experimenting with different chord changes and different areas of music. I feel I can do anything on this album, I'm relishing that. I feel like the sky's the limit but at the same time it's very raw."^[58] However, the five years that followed the announcement were quiet regarding plans for the album and when it would be released. An announcement was made on 19 March 2012, stating that there is now a countdown on her official website to 30 March, with the promise of "something new, something fresh, something altogether exciting" on that day.^[59] On that day, it was then announced that Goodrem would be releasing her new single, "Sitting on Top of the World" .^[60]

Legacy and artistry[link]

Her repertoire falls under the pop and adult contemporary styles, and heavily features the piano, which she usually plays barefoot while performing live.^{[61][62][63][64][65]} Goodrem is also known for her technically skilled soprano voice.^[66][67]

Goodrem performing on Carols In Candlelight on 25 December 2006

Goodrem was honoured with a wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Sydney's Darling Harbour, which opened in April 2012. The singer donated a dress that she previously wore on stage to the attraction.^[68] As of the late 2000s or early 2010s Goodrem has achieved eight No. 1 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)singles and multiple UK Top 10 singles. Her debut album, 2003's Innocent Eyes, made her one of Australia's highest-selling female recording artists, spending 29 weeks at No. 1,^[19] selling over 1.2 million copies in Australia and another 4.5 million internationally, debuting at number 2 in the UK and breaking various records in the process.^[69]

In 2004 Goodrem released Mistaken Identity, her second studio album which entered the ARIA charts at No. 1 spawning two No. 1 singles and quickly gained multi-platinum status. In 2005, Goodrem embarked on The Visualise Tour, her debut concert tour of Australia, combining songs from both Innocent Eyes and Mistaken Identity.

Goodrem released her third studio album, self-titled Delta, on 20 October 2007 to yet another number-one debut, gaining multi-platinum status within the first few months of release. Goodrem also shifted attention to different markets, releasing the album in the Far East and the USA. In January 2009, Goodrem embarked on the Believe Again Tour of Australia to support her third studio album.^[49] She has sold approximately 6.7 million albums, and 8 million combined albums and singles worldwide.^[70]

Philanthropy[link]

In May 2005, Goodrem helped launch "Teen Info on Cancer", a UK website aimed at supporting young teenage sufferers.^[71] In November 2005, Goodrem became an ambassador for Research Australia's "Thank You Day", which honours the country's health and medical researchers and received a Thank You Day Celebrity Advocacy Award "in recognition of her efforts in raising funds and awareness for Australian medical research and charities."^[72] Goodrem is set to be the face of Alternative Hair, the UK hairdressing industry's top fundraising event, in aid of cancer charity Leukaemia Research.^[73] Goodrem is also member of RADD (Recording Artists, Actors And Athletes Against Drink Driving), a group of celebrities raising awareness of the risks of drunk driving.^[74]

Discography[link]

• 2003: Innocent Eyes
• 2004: Mistaken Identity
• 2007: Delta

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Delta Goodrem

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Delta Goodrem

• Official website
• Official fansite
• Delta Goodrem at the Internet Movie Database

Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
Also known as	Sasha Fierce
Born	(1981-09-04) September 4, 1981 (age 30)[1]
Origin	Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres	R&B, pop, soul, hip hop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, choreographer, model, fashion designer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Columbia
Associated acts	Destiny's Child, Jay-Z, Solange Knowles, Kanye West, Lady Gaga
Website	www.beyonceonline.com www.beyonce.com Beyoncé's autograph

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter^[2][3] (née Beyoncé Giselle Knowles; September 4, 1981), known mononymously as Beyoncé ( /bi�?jɒnseɪ/ bee-YON-say), is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time.

During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, in 2003, which spawned two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—"Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy"—and became one of the most successful albums of that year, earning her a then record-tying five Grammy Awards. Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2005, Knowles released her second solo album, B'Day, in 2006, which spawned the top 10 singles "Déjà Vu", "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Her third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), spawned the hit singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo" and "Sweet Dreams". The album helped Knowles earn six Grammys in 2010, breaking the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night. Knowles' fourth solo album, 4 (2011), became her fourth consecutive number one album on the Billboard 200 as a solo artist. This made her the third artist in history to have her first four studio albums debut atop the chart.

Apart from her work in music, Knowles has also ventured into acting and designing clothes and perfumes. She made her acting debut in the musical film Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001), prior to appearing in major films, including Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Dreamgirls (2006), which earned her two Golden Globe nominations, Cadillac Records (2008) and Obsessed (2009). In 2005, Knowles and her mother introduced their family's fashion line, House of Deréon, and in 2010, she released her first perfume, Heat. She has endorsed brands including, L'Oréal, Pepsi, Tommy Hilfiger, Nintendo and Vizio. In 2010, Knowles was ranked first on Forbes list of the "100 Most Powerful and Influential Musicians in the World",^[4] and second on its list of the "100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the World".^[5] In 2012, she was named "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People magazine.

Knowles' work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including 16 Grammy Awards, 11 MTV Video Music Awards, four American Music Awards, a Billboard Millennium Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Destiny's Child. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Radio Songs Artist of the 2000s decade,^[6] and ranked her as the 4th overall Artist of the Decade (and as the First Female Artist of that period).^[7] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), also recognized Knowles as the Top Certified Artist of the 2000s.^[8][9] In the US, Knowles has sold over 11.2 million albums as of May 2010,^[10] and more than 30.4 million digital singles as of January 2012.^[11] She has sold 75 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.^[12] Knowles appeared on VH1's 2010 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time",^[13] and ranked third on their "100 Greatest Women in Music" list in 2012.^[14] In April 2008, Knowles married American rapper Jay-Z, and gave birth to their first child, Blue Ivy Carter, in January 2012.

Biography[link]

1981–96: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Knowles was born in Houston, Texas

Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Mathew Knowles, a professional record manager, and Tina Knowles (née Beyincé), a costume designer and hair stylist. Knowles' father is African American. Her mother, a Louisiana Creole, has African, French, Native American, and Irish ancestry; she is a descendant of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard.^[15][16] Knowles was baptized after her mother's maiden name, as a tribute to her mother.^[15] She is the elder sister of Solange Knowles, a singer, songwriter and actress.

