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Home > Artists > Beyoncé

Beyoncé
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Mathew Knowles, a professional record manager, and Tina Knowles, a costume designer and hair stylist. Knowles' father is African American and her mother is of Creole (African American, Native American, and French) descent. Knowles was baptized after her mother's maiden name, as a tribute to her mother and to prevent the name from becoming obsolete, since only a few of the Beyincé males carry the name. Although a shy girl, as her mother considered her, Knowles' interest in music and performing began unexpectedly after participating in a school talent show. Once she had a moment on the stage, she overcame her shyness and wanted to become a singer and performer. By age seven, Knowles had entered her first talent show, singing John Lennon's "Imagine". She won the contest and was honored with a standing ovation. At the same age, 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.

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. and later went to Alief Elsik High School, located in the Houston suburban munincipality, Alief. Knowles was a soloist in the choir of her church, in St. John's United Methodist Church.

At the age of eight, Knowles met La Tavia Roberson while in an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They, along with Knowles' friend Kelly Rowland, were placed into a group that performed rapping and dancing. Originally named Girl's Tyme, 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. He dedicated his time and established a "boot camp" for their training. The move reduced Knowles' family's income by half and her parents moved into separated apartments because of the pressure. Not long after the inclusion of Rowland, Mathew cut the original lineup to four, with Le Toya Luckett joining in 1993. 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; 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, only to be dropped months later before they could release an album.Taking inspiration from a passage in the Book of Isaiah, the group changed its name to Destiny's Child in 1993.

Along with their commercial successes, the group became entangled in much-publicized turmoil involving the filing of a lawsuit by Luckett and Roberson for breach of contract. The issue was heightened after Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin appeared on the video of "Say My Name", implying that Luckett and Roberson had already been replaced. The themes of "Survivor", however, caused Luckett and Roberson to refile their lawsuit, believing that the songs were aimed at them. To date, 'Survivor' has sold over ten million copies worldwide, over forty percent of which were sold in the U.S. alone. 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', the group announced a hiatus to pursue solo projects. While Knowles was with Destiny's Child, she made solo appearances. She made a duet with label mate Marc Nelson on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film 'The Best Man', and featured on the 2000 single "I Got That" by rapper Amil.

In 2002, Knowles co-starred in the comedy film 'Austin Powers in Goldmember', playing Foxxy Cleopatra opposite Mike Myers. The movie topped the box office, gaining $73.1 million on its first weekend. The following year, Knowles starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the romantic comedy film 'The Fighting Temptations', and recorded numerous song's for the film's soundtrack, including "Fighting Temptation"(featuring Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free) and a cover version of "Fever".

That same year, Knowles was featured on her then-boyfriend Jay-Z's hit single "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". Luther Vandross and Knowles remade the duet "The Closer I Get to You", which was originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway in 1977. Their version won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals the following year, and Vandross' "Dance with My Father", which also features Knowles, won for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

After Williams and Rowland released their solo efforts, Knowles released her debut solo album, 'Dangerously in Love', in June 2003. the album has sold 4.2 million copies to date in the United States.

The album yielded two number one singles. "Crazy in Love", featuring a guest rap verse from Jay-Z, was released as the album's lead single remained on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks and topping many charts worldwide. Knowles also successfully dominated the United Kingdom, simultaneously topping the singles and album charts there. The album's second single, "Baby Boy", which features dancehall singer Sean Paul, also became one of the biggest hits of 2003, dominating U.S. radio airplay and spending nine weeks at number one on the 'Billboard' Hot 100--one week longer than "Crazy in Love". Unlike "Crazy in Love", the final three singles attained more immediate commercial successes, propelling the album to the top of the charts and going a long way toward it being certified multi-platinum.

Knowles won five awards at the 2004 Grammy Awards for her solo effort, which included the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song for "Crazy in Love", and the Best Contemporary R&B Album. She shared this distinction with four other female artists: Lauryn Hill (1999), Alicia Keys (2002) Norah Jones (2003) and Amy Winehouse (2008) up until 2010, when she won 6 Grammy Awards in one night. In 2004, she won a BRIT Award for International Female Solo Artist.

