| Dangerously Bootylicisous
Beyonce Tribute
At the age of just 23, Beyonce Knowles has already outgrown mere stardom and is heading towards icon status. Indeed the diva's influence was confirmed last year when the word "bootylicious" found its way into the Oxford English Dictionary. In this Hello! magazine online special report we get to know the shy chanteuse who is also making waves in Hollywood
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Texan belle
As a spokesmodel for one of the world's largest cosmetics companies, Beyonce is unquestionably alluring. The singer insists it wasn't always that way, however, and as a child she was something of an ugly duckling. "I was very shy and a little awkward - I had really big ears," she reveals.
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She was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, to a salesman father and a mum who ran a beauty salon. From the outset the youngster seems to have known where her future lay and she and a group of friends formed their first band at the age of just nine. "We started dancing in stilettos at 12 years old," reflects the performer. "We couldn't walk in them, but all summer long we practiced and practiced. And by the end, we were doing cartwheels."
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Despite the girls' hard work, success didn't come immediately; and her first band, Girls Tyme, was dropped by its record label after losing a TV talent show. Beyonce's father had no doubt about his little girl's potential, however, and sold the family home to keep their dreams of chart success alive. It was a big gamble, but before long it paid off. Beyonce and her pals Kelly Rowland, LaToya Luckett and LaTavia Robertson formed Destiny's Child and won a contract with Colombia Records. The girls' first album stormed the charts and the pop industry was soon heralding the arrival a new R&B star.
Crazy in love
America's hottest singer is a traditional girl at heart, and comes without the list of high-profile past romances usually associated with rising music industry stars. Her current boyfriend is also a celebrity in his own right, and it hasn't been easy to keep their relationship under wraps.
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The unlikely union between bad-boy rapper Jay-Z and Beyonce, who has a girl-next-door reputation, has been cause for much talk. Jay-Z was once sentenced to three years' probation for stabbing a record company executive and he has admitted to dealing drugs during his troubled youth in Brooklyn.
But there can be little doubt that the hip-hop producer's romantic intentions are strictly honourable. At a party for record company boss Lyon Cohen, Jay-Z gave a speech of thanks to his old pal. "You've been one of the best friends I could have had," said the musician, "apart from this woman beside me (Beyonce), who I love and who I will marry very soon."
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And it sounds as though he's also hoping to hear the pitter-patter of little feet before too long. "I love Bee with all my heart," he declared. "She's the most important part of my life... I feel like I’m the luckiest man in the world. Children are the only thing I don't have now. I absolutely want kids." The object of his affections has admitted, meanwhile, she's eagerly looking forward to the day Jay-Z gets down on bended knee.
Survivor
The rise to the top has been not been without its upsets for the indefatigable Miss Knowles, and her journey has included more than its share of rows, setbacks and disappointments.
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Beyonce recalls being heartbroken when her first band lost in the US talent contest Star Search. "We lost, and I remember being so hurt that I couldn't hide my expression," reflects the singer. "You see it – we all had the fakest smiles, like we were fighting back our tears. And the second we stepped away from the audience they started rolling down. We thought it was over – we thought our life was over."
The band played on, winning a record deal not long afterwards. But internal disputes soon presented an equally distressing challenge. In 1999 bandmembers LaToya and LaTavia tried to fire Beyonce's father as the outfit’s manager. The two girls were promptly replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin, but a lawsuit was filed and the former friends found themselves locked in a legal battle.
The case was eventually settled out of court, but more bad press followed when Farrah left the band and anti-Beyonce websites began springing up. Yet another legal wrangle came after the release of the hit single Survivor, which Luckett and Robertson claimed violated the terms of their previous settlement.
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It all adds up
Bills, Bills, Bills! was one of the hit singles from Destiny's Child's breakthrough album The Writing's On The Wall. But with a plethora of multi-million dollar sponsorship deals, keeping up with the rent is no longer a problem for the band's glamorous frontwoman.
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In 2004, she teamed up with fellow vocalists Britney Spears and Pink for an epic Pepsi ad in which the three divas were transformed into Roman gladiator-ettes in a showdown with evil emperor Enrique Iglesias. The classic Queen anthem We Will Rock You played in the background as the trio of femme fatales did away with the Latin heart-throb’s dastardly character.