Knowles was educated at St. Mary's Elementary School in Texas, where she enrolled in dance classes, including ballet and jazz. Her talent in singing was discovered when her dance instructor began humming a song and she finished it, hitting the high-pitched notes.^[17] Knowles' interest in music and performing began after participating in a school talent show. She sang John Lennon's "Imagine" and won the competition.^[18][19] At age seven, Knowles started gaining attention from the press, having been mentioned in the Houston Chronicle as a nominee for the local performing arts award The Sammy.^[20] In the fall of 1990, Knowles enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform on-stage with the school's choir.^[17] She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston^[21] and later went to Alief Elsik High School, located in the Houston suburban munincipality, Alief.^[15][22] Knowles was a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church for two years, performing as a soloist.^[17][23]

At the age of eight, Knowles met LaTavia Roberson while in an audition for an all-girl entertainment group.^[24] They, along with Knowles' childhood friend Kelly Rowland, were placed into a group that performed rapping and dancing.^[25] Originally named Girl's Tyme, they were eventually cut down to six members.^[17] West coast R&B producer Arne Frager flew into Houston to see them. He eventually brought them to his studio, The Plant Recording Studios, in Northern California, with Knowles' vocals being featured.^[17] As part of efforts to sign Girl's Tyme to a major label record deal, Frager's strategy was to début them in Star Search, the biggest talent show on national TV at the time.^[17] Girl's Tyme participated in the competition but lost it because the song they performed was not good, Knowles herself admitted.^[26][27] Knowles had her first "professional setback" after that defeat but regained confidence after learning that pop stars Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake had also the same experience.^[17] To manage the group, Knowles' father (who was at that time a medical-equipment salesman) resigned in 1995 from his job.^[28] He dedicated his time and established a "boot camp" for their training.^[29] The move reduced Knowles' family's income by half and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments.^[15] Not long after the inclusion of Rowland, Mathew cut the original lineup to four,^[17] with LeToya Luckett joining in 1993.^[24] Rehearsing in Tina's Headliners Salon and their backyards, the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups of the time;^[24] Tina contributed to the cause by designing their costumes, which she continued to do throughout the Destiny's Child era. With the continued support of Mathew, they auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records. They moved to Atlanta to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the record company in 1995. They returned home to start over again.^[15] This eventually put a strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated briefly when she was 14. In 1996, the family reunited, and shortly after, the girls got a contract with Columbia Records.^[18]

1997–2001: Destiny's Child era and depression[link]

Destiny's Child performing "Say My Name"

The group changed its name to Destiny's Child in 1993, based on a passage in the Book of Isaiah.^[24] Together, they performed in local events and after four years on the road, the group was signed to Columbia Records in late 1997. That same year, Destiny's Child recorded their major label début song "Killing Time" for the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black.^[24][27] The following year, the group released their self-titled debut album,^[26] scoring their first major hit "No, No, No". The album established the group as a viable act in the music industry, amassing moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No", Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year and Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist.^[24] The group released their multi-platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin'" and "Say My Name", which became their most-successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Grammy Awards.^[24] The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies.^[26] During this time, Knowles recorded a duet with Marc Nelson on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.

Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit against the group for breach of contract. Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin appeared in the music video of "Say My Name", implying that Luckett and Roberson had already been replaced.^[24] Eventually, Luckett and Roberson left the group. Franklin would eventually fade from the group after five months,^[26] as evidenced by her absences during promotional appearances and concerts. She attributed her departure to negative vibes in the group resulting from the strife.^[24] During this time, Knowles had experienced depression from an accumulation of struggles: the publicized split of Luckett and Roberson, being publicly attacked by the media, critics and blogs for causing the split-up,^[30] and a longstanding boyfriend (that she had dated from age 13 to 19) leaving her.^[31][32] The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Knowles stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award and she feared no one would take her seriously.^[33] All of these events had made her question herself and who her friends were, describing the situation she said, "Now that I was famous, I was afraid I'd never find somebody again to love me for me. I was afraid of making new friends."^[31] She acknowledges her mother Tina Knowles for helping her out of her depression, saying: "Why do you think a person wouldn't love you? Don't you know how smart and sweet and beautiful you are?"^[31]

After settling on their final lineup, the trio recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film, Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks.^[24] Later that year, Luckett and Roberson withdrew their case against their now-former band mates, while maintaining the suit against Mathew, which ended in both sides agreeing to stop public disparaging.^[24] In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Knowles landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet.^[34] Luckett and Roberson refiled their lawsuit after Destiny's Child's third album Survivor was released in May 2001, claiming that the songs were aimed at them.^[24] The album débuted at number one on US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold.^[35] To date, Survivor has sold over ten million copies worldwide, over forty percent of which were sold in the US alone.^[36] The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to pursue solo careers.^[24]

[edit] 2002–05: Films, Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled

In 2002, Knowles co-starred in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, playing Foxxy Cleopatra, opposite Mike Myers.^[37] Knowles recorded her first solo single "Work It Out", for the film's soundtrack.^[38] The following year, she starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the romantic comedy film, The Fighting Temptations, and recorded numerous songs for the film's soundtrack, including "Fighting Temptation" and a cover version of "Fever".^[39][40] In October 2002, Knowles was featured on her then-boyfriend Jay-Z's single "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". In the United States, the song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Rap Songs chart.^[41] In March 2003, Knowles released a remix of 50 Cent's single "In Da Club", which made its way onto several mixtapes.^[42]

Knowles performing "Baby Boy"

After Williams and Rowland released their solo efforts, Knowles released her début solo album Dangerously in Love in June 2003.^[43] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 317,000 copies sold.^[44] It was certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[45] Dangerously in Love has sold over 4.6 million copies in the United States,^[46] and 11 million copies worldwide.^[47] It remains as Knowles' best-selling album to date. The album's lead single "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, spent eight consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.^[48] The album's second single "Baby Boy", featuring dancehall singer Sean Paul, spent nine consecutive weeks at number one.^[49] The album's third single "Me, Myself and I", peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Naughty Girl", the fourth single, peaked at number three, and became Knowles' fourth consecutive top-five release from Dangerously in Love, and her fifth top-five hit as a solo artist.^[50] The album led Knowles to win a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.^[51] In November 2003, Knowles embarked on her Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe.