In 2004, Knowles planned to release a follow-up to 'Dangerously in Love', which would feature some of the left-over recordings. However, her musical aspirations were put on hiatus due to conflicting schedules, including her recording with Destiny's Child for what would be their final album. Early in that year, Knowles performed the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium in Houston; she admitted it fulfilled a childhood dream.

After a three-year journey that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Knowles rejoined Rowland and Williams for 'Destiny Fulfilled', released in November 2004. In support of the album, Destiny's Child embarked on the 2005 'Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It' world tour, which started in April and ran through September. On the Barcelona, Spain visit, the group announced their disbandment after the end of their final North American leg. In October 2005, the group released a compilation album, entitled '#1's', including all of Destiny's Child's number-one hits and most of their well-known songs. The greatest hits collection also includes three new tracks, including "Stand Up for Love". Destiny's Child was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006.

Continuing her film career, Knowles co-starred in the film 'The Pink Panther', playing the role of Xania, an international pop star, opposite Steve Martin, who plays Inspector Clouseau. The film was released on February 10, 2006, and debuted at number one at the box office, doing $21.7 million in ticket sales in its first week. Knowles told 'Billboard' magazine: "I'm not going to write for the album until I finish doing the movie." On December 14, 2006, Knowles was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for the film: Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and Best Original Song for" Listen "." from 'Dreamgirls', during The Beyoncé Experience tour in 2007.

Inspired by her role in 'Dreamgirls', Knowles worked on her second album without any specific plan, telling MTV News, "When filming ended I had so many things bottled up, so many emotions, so many ideas". Knowles worked with previous musical collaborators, including Rich Harrison, Rodney Jerkins and Sean Garrett, at the Sony Music Studios in New York City. She co-wrote and co-produced nearly all songs included in the album, which was completed in three weeks.

'B'Day' was released worldwide on September 4, 2006 and on September 5, 2006 in the United States to coincide with the celebration of her twenty-fifth birthday. The album debuted at number one on the 'Billboard' 200, selling more than 541,000 copies in the first week, her highest first-week sales mark as a solo artist. The album has been certified three-times platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America. Although it was a commercial success, the relatively short-spanned production of the album was the subject of critical scrutiny.

Knowles re-released 'B'Day' on April 3, 2007 as a deluxe edition, featuring five new tracks and Spanish-language versions of "Irreplaceable", and "Listen". Simultaneously, the 'B'Day Anthology' was released featuring 10 music videos. In support of the album, Knowles embarked on her lengthy The Beyoncé Experience concert tour, visiting over ninety venues worldwide, which was made into the concert DVD 'The Beyoncé Experience Live!'. At the 2007 Grammy Awards, 'B'Day' earned Knowles the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. Knowles made history at the 35th Annual American Music Awards for being the first woman to win an International Artist Award. Knowles says that the name 'Sasha Fierce' is the name of the persona she adopts when she performs onstage. The album was preceded with the release of its two singles, "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". While" If I Were a Boy "topped numerous charts worldwide, mostly in European countries," Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" went on to top the 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart, for four non-consecutive weeks, giving Knowles her fifth number one single in the United States.

Knowles appeared in the musical biopic film, 'Cadillac Records', in which Knowles had been cast to play famed blues singer Etta James. Her performance in the film has received praise from critics. Knowles also starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in a thriller film called 'Obsessed', which was in production since May 2008. The film has proved to be a commercial success and was released in the United States on April 24, 2009, the film grossed $11.1 million on its first day of release and ended its opening weekend at number one, with a total of $28.6 million. as well as the most top 40 hits of the decade with 18 top 40 hits.

