About
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, born September 4 1981 in Houston, Texas, is a singer, songwriter, producer, actor and entrepreneur who has reshaped modern pop and R&B for more than twenty-five years. Fans often call her “Queen Bey,” nodding to her powerhouse voice, boundary-pushing visuals and electric stadium shows.
Her trophies tell part of the story: in 2023 she became the most-decorated artist in Grammy history with 32 wins, a milestone sealed when Renaissance took Best Dance/Electronic Album. That same creative burst powered the 2023 Renaissance World Tour and its concert documentary Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. Never slowing down, she pivoted to country-infused sounds on Cowboy Carter (March 29 2024) and rolled out the blockbuster “Cowboy Carter Tour,” one of 2025’s hottest tickets.
Outside music, Beyoncé runs Parkwood Entertainment, the Ivy Park fashion label and, since 2025, the Cécred hair-care line—Ulta Beauty’s biggest exclusive launch to date. Her philanthropy travels under the BeyGOOD banner, which recently sent $2.5 million to families hurt by California wildfires.
Before Fame
Growing up in a tight-knit Creole-and-African American household, Beyoncé sang in her church choir and sharpened her vocal runs while sweeping up hair in her mother Tina’s salon. In elementary school she joined a local talent troupe that later took the name Girls Tyme.
Girls Tyme gained national attention in 1993 on the TV contest Star Search. The group didn’t win, yet the experience lit a fire under 12-year-old Beyoncé, a moment she later sampled in her song “Flawless.”
After the loss, her father Mathew Knowles quit his sales job to guide the act full-time. Intensive rehearsals, backyard showcases and small-venue gigs followed. A slimmed-down lineup—Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett—rebranded as Destiny’s Child, signed with Columbia Records and, by 1998, scored a platinum hit with “No No No.”
Trivia
- Record-shattering icon: Beyoncé’s 32 Grammys crown her as the most-awarded artist ever.
- “Beychella” legend: In 2018 she became the first Black woman to headline Coachella; her two-hour march-band-styled set was later captured in the Netflix film Homecoming.
- Philanthropic heartbeat: Through BeyGOOD she funds college scholarships, supports small businesses and, in 2025, issued salon-and-barbershop grants in partnership with Cécred.
- Always cinematic: Beyond her concert films, she voiced Nala in Disney’s 2019 remake of The Lion King, reinforcing her pop-culture reach.
- Business savvy: Ivy Park athletic wear, Cécred’s science-backed hair products and fragrance drops keep her enterprise diversified.
Family Life
Music and family intertwine for Beyoncé. Her parents, Mathew and Tina Knowles, nurtured her ambitions; younger sister Solange carved out her own Grammy-winning career. In April 2008 Beyoncé married rapper-mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter in a private New York ceremony. Their eldest child, Blue Ivy Carter (born January 7 2012), has already danced on the Renaissance stage and earned writing credits on “Brown Skin Girl.”
Twins Rumi and Sir Carter arrived on June 13 2017. Rumi recently lent a spoken-word cameo to “Protector” on Cowboy Carter, while Sir keeps a lower profile. Beyoncé often credits parenting for keeping her grounded and inspiring her drive to improve the world her children inherit.
Associated With
Beyoncé first shared the charts with Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and she still invites them onstage for nostalgic harmony moments. Her creative and personal partnership with Jay-Z has yielded hits such as “Crazy in Love,” “Drunk in Love” and the joint album Everything Is Love.
She often spotlights fellow Houstonians—see the 2021 Grammy-winning “Savage Remix” with Megan Thee Stallion—and crosses genre lines with artists like Jack White on the rock-leaning “Don’t Hurt Yourself.” Peers from Adele to Kendrick Lamar have publicly celebrated her artistry, underscoring the broad influence she wields across today’s musical landscape.