In March 2004, Knowles joined Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott and Tamia for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. Knowles had originally planned to release a follow-up to Dangerously in Love in March 2004, which would feature some of the left-over recordings from the album.^[52] However, Knowles decided to put the album on hold in order to concentrate on the next Destiny's Child album.^[53] After a three-year journey that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Knowles rejoined Rowland and Williams to release their fourth and final album Destiny Fulfilled in November 2004.^[24] The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. It was certified three times platinum by the RIAA.^[54] Destiny Fulfilled has sold over 3.1 million copies in the United States.^[55] The album spawned the hit singles "Lose My Breath", "Soldier" and "Cater 2 U".^[56] In April 2005, Destiny's Child embarked on their Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It tour, which ended in September of that year. During the last stop of their European leg of the tour in Barcelona, Spain, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour.^[57]

A compilation album titled Number 1's, featuring the group's number-one hits and most well-known songs, was released in October 2005. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA.^[54][58] Knowles' single "Check on It", featuring rapper Slim Thug, was released from the album in December 2005. The song spent five consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100,^[59] and became Knowles' third Hot 100 number-one as a solo artist and Slim Thug's first Hot 100 single.^[60]

[edit] 2006–07: B'Day and films

Knowles performing "Listen" during The Beyoncé Experience tour in 2007

In February 2006, Knowles starred opposite Steve Martin in the comedy film The Pink Panther, as international pop star Xania.^[61][62] In March 2006, Destiny's Child reunited to accept a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[63] Knowles released her second studio album B'Day in September 2006; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 541,000 copies in its first week.^[64] It gained Knowles her largest first-week sales of her solo career and became her second consecutive number one album. It was certified three times platinum by the RIAA.^[45] The album has sold over 3.2 million copies in the United States.^[65] The album's lead single, "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[66] "Ring the Alarm" was released as the album's second US single, while "Irreplaceable" served as the second international single and later as the third US single. "Irreplaceable" spent ten consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and became Knowles' fourth number-one single as solo artist.^[67]

In December 2006, Knowles starred in Dreamgirls, a film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical about a 1960s singing group, alongside Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson. Knowles recorded several songs for the film's soundtrack, including the original song "Listen".^[68] Her role in the film earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations in 2007 for Best Actress and Best Original Song.^[69] On April 3, 2007, Knowles re-released B'Day as a deluxe edition,^[70] which featured five new songs, including "Beautiful Liar", a duet with Colombian recording artist Shakira. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.^[66] It performed better in international music markets, where it reached number one in the United Kingdom, and became Knowles' third number-one single in that country and Shakira's second. On April 10, 2007, Knowles embarked on The Beyoncé Experience tour. The tour visited over ninety venues worldwide and was later made into the concert DVD, The Beyoncé Experience Live!.

B'Day received five nominations at the 49th Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Déjà Vu". The Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. The album won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.^[71] The following year, B'Day received two nominations in the categories of Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar". Knowles' also received a Grammy nomination for her work in Dreamgirls.^[72]

[edit] 2008–09: Marriage, I Am... Sasha Fierce, and films

Knowles and Jay-Z performing "Crazy in Love" at the I Am... Tour in 2009

In 2002, Knowles began dating Jay-Z, with whom she has collaborated several times.^[73] Rumors began to circulate about their relationship after Knowles was featured on "'03 Bonnie & Clyde".^[19] In spite of persistent rumors, they remained discreet about their relationship.^[73][74] On April 4, 2008, Knowles and Jay-Z got married in New York City.^[75] Knowles did not publicly debut her wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008, in New York City.^[76] Before they were married, Knowles and Jay-Z were named as a power couple in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential people of 2006.^[77]

In November 2008, Forbes magazine reported that Knowles earned $80 million between June 1, 2007 to June 1, 2008, for her music, tour, films and fashion business.^[78] This made her the world's second best-paid music personality for this span of time.^[79] Knowles released her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce, on November 14, 2008. The album introduced Knowles' alter-ego Sasha Fierce. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 482,000 copies in its first week.^[80] It became Knowles' third consecutive number-one album in the US as a solo artist.^[80] I Am... Sasha Fierce was certified double platinum by the RIAA.^[45] The album has sold over 2.9 million copies in the United States,^[81] and 7 million copies worldwide.^[82]

"If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" were released as the album's first and second lead singles, respectively.^[83] The first lead single peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,^[50] while the second peaked at number one, and became Knowles' fifth number-one single.^[50] "Single Ladies" spent four non-consecutive weeks at the top spot.^[84] Its music video has achieved fame for its intricate choreography, which has been credited as having started the "first major dance craze of both the new millennium and the Internet".^[85] Knowles revealed that the inspiration for the video was a 1969 Bob Fosse routine entitled "Mexican Breakfast" seen on The Ed Sullivan Show, which featured Fosse's wife, Gwen Verdon, dancing with two other women.^[86][87] This prompted a legion of imitations and parodies from men and women all around the world, including celebrities Justin Timberlake^[88] Joe Jonas,^[89] Tom Hanks^[90] and US President Barack Obama.^[91] The music video received nine nominations at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and ultimately won the award for Video of the Year and an additional two awards, though its loss in the Best Female Video category to Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" led to a controversy during the ceremony.^[92]

Knowles performing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" at the I Am... Tour in 2009

In December 2008, Knowles starred in the musical biographical film Cadillac Records as blues singer Etta James. She performed James' classic hit "At Last" at The Neighborhood Inaugural Ball of Obama and his wife Michelle's first dance as President and First Lady of the United States on January 20, 2009.^[93] "Diva" was released as the third US single from I Am... Sasha Fierce, while "Halo" served as the third international single, and later as the fourth US single. The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and became Knowles' twelfth Hot 100 top-ten single as a solo artist.^[50] With this feat, Knowles achieved more top tens on the Hot 100 than any other female artist of the 2000s decade.^[94] "Ego" was released as the fifth US single from I Am... Sasha Fierce, and subsequently came up with a remix featuring additional vocals from Kanye West. The song peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[50] "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Sweet Dreams" became the album's sixth and seventh singles, respectively. In January 2009, Forbes magazine ranked Knowles and Jay-Z as Hollywood's top-earning couple, with a combined total of $162 million.^[95] They also made it to the top of the list the following year, with a combined total of $122 million between June 2008 and June 2009.^[95] To promote I Am... Sasha Fierce, Knowles embarked on her worldwide I Am... Tour in March 2009. According to Pollstar, the tour earned Knowles $103.2 million for its 97 shows.^[96] In April 2009, Knowles starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller film, Obsessed. The film grossed $11.1 million on its first day of release,^[97] and ended its opening weekend at number one with a total of $28.5 million.^[98]

In June 2009, Forbes listed Knowles fourth on its list of the "100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the World", third on its list of the "Top-Grossing Musicians", and first on the list of "Top Best-Paid Celebs Under 30" with over $87 million in earnings between 2008 and 2009.^[99] "Video Phone" was released as the eighth and final single from I Am... Sasha Fierce, with a music video and digital download release taking form of an extended remix, featuring Lady Gaga. Its music video received two nominations at the 2010 BET Awards for Video of the Year and Best Collaboration,^[100] winning the former category on June 27, 2010.^[101] It also received five nominations at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, in the categories of Best Choreography, Best Collaboration, Best Pop Video, Best Female Video and Best Art Direction.^[102] At the 52nd Grammy Awards, Knowles received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others.^[103] She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist.^[104] Knowles ultimately set the record for the most Grammy awards won on a single night by a female artist, when she won six awards from her ten nominations; Song of the Year, Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Single Ladies", Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Halo", Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "At Last".^[105]