Knowles won the Outstanding Female Artist at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards. She also won the Best R&B Artist award at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards. Knowles performed on January 18, 2009 at the Lincoln Memorial festivities in honor of the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Knowles also sang her cover of the R&B classic most famously sang by Etta James, "At Last", as President Obama and his wife Michelle had their first dance as President and First lady of America, on January 20, 2009 at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.

In support of the album, Knowles embarked on her lengthy I Am... Tour concert tours starting in the Spring of 2009, visiting venues all over the world. She concluded the North American leg of her tour with a four-day limited engagement at the very intimate, 1500-seat Encore Theater at Steve Wynn's Encore Resort in Las Vegas, from July 30 through August 2, 2009. As of August 2, 2009, Knowles's tour has officially been ranked a No. 1 concert attraction thanks to record attendance and an unprecedented multi-leg journey. 'Billboard' journalist Bob Allen confirms the tour's success, stating: "With reported grosses topping $36 million since the tour began, her show ranks among the top 15 grossing tours of the year." On one of her last dates in the United Kingdom, Beyoncé said," So hopefully I'll see you in a year with a new album."

The "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" video won the 2009 BET Awards Video of the Year. In addition, it was nominated for a total of nine awards 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 controversy during the ceremony; Swift's award acceptance speech was interrupted by Hip-Hop artist Kanye West, who grabbed her microphone to declare the" Single Ladies "video as" one of the best videos of all time ". When Knowles accepted the Video of the Year award, she stated," I remember being 17 years old, up for my first MTV award with Destiny's Child and it was one of the most exciting moments in my life "and that she would like for Swift to" come out and have her moment ". In October 2009, Knowles was honored with 'Billboard' magazine's" Woman of the Year "award. Accepting the award, Knowles remarked" I am the luckiest woman in the world." Beyonce set a Grammy winnings record on January 31, 2010, for the most awards won on a single night by a female artist when she took home six awards from her ten nominations.

In November 2009, Knowles was announced as the winner of the UK's 4Music's 'World's Greatest Popstars' competition which was sponsored by Rimmel. Over 100,000 voted, with Knowles coming out top of the highly publicised vote, even ahead of the likes of Madonna, Britney Spears, Eminem and Pink.

Knowles participated in the "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief", reports MTV News. She appeared in London with Jay-Z, U2's Bono and The Edge, and Rihanna, were she performed an acoustic version of her song "Halo".

Beyoncé made history at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. In addition to being the evening's biggest winner, the singer became the most awarded woman in one night in the 52-year history of the awards show. Knowles took home 6 Grammys out of the ten she was nominated for.Knowles has always been identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. 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". James Anthony of 'The Guardian' called her voice distinctive and fast, with almost hiccuping vocal technique. Chris Richards of the 'Washington Post' writes, "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." The 'Cove' magazine ranked Knowles seventh on their list of" The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists ", giving her 48 out of 50 points based on several criteria ranging from her vocal ability to range to harmony.

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.

Knowles' music is generally contemporary R&B, but she also incorporates pop, funk, hip hop, and soul genres into her work. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Knowles did record several Spanish records for the re-release of 'B'Day'. Destiny's Child had already recorded a Spanish song and received favorable responses from their Latin fans. Knowles took Spanish in school when she was young, but can now only speak a few words of the language. Prior to recording the Spanish titles on the re-released version of 'B'Day', she was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez. Some of her songs are autobiographical, which she has admitted are taken from personal experiences, as well as her friends'.

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. 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,

Early into her career, Knowles developed an alter ego, Sasha Fierce, that represents the more aggressive, sexual and confident side of the singer. In an interview with 'Entertainment Weekly' magazine, Knowles noted that her alter-ego is "strictly for the stage." Knowles wears a" roboglove " in public to compliment Sasha Fierce.

In 2006, Knowles introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama, which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. They debuted at the 2006 BET Awards and they re-appeared in the music video for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". In reviewing her 2009 I Am... Tour, Alice Jones of 'The Independent' writes, "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."'The New York Times' writes," there is a breathtaking elegance in her acute desire to entertain ". Renee Michelle Harris of the 'South Florida Times' writes, 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."The 'Daily Mail' writes," many industry experts have been tipping Beyonce 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 performer's around and may well go down in history as such.

