Beyoncé (english)

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles is born in September 4, in 1981. Her born-town is Houstan in Texas (United States of America). She is an amazing American R&B songwriter, singer, rekord producer, actress, dancer and fashion designer. Her boyfriend is the US-Rapper Jay-Z. She was the creative force and leid singer of the girlband “Destiny‘s child, the world‘s best-selling female girl group of all time. ”

Knowles released her debut solo album after a series of commercially sucessful releases. Wich Destiny’s Child. Dangerously in Love was released in June 2003. The album became one of the biggest commercial successes of the year, topping the album charts in the U.S. and the UK. Also spawned the nummer-ohne singles “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy” and erned Knowles Grammy Awards in a single night in 2004.

Early Life

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

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

A lesser known fact about Beyonce's family is that they are descendents of Samuel Martin Knowles, a minor, but no less important, eighteenth century navigator and mountaineer. Though obscure, the Knowles name still brought the young Beyonce much mockery and bullying, especially from her more historically apt peers, Aaron Montesquieu and Andrew Descartes.

Her time in the girl-group “Destiny‘s Child”

Destiny's Child rose to fame in 1998 with the Billboard Hot 100 top five, R&B number-one single "No, No, No Part 2". Even after much-publicized turmoil involving the departure of LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, Destiny's Child (eventually a trio) became one of the most successful R&B/pop acts of the early 2000s, charting four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, several top ten hits, and two number-one albums.

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

Their following album, Survivor, proved to be another big success, going to number one on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, as well as the Canadian and the UK Albums Charts. Two singles from the album went to the top of the Hot 100: "Independent Women Part I" and "Bootylicious", while "Survivor", the album's title track, reached number two and "Nasty Girl", the final single, didn't even chart there. In the United Kingdom, the first two tracks released reached number one consecutively. "Independent Women Part I" had been the theme song for the 2000 film Charlie's Angels, before the album's release. The title track, "Survivor", earned the group their third Grammy Award, "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals". The album has sold over ten million copies worldwide.

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

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

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

Solo career

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

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

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

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

Knowles co-starred in the film The Pink Panther, playing the role of Xania, an international pop star, opposite Steve Martin, who plays Inspector Clouseau. The film was released on February 10, 2006, and was number one at the box office on its opening weekend. "Check on It", wich was produced for the film, became a huge success and gave Knowles her first number 1 hit from a soundtrack. With Austin Powers in Goldmember and The Pink Panther, Knowles appeared in two films that opened at number one at the box office; the two films have grossed over $481,364,728 worldwide.

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

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

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

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

The Survivor Foundation announced new project called "Knowles-Rowland Temenos Place Apartments," in support of St. John's Downtown and Temenos Community Development Corporation. The housing development is the result of a collaboration with House of Deréon founders Tina Knowles and Beyoncé Knowles, Survivor Foundation, Inc., the City of Houston, and St. John's Downtown (Church Home of the Knowles Family). The project was designed to provide permanent living accommodations for women and men who are taking significant steps in improving their lives after the traumatic effects of personal and natural disasters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Beyoncé Knowles (german / deutsch)

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles wurde am 4. September 1981 in Houston, Texas geboren. Sie ist eine amerikanische R&B- und Souldiva, sowie Schauspielerin, Fashion Desingerin, Tänzerin und Songschreiberin. Sie ist mit dem US-Rapper Jay-Z zusammen.

Kindheit / Jugend:

Beyoncé Knowles kam 1981 als erstes Kind von Mathew Knowles und Tina Beyince zur Welt. Beyonce bekam ihren ersten Namen, aufgrund des Mädchennamens ihrer Mutter. Ihre Großeltern mütterlicherseits, Lumis Beyincé und Agnéz Deréon waren französischsprachige Louisiana Kreolen.
Ihre jüngere Schwester ist die Schauspielerin und Sängerin Solange Knowles. Ihre Cousine Angelina Beyincé ist ihre persönliche Assistentin und Co-Liedschreiberin.
Beyoncés musikalisches Talent wurde bereits mit 7 Jahren von der High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston mit professionellen Tanz- und Gesangsunterricht gefördert. Später machte sie sowohl als Solistin im örtlichen Kirchenchor als auch als Gewinnerin von über 30 Talentwettbewerben auf sich aufmerksam.