[edit] 2010–present: New management, 4 and motherhood

In January 2010, Knowles was interviewed by USA Today and announced plans to take a break from music in 2010. She stated: "It's definitely time to take a break, to recharge my batteries. ... I'd like to take about six months and not go into the studio. I need to just live life, to be inspired by things again."^[106] During this time, a 60 Minutes segment aired, that revealed Knowles was homeschooled as a child and prays before every live performance.^[107] In February 2010, Knowles was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone". The single reached number one on the US Pop Songs chart, thus becoming the sixth number-one on the chart for both Knowles and Lady Gaga. With this, they both tied with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen BDS-based Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992.^[108] "Telephone" received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 53rd Grammy Awards.^[109] In June 2010, Forbes placed Knowles at number three on its list of "Top-Earning Musicians" with $87 million in grosses for her 93-date world tour, deals with Nintendo and L'Oréal and her House of Deréon clothing line.^[110] This made her the world's best paid female artist for this span of time.^[110] In October 2010, Forbes recognized Knowles as the ninth "Most Powerful Woman in the World".^[111] She was also ranked at ninth place on Forbes' list of "Hollywood's 20 Highest Earners of 2010", becoming the only artist to break the top ten.^[112]

Knowles performing during the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé revue, August 2011

In January 2011, it was announced that Knowles would appear in a remake of A Star Is Born, to be directed and produced by Clint Eastwood for Warner Bros..^[113] The remake will be the fourth telling of the A Star Is Born tale, the most memorable in recent years being the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.^[113] In February 2011, documents obtained by the WikiLeaks website revealed that Knowles along with Usher, Mariah Carey and Nelly Furtado had received as much as $1 million to perform for family members of Libyan politician Muammar Gaddafi.^[114][115] Rolling Stone magazine reported that the music industry was urging them to return the money they earned for the concerts.^[114] On March 2, 2011, a spokesperson for Knowles told The Huffington Post that she had donated the money to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, established to aid the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[114] On March 28, 2011, it was announced that Knowles' father and longtime manager Mathew Knowles would no longer manage her career.^[116] Knowles' publicist released a statement to The Associated Press revealing that Knowles and her father have split "on a business level."^[116] She now manages herself and has hired her own management team.^[117] In June 2011, Forbes placed Knowles eighth on its list of "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" for earning $35 million between the months of May 2010 and 2011. Forbes noted that the low placement for Knowles was due to the fact she spent most of the past year off the road and recording her then upcoming fourth studio album.^[118]

Knowles' fourth studio album 4 was released on June 24, 2011. The album was inspired by several musicians, including Fela Kuti, The Stylistics, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.^[119] It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 310,000 copies.^[120] This gave Knowles her fourth consecutive number one album in the US, and makes her the second female artist and third artist overall, to have her first four studio albums debut atop the Billboard 200.^[120] However, 4's first-week sales served as Knowles' lowest sales start with a studio album to date.^[120] Its lead single "Run the World (Girls)" peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[50] and became Knowles' lowest charting lead single as a solo artist. The album's second single "Best Thing I Never Had" was released on June 1, 2011. It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[50] Knowles headlined at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival, performing a 90-minute set on the last day of the festival on June 26, 2011.^[121] She also performed at the T in the Park Festival in Scotland on July 9, 2011^[122] and the Oxegen Festival in Ireland the next day.^[123] Knowles took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances. The set on each night of the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts was the entire collection of 4. For these four special nights, August 14, 16, 18 and 19, she performed her new songs to a standing room only audience.^[124]

On August 28, 2011 at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Knowles announced that she and Jay-Z were expecting their first child. She made the announcement during her red carpet appearance and again at the end of her performance of "Love on Top" by rubbing her growing stomach.^[125][126] The Huffington Post later confirmed that Knowles was 5 months pregnant and her pregnancy announcement had broken the "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" Twitter record, receiving 8,868 tweets per second.^[127] MTV reported that Knowles' performance of "Love on Top" and the announcement of her pregnancy at the awards ceremony helped the 2011's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers.^[128] In addition, data from Google Insights showed that the most searched for term from August 29, 2011 to September 4, 2011 was "Beyonce pregnant" which reached 'breakout' levels – a term used by Google to describe a search with an increase of over 5,000 percent.^[129] Knowles' announcement of her pregnancy resulted in an increase in sales of her records, particularly 4, which had sold around 700,000 copies by August 2011,^[130] eventually being certified platinum by the RIAA.^[45] The album has since sold 1,135,700 copies in the United States^[131] and 2,100,000 copies worldwide.^[132]

Knowles with her daughter Blue Ivy Carter in April 2012

On October 8, a pre-taped performance of Knowles performing Michael Jackson's "I Wanna Be Where You Are" was shown at the Michael Forever tribute concert at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.^[133] In November 2011, Knowles was named the Highest Paid Performer Per Minute in the world by social media website Saucytime.com, earning £1.25 million for a five-song performance at a private New Year's Eve 2010 party on the island of St. Barts, equating to £71,040 for each minute she was on the stage.^[134] On November 30, 2011, Knowles received two nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards; Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Party", and Best Long Form Music Video for I Am... World Tour.^[135] In December 2011, Knowles was placed fourth on Forbes magazine's 2011 list of the "Top-Earning Women In Music" for earning $35 million.^[136]

On January 7, 2012, Knowles gave birth to a daughter, named Blue Ivy Carter, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.^[137] On January 9, 2012, Jay-Z released "Glory", a song dedicated to their child, on his social website LifeandTimes.com.^[138] The song detailed the couple's pregnancy struggles, including a miscarriage Knowles suffered before becoming pregnant with their daughter.^[138] Because Carter's cries were included at the end of the song and she was officially credited on the song as "B.I.C", at 2 days old she became the youngest person ever to appear on a Billboard chart when "Glory" debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 74.^[139]

