History

History

Beyonce Knowles' history examines the rise to fame of one of the world's most recognized young entertainers. As one of the top female singers and songwriters of the 21^st century, Beyonce Knowles, usually known as simply Beyonce, has introduced many R&B sound to pop music and earned many awards for her success. Knowles is known for ever expanding her skills, venturing into acting, modeling and producing as well as singing and songwriting.

Early Years
Knowles was born in Houston, Texas on Sept. 4, 1981. Her full name is Beyonce Giselle Knowles and her parents are Matthew, a record manager, and Tina, a stylist. Her unusual name comes from her mother's maiden name, Beyincé. As a child, Knowles sang and danced in school and church performances. She joined a newly formed girl's singing group, Girl's Tyme, at the age of eight, and got the chance to compete on Star Search. The group lost early on, but continued to perform. Knowles' father acted as manager and worked hard to get the girls exposure to record labels.
After a few false starts and a name change to Destiny's Child in 1993, the four-girl group grew more popular over the next four years, performing for local venues and blending pop, R&B and soul sounds.

Music Career
In 1997, Knowles and the other singers signed a contract with Columbia Records and recorded a single song for the film Men in Black. A hit self-titled album followed later in the year, enabling Destiny's Child to earn three Soul Train awards in 1998. The second album, The Writing's on the Wall, earned Knowles and the group several Grammy awards. The third album, Survivor, released in 2001, also earned several awards.
In 2000, Knowles contracted with Columbia Records for three solo albums and took the time to expand her career. Her first album, Dangerously in Love, was released in 2003 and featured two of the year's biggest hits, "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy." Knowles won five Grammys for that solo effort at the 2004 Grammy Awards.

Other Endeavors
During the making of her solo album, she starred in the movie, Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and The Fighting Temptations (2003). Knowles participated in a range of solo projects until 2004, when Destiny's Child reunited for a new album.
In 2004, Knowles toured with Destiny's Child, promoting their album Destiny Fulfilled, and expanded her acting with appearances in The Pink Panther (2006) and Dreamgirls (2006). She released her second solo album, B'Day, in 2006 and her third album, I Am…Sasha Fierce in 2008. Knowles married longtime boyfriend Jay-Z in 2008. She starred in the film Cadillac Records in 2008 and Obsessed in 2009.