Concert Dates, Concert Tour News, Artist Information

Beyoncé

» more images

Profile:
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas, USA) is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, designer and actress. Knowles rose to stardom in the late 1990s as a founding member and the lead singer of Destiny's Child. Knowles has sold more than 50 million records worldwide with the group and over 75 million records in her total career. After a series of commercially successful records with the group, she released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which spawned her most successful song Crazy in Love and topped both the R&B and Billboard 200 charts and the main album charts in Canada and the United Kingdom. She is married to hip hop legend Jay-Z.

Knowles released her second solo album B'Day on September 4, 2006 around the world and September 5, 2006 in the United States, coinciding the event with the celebration of her 25th birthday. The release spawned the UK #1 singles Deja Vu and Beautiful Liar, and the worldwide hit Irreplaceable, with the latter remaining at the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for ten consecutive weeks, making it the second best-selling single in her solo career after "Crazy in Love".

To promote B'Day, Knowles embarked on her lengthy The Beyoncé Experience concert tour, visiting over 90 venues worldwide including stops in Japan, Australia, and the US. She began the tour in Japan on April 10, 2007 and concluded it on December 30, 2007 in Las Vegas.

Knowles' third solo album titled I Am...Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008. She is also releasing a Spanish version of the album, entitled "Yo Soy... Sasha Feroz". The first single from the album, If I Were A Boy, reached #1 in eight charts, including the UK. It reached #3 in the US. The second single, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Rolling Stone also named it as #1 Single of the Year for 2008. In late December 2008, Knowles released the next two videos from I Am... Sasha Fierce, Diva and Halo, with a worldwide premiere on iTunes. They were released in January 2009 in the United States. 3 weeks before its physical release on April 13th 2009, Halo managed to climb into the UK Singles Chart at #4 on downloads alone. Other singles released include Ego, Broken Hearted Girl and Sweet Dreams. So far, Sweet Dreams is the most successful.

Knowles kicked off a worldwide tour in late March 2009 to support I Am...Sasha Fierce. The tour, entitled "Beyoncé's I Am... Tour", will have 115 dates, currently only 70 have been confirmed, and rehearsal performances began in Edmonton, Canada on March 26 with the actual tour beginning in Zagreb, Croatia on April 26. So far, dates for North America, Europe, Australia and Japan have been confirmed.

Knowles has won nine Grammy Awards - six for her solo work, and three as a member of Destiny's Child. In 2004, she also won a BRIT Award for International Female Solo Artist. She has a successful film career and co-starred with Austin Powers in Goldmember, one of the highest-grossing films of 2002.

The success of her solo albums has established Knowles as one of the most marketable artists in the music industry, and she has expanded her career to acting and product endorsement. She began her acting career in 2001, appearing in the musical film Carmen: A Hip Hopera. In 2006, she starred in the lead role in the film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, for which she earned two Golden Globe nominations. Knowles launched her family's fashion line, House of Deréon, in 2004, and has been engaged to endorse such brands as Pepsi, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani and L'Oréal. In 2009, Forbes listed Knowles fourth on its list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the world, third on its list of the top-grossing musicians, and number one on the list of top Best-Paid Celebs Under 30 with over $87 million dollars in earnings between 2008 and 2009.

Knowles performed on January 18, 2009 at the Lincoln Memorial festivities in honor of the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Knowles also sang her cover of the classic ballad most famously sang by Etta James, "At Last", as President Obama and his wife Michelle had their first dance as President and First Lady of America, on January 20, 2009 at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.

Knowles became the first female to ever be awarded the International Artist Award at the American Music Awards. At the 2008 World Music Awards, Knowles was honored the legend award for Outstanding Contribution To The Arts. Knowles was the lead vocalist of one of the world's best selling female groups of all time Destiny's Child. To many, she is recognized one of the world's most known pop icons. Her debut album was listed as one of the top 200 Definitive Albums in Music History by The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She was one of a few artist of her generation to be mentioned on that list. Knowles has many different wax figures but her best known figure is at Madame Tussuad's Wax Museum. She is also one of a few African American females to have had three or more Golden Globe nominations.

Knowles dated rapper Jay-Z from 2002 to 2008, though they maintained a very discreet relationship, refusing to talk about each other in interviews and evading the paparazzi. After much speculation, they married on April 4, 2008 in a top secret wedding in New York. No photos or videos have been released of the ceremony.

Official websites:
www.beyonce.com
www.beyonceonline.com (Columbia Records)