On February 16, 2012, it was confirmed by Ryan Tedder that Knowles had already begun work on two new albums, saying "The conversations about her next album literally just started and there [are] two projects happening."^[140] She is also working with The-Dream to record new music.^[141] In May 2012, Knowles was ranked at number 14 on Forbes' list of the "World's 20 Most Powerful Moms".^[142] Forbes also announced their 2012 Celebrity 100 list, which showed Knowles had made earnings of $40 million in 2011, but noted again this was particularly low for Knowles, due to her going on break because of her pregnancy as well as not touring.^[143] On May 15, 2012, Knowles won a Writing Award from the New York Association of Black Journalists, for her July 2011 Essence magazine cover story "Eat, Play, Love," which talks about her nine-month break from music in 2010.^[144] Knowles received two nominations at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards in the categories of Top R&B Artist and Top R&B Album for 4, winning the latter award on May 20, 2012.^[145][146] Knowles took the stage at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall for four nights of performances (May 25–28, 2012) to celebrate the resort's opening.^[147][148] The Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live concerts were noted as Knowles' first performances since giving birth to her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, in January of the same year.^[147] The performances were met with universal acclaim from critics and fans, including US First Lady Michelle Obama, husband Jay-Z, and the Governor of New Jersey Christopher J. Christie.^[149][150] On May 31, 2012, it was announced that Knowles will be cast as Queen Tara in the upcoming 3D CGI animated film entitled Epic to be released by 20th Century Fox.^[151]

Artistry[link]

Music and voice[link]

	"Trust in Me" noicon While predominately R&B, Knowles' music explores various styles. The Daily Mail calls Knowles' voice "versatile", capable of exploring power ballads, soul, rock belting, operatic florishes, and hip hop.[153] "Emotion" noicon Knowles' prominent use of melisma and other vocal ornamentation earns her both praise and criticism from critics and fans.[154][155]
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Knowles' music is generally contemporary R&B, but she also incorporates pop, funk, hip hop, and soul into her songs. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Knowles recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable and the re-release of B'Day. Prior to recording these, Knowles was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.^[156] Since Destiny's Child, Knowles has artistically been involved in her career.^[24] She received co-writing credits for most of the songs recorded by the group, as well as her solo efforts. Known for writing personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions, Knowles has stated that having Jay-Z in her life has changed a few of her thoughts about how men and women relate to one another, which helped her transition from writing songs such as "Independent Women" and "Survivor" to man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U", in which she sings about bringing him slippers and drawing his bath.^[157] Some of her songs are autobiographical, which she has admitted are taken from personal experiences, as well as her friends'.^[158] Knowles has also received co-producing credits for most of the records in which she has been involved, especially during her solo efforts. However, she does not formulate beats herself, but typically comes up with melodies and ideas during production, sharing them with producers.^[159] Knowles was recognized as a songwriter during the run of Destiny's Child in the 1990s and early to mid-2000s. She won the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the 2001 American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Pop Music Awards, becoming the first African-American female and second female songwriter of all time to accomplish the feat.^[15][158] Knowles received songwriting credits in a single year for co-writing "Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It", all of which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the only woman to have written three songs which went to number-one in the same year since Carole King did it in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. In terms of credits, she is tied with Diane Warren at third with nine number-one singles.^[160]

Knowles possesses a mezzo-soprano^[161] vocal range that spans more than three octaves. She has often been identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child.^[162] Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that she has the voice that defines the group, writing that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting".^[163] Other critics praise her range and power. In reviewing her second album B'Day, Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly wrote "Beyoncé Knowles is a storm system disguised as a singer. On her second solo album, B'Day, the songs arrive in huge gusts of rhythm and emotion, with Beyoncé's voice rippling over clattery beats; you'd have to search far and wide—perhaps in the halls of the Metropolitan Opera – to find a vocalist who sings with more sheer force ... No one—not R. Kelly, not Usher, to say nothing of her rival pop divas—can match Beyoncé's genius for dragging her vocal lines against a hip-hop beat."^[164] Chris Richards of The Washington Post wrote, "Even when she's coasting, she soars above her imitators. It's all in her voice—a superhuman instrument capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars. Smitten, scorned, amorous, antagonistic—Beyoncé sings from all of these vantage points with undeniable virtuosity."^[165] Knowles has often been criticized for oversinging. A prominent employer of melisma, she earns frequent comparison to such artists as Mariah Carey, whose vocal embellishments have been known to detract from the melody of their songs.^[154]

Influences[link]

Knowles' credits Michael Jackson as her major musical influence and idol.^[166] Knowles has also named Diana Ross as another one of her influences because "she's an all-around entertainer: a great actor, a good singer, and a beautiful, elegant woman. She's one of the few singers able to cross over into really good movies."^[167] Knowles cites Whitney Houston as another idol saying she "inspired [her] to get up there and do what [she] did."^[168] Her other musical influences include Cher,^[169] Tina Turner,^[170] Prince,^[171] Lauryn Hill,^[167] Sade Adu,^[172] Aaliyah,^[173] Mary J. Blige,^[174] Janet Jackson,^[175] Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell.^[167] Knowles credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child, as well as helping her pursue a career as a musician.^[176] She is also inspired by Oprah Winfrey and US First Lady Michelle Obama.^[177] Knowles says Winfrey is "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman. When I'm around her, I want to stand up straight, pronounce my words right, and articulate."^[167]

Many of the themes and musical styles on Knowles' second solo album B'Day (2006) were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls (2006).^[178] She was inspired to produce an album with an overriding theme of feminism and female empowerment.^[179] Knowles also cited Josephine Baker as an influence on the album.^[180] Knowles' paid homage to Baker by performing "Déjà Vu" at the Fashion Rocks concert on September 8, 2006, with Knowles and her female dancers wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas.^[181] For Knowles' third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), she was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Knowles to explore other musical genres and styles.^[182] On her fourth solo album 4 (2011), Knowles acknowledged that she was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie with additional influences by The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine and Prince.^[183] Knowles also mentioned that she was influenced by Jay-Z's own work as well.^[184]

Stage and alter ego[link]

Knowles performing on the 2011 Good Morning America Summer Concert Series

In 2006, Knowles introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama, which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists.^[185] They made their début appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light".^[156] The band has also supported Knowles in live performances, including her 2007 concert tour The Beyoncé Experience and her 2009 I Am... Tour.

