Beyonce: A Brief Introduction

Born: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles

September 4, 1981 (age 32)

Houston, Texas, U.S.

Residence: New York City, U.S.

Other names: Sasha Fierce

Occupation: Recording artist; actress

Years active: 1997–present

Net worth: US $350 million 

(estimate as of May 2013)

Spouse(s): Jay-Z (m. 2008)

Children: 1

Musical career

Genres: R&B pop soul

Instruments: Vocals

Labels: Columbia

Associated acts 

Destiny's Child

Jay-Z

Solange Knowles

Website: beyonce.com

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Brief Information

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (/biˈjɒnseɪ/ bee-yon-say) (born September 4, 1981), is an American recording artist and actress. Born and raised in Houston,Texas, she performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child, and rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny's Child. Managed by her father Mathew Knowles, the group became one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of Beyoncé's debut album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which established her as a solo artist worldwide; it sold 11 million copies, earned fiveGrammy Awards and featured the Billboard number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".

Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2005, she released her second solo album, B'Day (2006), which contained hits "Déjà Vu", "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also ventured into acting, with a Golden Globe-nominated performance inDreamgirls (2006), and starring roles in The Pink Panther (2006) and Obsessed (2009). Her marriage to rapper Jay-Z and portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which saw the birth of her alter-ego Sasha Fierce and earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010, includingSong of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Beyoncé took a hiatus from music in 2010 and took over management of her career; 4 (2011) was subsequently mellower in tone, exploring 1970s funk, 1980s pop, and 1990s soul. Her fifth studio album, Beyoncé(2013), was critically acclaimed and was distinguished from previous releases by its experimental production and exploration of darker themes.

A self-described "modern-day feminist", Beyoncé's songs are often characterized by themes of love, relationships, and monogamy, as well as female sexuality and empowerment. On stage, her dynamic, highly-choreographed performances have led to critics hailing her as one of the best entertainers in contemporary popular music. Throughout a career spanning 16 years, she has won 17 Grammy Awards and sold over 118 million records as a solo artist and 60 million with Destiny's Child, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America recognized Beyoncé as the Top Certified Artist in America during the 2000s decade. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade, the Top Female Artist of the 2000s and their Artist of the Millennium in 2011. In 2013, she was also included in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

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