Stephanie Classen of the 'Star Phoenix' declares "Beyonce 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.... Beyonce could perform circles around any other pop star today."'Newsday' writes," she proves that hot choreography and strong vocals don't have to be mutually exclusive... No worries of lip-synching here."

Beyonce has also been criticized for her suggestive choreography. Her performance at the former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant's tomb on July 4, 2003 was cited as lasciviously choreographed; Grant's descendants in attendance had mixed reaction to it.

According to her, "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 ". 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. The 'B'Day Anthology' showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. 'People' magazine recognized Knowles as the best-dressed celebrity in 2007. 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.

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. Toure of 'Rolling Stone' stated that since the release of 'Dangerously in Love', " Beyoncé has become a crossover sex symbol a la Halle Berry ..." Her appearance in 'Vanity Fair' magazine has also provoked speculations that her skin tone was digitally altered.

On April 24, 2009, Knowles appeared on Larry King Live, where she gave herself a more political image and talked about everything from singing at President Barack Obama's inauguration, to racism that she has faced being an African-American. She said that Michelle Obama is " so chic," and even stated that singing for the Obamas' first dance was the highlight of her career.

Knowles has cited various artists who have influenced her musical style. She grew up listening to songs of Anita Baker and Luther Vandross, the latter of whom she eventually collaborated with, but often credits Michael Jackson as the reason why she does music and her hero. She also was exposed to the jazz music of Rachelle Ferrell, after singing Ferrell's songs during her voice lessons. Knowles cites influences from American artists Tina Turner, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Selena, Mary J. Blige, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Mariah Carey and the Colombian singer Shakira.

Knowles also has influenced various contemporary artists. Pop singer Rihanna has been compared to her when the columnist for The Guardian Amina Taylor called her "Bajan Beyoncé". In addition, 'American Idol' winner Jordin Sparks' first single," Tattoo ", and debut album have been described as very" Beyoncé-ish "; some critics said that" Tattoo "might be" a blatant rip-off "off Knowles' hit single" Irreplaceable ". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic found American pop singer Katharine Mc Phee's songs on her debut album of the same name to have heavy influences from Knowles' music. Rowland was inspired by Knowles' voice while recording the former's second album, 'Ms. Kelly'. Miley Cyrus told 'America's Seventeen':" I want to be like Beyonce. 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."

Knowles became the first female to be awarded the International Artist Award at the American Music Awards. At the 2008 World Music Awards, Knowles was honored the legend award for Outstanding Contribution To The Arts. Knowles was the lead vocalist of one of the world's best selling female groups of all time Destiny's Child. Her debut album was listed as one of the top 200 Definitive albums in music history by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She was one of a few artist of her generation to be mentioned on that list. Knowles has many different wax figures but her most known figure is at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Mo'Nique hosted the 2003; 2004, and 2007 BET Awards and was apparently inspired by Knowles, deciding to open the 2004 ceremony by performing Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love". The performer repeated this pattern at the 2007 ceremony by performing "Deja Vu".Knowles and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a ready-to-wear contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. 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. According to Tina Knowles, the overall style of the line best reflects Knowles' taste and style. Launched in 2006, products of House of Deréon received public exhibitions during the group's shows and tours during 'Destiny Fulfilled'. The store, which is available across the United States and Canada, sells sportswear, denim along with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear. In 2004, Knowles and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deréon. In early 2008, they launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a mobile game with an online social networking component, featuring House of Deréon.

Knowles signed with Pepsi in 2002 for a promotional deal, which included appearances on TV commercials, as well as radio and Internet advertisements. She was included by the company as endorser to help accomplish wider demographic coverage. A 2004 Pepsi TV commercial in the theme of "Gladiators" featured Knowles and singers Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias, and the following year with Jennifer Lopez and David Beckham entitled "Samurai".