Knowles often receives praise for her stage presence and live performances. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post placed Knowles at number one on her list of The Five Best Singer/Dancers, writing, "the megastar consistently devote[s] every ounce of her to the routine."^[186] In reviewing her I Am... Tour, Renee Michelle Harris of South Florida Times wrote, Knowles "owns the stage with her trademark swagger and intensity ... showcasing her powerful vocals without missing a note, often while engaged in vigorous, perfectly executed dance moves ... no one, not Britney, not Ciara and not Rihanna can offer what she does—a complete package of voice, moves and presence."^[187] Barbara Ellen of The Guardian wrote, "whether charismatic and soulful, or teasing and flirty, Beyoncé is, above all, in charge. Probably the most in charge of any female artist I've seen onstage".^[188] Alice Jones of The Independent wrote, "Watching Beyoncé sing and strut her stuff can feel at best overawing, at worst, alienating. She takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good."^[189] Tamara Hardingham-Gill of the Daily Mail wrote, "many industry experts have been tipping Beyoncé as the next Michael Jackson. While it's far too early for such comparisons, she certainly proved that she is one of the most exciting and talented performers around and may well go down in history as such".^[190]

	"Dangerously in Love" (live) noicon Knowles has received widespread praise for her live vocal performances.[154][155]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Reviewers have praised Knowles live vocal performances. In reviewing one of her performances, Jim Farber of the Daily News wrote "Beyoncé showed off pipes of steely power. As the song's signature horn riff pumped away, she soared over the melody with athletic ease. The way Beyoncé used her body intensified the sense of triumph. With her hair teased into Medusa-like tresses, a pelvis in perpetual churn and legs long enough to make Tina Turner proud, Beyoncé's presence punctuated her singing like an exclamation point."^[191] Stephanie Classen of Star Phoenix declares "Beyoncé is no ordinary performer ... from note one, the 27-year-old powerhouse rose above all the gimmicks, mastering the show like a sexy alien overlord princess. Nothing but extraterrestrial origins could explain that voice ... [Beyoncé] could perform circles around any other pop star today."^[192] Editors of Newsday wrote, "she proves that hot choreography and strong vocals don't have to be mutually exclusive ... No worries of lip-synching here."^[193]

Known for being "sexy, seductive and provocative" when performing on stage, Knowles has stated that's her alter ego Sasha Fierce.^[31] She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating: "I'm not like her in real life at all ... I'm not flirtatious and super-confident and fearless like her. What I feel onstage I don't feel anywhere else. It's an out-of-body experience. I created my stage persona to protect myself so that when I go home I don't have to think about what it is I do. Sasha isn't me. The people around me know who I really am."^[31] Although Sasha was born during the making of "Crazy in Love", Knowles introduced her alter ego with the release of her third album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). In February 2010, Knowles announced in an interview with Allure magazine that "Sasha Fierce is done. I killed her". She then went on saying that she is comfortable enough with herself to be all of those things without an alias, stating: "I don't need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I've grown and now I'm able to merge the two."^[194] In May 2012, Knowles announced that she would be bringing Sasha Fierce back for her Revel shows.^[195]

Public image[link]

Knowles at the premiere for her 2006 film, Dreamgirls.

Knowles has stated: "I like to dress sexy and I carry myself like a lady," but she has said that the way she dresses on stage is "absolutely for the stage".^[196] The media often use the term "Bootylicious" (a portmanteau of the words booty and delicious), to describe Knowles because of her curves.^{[197][198][199]} The term was made widely known by the Destiny's Child single of the same name, and has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.^[200] As someone who is fond of fashion, Knowles combines its artistic elements with her music videos and performances. According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, she uses different styles and tries to harmonize it with the music while performing.^[201] The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles.^[202] People magazine recognized Knowles as the best-dressed celebrity in 2007.^[203] Knowles' mother wrote a 2002-published book, titled Destiny's Style: Bootylicious Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Secrets From Destiny's Child, an account of how fashion had an impact on Destiny's Child's success.^[204] As one of the most media-exposed black celebrities in the United States, Knowles has often received criticism that some believe is due to racism and sexism.^[205] Toure of Rolling Stone stated that since the release of Dangerously in Love (2003), "[Beyoncé] has become a crossover sex symbol a la Halle Berry ..."^[206] In 2006, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), had criticized Knowles for wearing fur coats and using fur in her clothing line House of Deréon.^[207]

A wax sculpture of Knowles

During the release of Rihanna's second album A Girl Like Me (2006), many critics felt that her image was too heavily similar to Knowles'.^[208] Some media even claimed that Jay-Z fashioned her to be a replica of Knowles.^[209] Amina Taylor of The Guardian described Rihanna as the "Bajan Beyoncé".^[208] In 2007, Knowles was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and became the first non-model and non-athlete woman to pose on the issue, and the second model of African American descent after Tyra Banks.^[210] In the same year, Knowles appeared on billboards and newspapers across the United States showing her holding an antiquated cigarette holder. Taken from the back cover of B'Day, the image provoked response from an anti-smoking group, stating that she did not need to add the cigarette holder "to make herself appear more sophisticated".^[211] Knowles has several wax figures of herself at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York,^[212] Washington, D.C.,^[213] Amsterdam,^[214] Bangkok^[215] and Hollywood.^[216]

In March 2009, comparisons were made between the fashions of Knowles and Ciara, when the latter released the music video of her single "Love Sex Magic".^[217] In the video, Ciara is seen wearing a black leotard and metallic glasses, similar to those worn by Knowles in both her "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Diva" videos.^[218] However, Ciara stated that her outfits were "inspired by the Vegas shows" she attended.^[219] In September 2010, Knowles made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show.^[220] In February 2011, LA Times magazine placed Knowles at number 25 on its list of the 50 Most Beautiful Women in Film.^[221] During the same month, Knowles appeared on the cover of the March issue of French fashion magazine L'Officiel, in honor of the magazine's 90th anniversary and in tribute to Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.^[222] Knowles appeared in blackface and tribal makeup, that had drawn criticism from the media.^[222] A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine, said that Knowles' look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and explained that it was "a return to her African roots, as you can see on the picture, on which her face was voluntarily darkened."^[222] In June 2011, Knowles became the first major solo female artist to perform on the Pyramid stage, in over twenty years, at the Glastonbury Festival in England.^[223] Men's Health magazine named Knowles one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time", ranking her at number 33.^[224] In 2012, she was named "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People magazine.^[225]

Legacy[link]

In November 2009, Knowles was named the Artist of the Decade by The Observer.^[226] In December 2009, Billboard magazine ranked Knowles the fourth Artist of the 2000s decade^[7] and named her the most successful female artist of the 2000s, as well as the top radio artist.^[6] Knowles was also ranked 15th on Billboard magazine's list of The Top 50 R&B/Hip Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years (1985–2010).^[227] In February 2010, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), listed Knowles as the top certified artist of the decade, with a total of 64 certifications, including albums, digital songs, master ringtones and music videos.^[8] In August 2010, Knowles was ranked 52nd on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.^[13] In 2011, The Root magazine ranked Knowles 13th on their list of The 100 Most Influential African Americans.^[228] In May 2011, Keith Caulfield and Gary Trust of Billboard magazine listed Knowles at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters, for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list.^[229] In September 2011, it was made known that Knowles had set a new Guinness World Records, for most tweets per second about her pregnancy.^[230] A year earlier, Knowles and her husband Jay-Z made it into the Guinness Book of World Records, cited as the "Power Couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009.^[231] On September 29, 2011, "Crazy in Love" was ranked number one on VH1's list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s.^[232] In October 2011, Prefix magazine listed Knowles at number one on their list of the Best Female R&B Singers, writing that "What's almost unbelievably insane is that not only can Beyoncé sing better than anybody else out there, but she can also dance better than anyone else out there, and unlike virtually every single performer, she can do both at the same time."^[233]

Knowles performing during her I Am... Tour in 2009.

