Beyoncé Knowles: Snapshot
- Name
- Beyoncé Knowles
- Birth Date
- 09/04/1981
- Birth Place
- Houston, Texas
In 2003, Beyoncé parted from the girls (temporarily) to release her debut album, Dangerously in Love, which earned her six more Grammys. In 2006, she followed up with B'Day and later re-released it in Spanish, collaborating with Latin pop star Shakira.
The multi-talented Knowles has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue, expanded her resume as a designer and dazzled as an actress in the musical Dreamgirls. In 2008, the bootylicious singer finally married main squeeze Jay-Z in an intimate ceremony at his Tribeca apartment in New York.
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Beyoncé Knowles: Five Fun Facts
- In grade school, Beyoncé's classmates put honey buns on the sides of their heads to tease her ears. To this day, she styles her hair to cover her ears.
- The Oxford English Dictionary added "bootylicious" (definition: "Especially of a woman, often with reference to the buttocks: sexually attractive, sexy, shapely") to the dictionary after it gained popularity from the Destiny's Child song Beyoncé wrote to celebrate her curves.
- As a child, Beyoncé charged her parents' houseguests $5 each to watch her perform.
- The normally reserved singer channels Sasha, her less-inhibited alter ego, while performing. "When I'm onstage [as Sasha], I have the stilettos, the hair, the attitude," Beyoncé told Elle. "I'm fearless and I can say anything."
- Though she's written most of her lyrics, Beyoncé Knowles often has trouble remembering them.
Beyoncé Knowles: Biography 
- 1988
A Standing Ovation
Beyoncé enters her first talent show at age 7. Singing John Lennon's "Imagine," she doesn't just win, she beats 15- and 16-year-olds and receives a standing ovation. The shy third grader then asks her mom if she can get her trophy and leave before the winners are announced.
- 1991
It's Gyrls Time
With hands-on help from her parents, Beyoncé forms the singing group Gyrls Time, with Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson. They practice on the deck outside the Knowles home before hitting the talent show circuit in Houston.
- 1995
A Father's Gamble for Destiny
Beyoncé's father, Mathew, leaves his six-figure marketing job at Xerox to manage the girls full-time, and negotiates a deal for them with Columbia Records. Renamed Destiny's Child, they release their self-titled debut in 1997, and have a standout single with Wyclef Jean's remix of "No, No, No."
Photo Credits
Top Left: Lorenzo Agius/Getty
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Music World Music; Jim Smeal/WireImage