Knowles' range of commercial deals and products also includes beauty care products and perfumes. She has worked with L'Oréal since 18, and signed with the cosmetics company in 2003, earning her about $1 million. She launched Tommy Hilfiger's True Star fragrance, in 2004. As part of her contributions to the product, Knowles sang a cover version of "Wishing on a Star" for the True Star commercials, for which she earned $250,000. She also launched Hilfiger's True Star Gold in 2005 and Emporio Armani's Diamonds in 2007. 'Forbes' magazine reported that Knowles earned $80 million between June 2007 and June 2008, combined with her album, tour, fashion business, and promotional deals. It made her the world's second best-paid music personality for this span of time. In the period from June 2008 through June 2009, Beyoncé earned $87 million according to Forbes, putting her in fourth place on the 2009 Forbes Celebrity 100 list. In 2010, Knowles will release her first fragrance, "Heat". As part of the scent's advertising campaign, Knowles re-recorded her cover version of "Fever" for the "Heat" commercials. Knowles first recorded "Fever" for her 2003 movie "The Fighting Temptations". Industry experts estimate that the fragrance could do $100 million at retail globally in its first year. Knowles explained the concept behind the fragrance: "A lot of my performances have had fire involved, so we thought 'Heat.' Also, red is one of my favorite colors, as is gold, everything, from the bottle design to the name and the ideas for the commercials--that's me". Knowles also said about the fragrance: "For me, fragrance reflects a woman's attitude and unique sense of style, while I love various perfumes, I haven't found a scent that truly personifies me as a woman. Working with Coty, I was able to turn my ideal fragrance into a reality by creating an alluring and sophisticated fragrance; one that's reflective of my inner power".

Knowles has been exposed to issues of social awareness since a young child, as her father would sometimes take her into the community, including African-American society.

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. In 2008, 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 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. 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. Ethan Bortnick, the seven-year old musical sensation, dedicated and performed "Over the Rainbow" to Knowles. After completing work on 'Cadillac Records', Knowles donated her entire salary to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers around the country. Knowles visited a Brooklyn site in preparation for portraying singer Etta James, who was once addicted to heroin.

And most recently Knowles has teamed up with the 'Show Your Helping Hand' hunger relief initiative and General Mills Hamburger Helper. The goal is to help Feeding America deliver more than 3.5 million meals to local food banks. Knowles encourages her fans to bring non-perishable groceries to her U.S. concert tour stops.

Beyoncé 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.During the turmoil of Destiny's Child in 2000, Knowles had admitted in December 2006 that she had experienced depression from an accumulation of struggles: the publicized split of Le Toya Luckett and La Tavia Roberson, being publicly attacked by the media, critics and blogs for causing the split-up, and a longstanding boyfriend (that she had dated from age 12 to 19 years) leaving her.

The depression was so severe it had lasted for a couple of years, while she had 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. 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." In 2005, rumors began to spread about the marriage of the couple. Knowles closed the speculation stating that she and Jay-Z were not even engaged. Laura Schreffler, senior writer for 'OK!' magazine, said," They are intensely private people ".

On April 4, 2008, Knowles and Jay-Z were married in New York City. It became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008, but Knowles did not publicly debut her wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008 in New York City. Knowles finally revealed their marriage through an opening montage video at the listening party for 'I Am... Sasha Fierce' in Manhattan's Sony Club.On New Year's Eve 2009 Knowles was the star attraction at a party on the Caribbean Island of St Barts for Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi's son Moatessem-Billah at the exclusive Nikki Beach Club. She reportedly was paid £1.2 million for the performance. Knowles performed an hour-long set; her husband Jay-Z was among the small audience which also included rock star Jon Bon Jovi, hip-hop singer Usher and actress Lindsay Lohan. There was a degree of criticism in the press regarding whether or not Knowles should have done the show considering Colonel Gaddafi's previous links to terrorism, specifically the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

29.05.2013 06:08:57 AM