Throughout her career, Knowles has received numerous awards and achievements. In 2007, she became the first female artist to be awarded the International Artist Award at the American Music Awards.^[234] At the 2008 World Music Awards, Knowles was honored the legend award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.^[235] At the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, she was honored with a Billboard Millennium Award for recognizing her career achievements and influence in the music industry.^[236] Knowles is one of the most honored artists by the Grammys, and third among female artists,^[237] with a total of 16 Grammy Awards—13 as a solo artist and 3 as a member of Destiny's Child.^[10][238] Her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, was listed as one of the top 200 definitive albums in music history by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.^[239] As of September 2009, Knowles has sold 75 million records worldwide as a solo artist, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.^[12] Knowles' music video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" has achieved fame for its intricate choreography, which has been credited as having started the "first major dance craze of both the new millennium and the Internet".^[85] This prompted a legion of imitations and parodies from men and women all around the world posting videos of themselves onto YouTube attempting to perform the choreography.^[240] Celebrities have also tried the choreography, including Justin Timberlake,^[88] Joe Jonas,^[89] Tom Hanks^[90] and US President Barack Obama.^[91]

Knowles has been cited as a musical inspiration by contemporary artists. Rihanna stated that she was inspired by Knowles because "when she came out with Dangerously in Love ... I was like 'wow, I want to be just like that.' She's huge and just an inspiration and one of the artists that I admire a lot."^[241] Alexandra Burke, who has performed with Knowles during The X Factor (UK) 2008 final,^[242] stated that she took inspiration from Knowles for her first headlining tour.^[243] Leona Lewis commented: "Beyoncé is great, so lovely and down to earth and talented. She's inspiring."^[244] Lewis further commented that she would like to become an actress like Knowles.^[244] Jessie J stated that she would like to be as successful as Knowles within the next decade.^[245] Nicki Minaj commented that she admires Knowles a lot, stating: "Just her name alone defines greatness, right? That push that every woman wants to be ... that driven."^[246] JoJo stated that she looks to Knowles for inspiration in her music because "I think she's incredible as an entertainer, a role model, and a writer. I think she can do it all."^[247] While speaking of her image, Nicole Scherzinger stated: "I am inspired by women like Beyoncé who wear costumes that aren't much but they are real artists and they put real artistry into what they do and that is how I pride myself."^[248] Adele commented: "I don't know her but she's a huge part of my life ... Everything I refer to has always got something to do with Destiny's Child or her. She just knows what she wants. She's in control of it all. She's classy. She's still totally fucking relevant. And just a nice person."^[249] Adele also revealed that she was inspired by Knowles' alter ego Sasha Fierce, to create her own named Sasha Carter. The composite of Sasha Fierce and late country icon June Carter, is pulled out whenever she needs to give herself a shot of confidence.^[250] Australian recording artist Ricki-Lee Coulter named Knowles as one of her musical influences, stating: "She's so driven, she pushes herself to the limits and she's achieved so much but she's always looking for what that next thing is and how she can improve from what she's done in the past. She's really setting the benchmark for female artists and I think she kind of is the Michael Jackson of this generation."^[251] Kelly Rowland cited Knowles as an inspiration while recording her second solo album, Ms. Kelly (2007).^[252] American indie rock band White Rabbits have also cited Knowles an inspiration for their third studio album.^[253] Gwyneth Paltrow stated that she studied Knowles a lot at her live concerts, while learning to become a musical performer in the film Country Strong (2010).^[254]

Katy Perry commented that she looked to Knowles for some "trend-setting inspiration", stating: "I've adopted the Beyoncé leg. ... When I saw her on tour, she had these glowing legs."^[255] Trey Songz named Knowles as his favorite female singer and stated: "I followed her since Destiny's Child's first single and I truly think she's deserving of all that she has. She works extremely hard. She's an amazing performer, vocalist, and even outside of that, she's an amazing businesswoman. She's the perfect model for what an artist can be."^[256] Miley Cyrus commented that she would like to be like Knowles, stating: "She is the ultimate woman. You look at her and you don't think, I wonder what her personal life is like. You look at her and you go, that girl on the stage is a superstar. You don't care about anything else; you only care about her music. So I would hope that would be me in the future."^[257] Lady Gaga recalled: "I've never told Beyoncé this, but I remember laying on my grandmother's couch crying, and a Destiny's Child video came on. I remember watching Beyoncé thinking, 'Oh, she's a star. I want that. I want to be on MTV'. And now I'm in music videos with Beyoncé."^[258] Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry revealed that she was disappointed that she never became a "megastar" like Knowles, stating: "the temptation to be such a great entertainer and performer like Beyoncé [is] so fantastic. I would adore doing some of that stuff. Her track record with songs is phenomenal; I wish we had as many hits."^[259] Simon Cowell stated that she is "Ambitious, talented, competitive. She defines this new breed of what I call super popstars, and they are all girls at the moment. It's like a new super species who literally want to rule the world."^[260] LA Reid commented that Knowles "may arguably be the most talented performer alive."^[260]

In January 2012, it was announced that Scaptia beyonceae, a species of horse fly found in northern Queensland, Australia, was named after Knowles. Bryan Lessard, the research scientist who named the species, did so due to the fly's unique golden hairs on its abdomen, calling it the "all-time diva of flies".^[261] On January 27, 2012, Knowles and Jay-Z were ranked at number 13 on Billboard magazine's 2012 Power 100 list, a ranking of the most powerful people in the music business.^[262] On January 28, 2012, it was announced that the My Fox Houston company are planning to build a monument for Knowles in her hometown Houston, Texas.^[263] The monument will include a "massive hall" and "mini museum" devoted to Knowles and Destiny's Child.^[263] It was also made known that Rutgers University in New Jersey, have a course named after Knowles called "Politicizing Beyoncé".^[264] The course allows students to explore the "social and cultural significance" of Knowles' music and image, including her alter ego Sasha Fierce and whether Knowles "racy performances" are of female sexual empowerment or "merely complying with western gender stereotypes".^[264]

Other ventures[link]

House of Deréon[link]