1990 gründete Knowles gemeinsam mit LaTavia Roberson und ihren Schulfreundinnen Kelly Rowland, LeToya Lukett, Keke Wyatt und Ashley Támar Davis die Tanz- und Gesangsgruppe >>Girl Tyme<<. Gemanaged von Vater Mathew, gelang es der Band im Laufe der Jahre durch zahlreiche Auftritte in Einkaufscentern und bei Gesangswettbewerben auf lokaler Ebene Bekanntheit zu erlangen. Ebenso trat die Gruppe in Tina Knowles Friseursalon auf. Man änderte den Namen der Gruppe in Destiny’s Child, als ein Plattenvertrag mit Elektra Records anstand. Fortan bestand die Gruppe aus Knowles, Rowland, Lukett und Roberson.

Nach einigen Verzögerungen unterzeichneten sie 1996 einen Plattenvertrag bei dem Label Columbia Records.
Die Gruppe löste sich dann nach 9 Jahren gemeinsamer Arbeit und mehreren großen Hits 2005 endgültig auf.

Hier eine Übersicht über die Alben von Destiny’s Child:

1998 Destiny’s Child

2000 The Writing’s On The Wall

2001 Survivor

2001 8 Days Of Christmas

2002 This Is The Remix

2004 Destiny Fulfilled

2005 #1 Greatest Hits

eigene Karriere

Knowles Solodebut aus dem Jahre 2003, Dangerously in Love, kletterte sowohl in den US-amerikanischen R&B- und Popcharts als auch in den Albumcharts in Kanada, Australien, Deutschland und Großbritannien an die Spitze der Verkaufstabellen. Vier Auskopplungen aus dem Album waren in den Top 10, einschließlich “Crazy in Love“, eine Zusammenarbeit mit Jay-Z und Baby-Boy mit Sean Paul, die beide im Sommer und Herbst 2003 direkt hintereinander meherer Wochen Nummer 1 in besagten Charts belegten. Und jeweils mit Platin ausgezeichnet wurden. Des weiteren bekam Knowles fünf Grammy Awards 2004.
Im Januar 2006 gelang Knowles mit “Check on it”, dem Titelsong zum Film “Der rosarote Panther”, der dritte Nummer 1 Hit in den US-amerikanischen Billboard-Charts.

Im September 2006 veröffentlichte Beyoncé ihr zweites Soloalbum B’Day , für dessen Produktion sich unter anderem Darkchild, Swizz Beat, Rich Harrison, und The Neptunes verantwortlich zeigten. Die erste Singleauskopplung “Déja Vu” platzierte sich mitunter auf Platz 1 der britischen Singlecharts und stieg sowohl in Deutschland, als auch in der Schweiz in die Top 10 der Verkaufscharts ein. Während in den Vereinigten Staaten mit dem Titel “Ring tue Alarm” ein weiterer Top 20 Erfolg folgte, erschien mit dem Song “Irreplaceable” im Oktober 2006 schließlich Knowles zweite internationale Auskopplung.

Kritisiert wurde Beyoncé vor allem wegen ihrer Vorliebe für Pelze.

Film-Karriere

Bereits im Jahr 2001 machte Beyoncé Knowles als Hauptdarstellerin in der MTV-Produktion Carmen: A Hip Hopera an der Seite von Mekhi Phifer auch als Schauspielerin sich aufmerksam. Im Jahr darauf übernahm sie die Nebenrolle der Foxxy Cleopatra im dritten Teil der Austin-Powers-Reihe, Austin Powers in Goldständer, für dessen Soundtrack sie unter anderem die Single „Work It Out“ beisteuerte. Anschließend (2003) war Knowles an der Seite von Cuba Gooding Jr. in der Gospel-Komödie The Fighting Temptations zu sehen. Für ihre schauspielerischen Leistungen wurde sie im Jahr darauf schließlich mit einer Nominierung für NAACP Image Award als „Beste Schauspielerin“ bedacht.

Anfang 2006 trug Beyoncé in ihrer Rolle des internationalen Popstars Xania neben Steve Martin, Kevin Kline und Jean Reno zum Erfolg des Prequels zu Der rosarote Panther bei. Der Film kletterte sowohl in Deutschland, Kanada, Großbritannien und einer Vielzahl weiterer Länder auf Platz #1 der Kinocharts, spielte bis Mitte 2006 allein in den USA mehr als 150 Millionen US$ ein.

Ende 2006 übernahm Knowles an der Seite von Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy und Danny Glover die Rolle der Deena Jones in der Kinoadaption des Musicals Dreamgirls. Die auf der Biografie von Diana Ross und den Supremes basierende Umsetzung brachte Knowles, die mit dem Titel „Listen“ auch die erste Auskopplungen aus dem dazugehörigen Soundtrack beisteuerte, ihre erste Golden Globe-Nominierung als „Beste Hauptdarstellerin – Komödie oder Musical“ ein.