Beyoncé

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, born September 4, 1981, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Known for her vocal ability, artistic reinventions, and live performances, she rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups in history. As a solo artist, she has become one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 200 million records worldwide.

Born in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé was raised by her mother, Tina Knowles, a salon owner, and her father, Mathew Knowles, a sales manager. She occasionally performed for customers in her mother's salon as a child and took dance and vocal lessons. After winning a school talent show at seven years old, she attended music magnet and performing arts schools in Houston and sang in her church choir. In 1990, she met singer LaTavia Roberson at an audition, eventually forming the group Girl's Tyme alongside Kelly Rowland and LeToya Luckett. Managed by Mathew Knowles, the group later secured a contract with Columbia Records and adopted the name Destiny's Child in 1996.

Destiny's Child achieved major commercial success with albums such as The Writing's on the Wall (1999) and Survivor (2001), generating number-one singles like "Say My Name" and "Independent Woman Part I". Following several lineup changes, the final trio comprised Beyoncé, Rowland, and Michelle Williams. During a group hiatus, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and released her debut solo studio album, Dangerously in Love (2003). Featuring the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Crazy in Love", the album debuted atop the Billboard 200 and earned five Grammy Awards.

Following Destiny's Child's final album and disbandment, Beyoncé released her second solo album, B'Day (2006), which featured the chart-topping single "Irreplaceable" and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. She also expanded her acting career with roles in films such as Dreamgirls (2006), Cadillac Records (2008), and Obsessed (2009). After marrying rapper Jay-Z in 2008, she released her double album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). The record introduced her alter ego Sasha Fierce and yielded major singles including "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Halo".

After forming the management company Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé released 4 (2011), followed by the visual album Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016). Her ongoing trilogy project includes the dance album Renaissance (2022) and the country record Cowboy Carter (2024), spawning chart-topping singles "Break My Soul" and "Texas Hold 'Em". Beyoncé is the most-certified female artist by the Recording Industry Association of America and holds a record 35 Grammy Awards. She is also the highest-grossing Black live music artist and the first woman to headline an all-stadium tour.