Knowles and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a ready-to-wear contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005.^[265] The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name Deréon paying tribute to Knowles' grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, who worked as a seamstress.^[266] According to Tina Knowles, the overall style of the line best reflects Knowles' taste and style.^[267] Knowles and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for Deréon, a "junior lifestyle collection", and House of Deréon.^[265] Products of House of Deréon received public exhibitions through Destiny's Child's shows and tours, during their Destiny Fulfilled era.^[268][269] The House of Deréon collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear, which are available at department and specialty stores across the United States and Canada.^[265]

In 2005, Knowles teamed up with House of Brands, a local shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deréon.^[270] In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a "high-style" mobile game with an online social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection.^[265] In July 2009, Knowles and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry.^[271] It was available to buy at department stores including Macy's and Dillard's, and specialty stores Jimmy Jazz and Against All Odds.^[271] On May 27, 2010, Knowles teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch Deréon by Beyoncé at C&A stores in Brazil.^[272] The collection included Tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses.^[272]

Products and endorsements[link]

In 2002, Knowles signed a promotional deal with Pepsi to appear in two television commercials, as well as in radio and Internet advertisements and in-store promotional materials.^[273] A 2004 Pepsi television commercial in the theme of "Gladiators" featured Knowles with singers Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias,^[274] and the following year with Jennifer Lopez and David Beckham on a commercial called "Samurai".^[275] Knowles' range of commercial deals and products also includes beauty care products and perfumes. She has worked with L'Oréal since the age of 18.^[276] In 2004, Knowles launched her fragrance, True Star, with Tommy Hilfiger. The commercial for the scent was shot in black and white and has Knowles singing a cover version of "Wishing on a Star", for which she earned $250,000.^[277] The following year, Knowles launched her second fragrance with Hilfiger called True Star Gold.^[278] In 2007, Knowles appeared in an advertisement campaign for the Emporio Armani Diamonds fragrance.^[279]

In March 2009, Knowles appeared in a television commercial for the Nintendo DS game Rhythm Heaven.^[280] In January 2010, Knowles signed a three-year endorsement deal with Vizio.^[281] She also appeared in two television commercials for Style Savvy, a fashion video game for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi. Five designs from her House of Deréon clothing line were available for download in the game.^[282] In February 2010, Knowles launched her first official fragrance, Heat.^[283] She re-recorded her cover version of "Fever" for the fragrance's television commercial. The commercial was banned from daytime television in the United Kingdom, after it had received 14 viewer complaints. The commercial, which begins with an image of Knowles appearing to lie naked in a room, had been deemed "too sexually provocative" to be seen by young children and was not shown before 7.30 pm.^[284] In February 2011, Knowles launched her second fragrance, Heat Rush.^[285] In April 2011, Knowles was sued by US game developer, Gate Five, for more than $100 million, who claimed she "destroyed [its] business ... on a whim".^[286] Gate Five alleged that Knowles changed her mind about plans for a game called Starpower: Beyoncé, forcing the company to sack 70 employees the week before Christmas 2010.^[286] Knowles' third fragrance, Pulse, was launched in September 2011.^[287]

Philanthropy[link]

Knowles and Destiny's Child band mate, Kelly Rowland, along with the former's family, founded the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up to provide transitional housing for 2005 Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas area.^[15] The Survivor Foundation extended the philanthropic mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston.^[15] Knowles donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund, which benefits victims of Hurricane Ike in the Houston area. She organized a fund raising benefit for Hurricane Ike relief through the Survivor Foundation.^[288] In 2005, music producer David Foster, his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies, and Knowles wrote "Stand Up for Love", which would serve as the anthem of 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.^[15] Knowles conducted food drives during stops on 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, 2006.^[289]

Knowles at the opening of the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center on March 5, 2010

On October 4, 2008, Knowles attended the Miami Children's Hospital Diamond Ball & Private Concert at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, where she was inducted into the International Pediatric Hall of Fame. Seven-year-old Ethan Bortnick dedicated and performed "Over the Rainbow" to Knowles.^[290] After completing work on Cadillac Records (2008), Knowles donated her entire salary to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers around the country. Knowles visited a Brooklyn, New York site in preparation for portraying singer Etta James, who was once addicted to heroin.^[291] During this time, she recorded with various artists for "Just Stand Up!", a charity single for the Stand Up to Cancer charity. Joining Knowles on the song was Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis, Rihanna, Leann Rimes and Mary J. Blige, among others. Knowles also teamed up with the "Show Your Helping Hand" hunger relief initiative and General Mills Hamburger Helper. The goal was to help Feeding America deliver more than 3.5 million meals to local food banks. Knowles encouraged her fans to bring non-perishable groceries to her US concert tour stops.^[292] In January 2010, Knowles participated in the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief. She appeared in London with Jay-Z, Rihanna, and U2's Bono and The Edge, where she performed a piano version of "Halo".^[293] Knowles was named the official face of the limited edition "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The shirt, which reads: "To Haiti With Love", was designed by Peter Arnell, who also created the "Fashion for America" T-shirt which raised $2 million after 9/11.^[294]

On March 5, 2010, Knowles and her mother Tina Knowles, opened the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center at the Brooklyn Phoenix House. The program offers a seven-month cosmetology training course for men and women there. L'Oréal donated all the products to be used at the center, and Knowles, along with her mother, have pledged to donate $100,000 annually.^[295] In April 2011, Knowles joined forces with US First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation to help boost her campaign against child obesity.^[296] Knowles reworked her single "Get Me Bodied" (2007) and renamed it "Move Your Body" for the Let's Move! Flash Workout initiative.^[297] On April 9, 2011, an instructional video, featuring a group of teenagers dancing to "Move Your Body" was released online.^[297] On April 26, 2011, Knowles released a video of her own version of the exercise routine.^[298] Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Knowles released a charity single titled "God Bless the USA", to help raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.^[299] The song was originally released in 1984 by country musician Lee Greenwood.^[299] Its popularity increased after the September 11 attacks, and it was re-released following the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Discography[link]

• Dangerously in Love (2003)
• B'Day (2006)
• I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
• 4 (2011)

Filmography[link]

• Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
• Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
• The Fighting Temptations (2003)
• The Pink Panther (2006)
• Dreamgirls (2006)
• Cadillac Records (2008)
• Obsessed (2009)
• A Star Is Born (2012)
• Epic (2012)

Bibliography[link]

• Eat, Play, Love (2011); An article that was featured in the July 2011 issue of Essence magazine.

See also[link]

	Book: Beyoncé Knowles
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

	Beyoncé Knowles portal
	R&B and Soul Music portal

• Destiny's Child discography
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of Beyoncé Knowles concert tours
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of awards and nominations received by Beyoncé Knowles
• List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees

References[link]