Independent woman
Great looks and an incredible voice have obviously played a big part in her success, but Beyonce is much more than your average pop diva. The chanteuse is also a creative powerhouse and a businesswoman to be reckoned with.
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Having written and produced most of her hits herself, she has now taken over all key managerial decisions. Beyonce's musical talent alone would be enough to leave most songwriters green with envy - while working on the last Destiny's Child album, she wrote and recorded 43 songs in just 12 days. Small surprise then that other big names are falling over themselves to work with the singer.
She has already collaborated with some of the music industry's most celebrated figures, including Missy Elliot, Luther Vandross, Prince, Jay-Z and reggae star Sean Paul. And, although she's a fully fledged pop princess in her own right, the performer is adamant she’ll continue to work with her bandmates. Having all released solo albums, she, Kelly and Michelle say they are now looking forward to making the best Destiny's Child record yet.
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"It's going to be challenging," says Beyonce. "Kelly has this rock-alternative sound with soul, Michelle's got her gospel thing, and my album is so R&B. So for us to mix it together and make it work is not easy, but it has to be right."
Gospel singer
Through all the ups and downs of her eventful young life, Beyonce has relied on one thing to keep her feet on the ground and her eyes on the road ahead. A devout Methodist, the southern belle's Christian faith has always been a priority.
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"The thing that keeps me centred and grounded is knowing that I'm always protected and that God is in control of things," she explains. "Even the name of our group, Destiny's Child, we got out of the bible. . . For me it is about the way I carry myself and the way I treat other people. My relationship and how I feel about God and what he does for me is something deeply personal. It's where I came from, my family. I was brought up in a religious household and that's very important to me."
And while her sexy dance routines have drawn criticism from more conservative Christian circles, Beyonce is confident God isn't in the least bit offended by her penchant for "shaking her booty".
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After meeting Prince Charles at a charity concert in London, the singer told British journalists there is no contradiction between her raunchy on-stage persona and her spiritual beliefs. "I honestly believe He wants people to celebrate their bodies - as long as you don't compromise your Christianity in the process," she said.
Winning ways
2004 got off to a rocking start for Beyonce as she confirmed her place among pop royalty by performing with Prince at the Grammy awards. She also swept the board at the glitzy ceremony by taking home no fewer than five of the gongs.
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The young superstar was named winner of the best R&B song and best rap/sung collaboration for her hit single Crazy In Love. And her debut album Dangerously In Love also won best female R&B performance, best contemporary R&B album and best R&B performance by a duo or group.
Beyonce and her Dangerous In Love disc found further success at the glitzy MTV music video awards in August 2004. Her hit Me, Myself And I scored a best R&B video nomination, while another single, Naughty Girl, was shortlisted in four categories as well.
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The song, which was also nominated in the best dance, best choreography and best cinematography categories, took home a statue for best female video. Beyonce beat a number of pop divas for the prize, including Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears.
Screen siren
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Beyonce has made no secret of the fact that conquering Hollywood is her next objective. But, wise beyond her years, the young performer has decided against trying to take the movie world by storm. Despite the fact she could doubtless land a leading role in any number of big-budget vehicles, she has opted for smaller parts in better films, in order to find her feet.
Her first acting outing was in MTV's Carmen: A Hip-Hopera. The production received a less than favourable reception from critics, but it was widely agreed that its faults did not lie with its leading lady. Next came a light-hearted supporting role opposite Mike Myers in Austin Powers: Goldmember. The part of Foxxy Cleopatra also served to bring "Beyonce the actress" to the attention of a much wider audience.
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More recently the budding thesp has combined her vocal and acting talents in the family comedy The Fighting Temptations. In the film she plays Lilly, a struggling single mother who sings jazz to make ends meet. And it has not gone unnoticed that the flick, which co-stars Cuba Gooding Jr, required rather more acting ability than her previous efforts.
"I wanted to play someone normal – with normal issues, real and natural," she explains. "When I decide to be the star of a movie, I want to make sure that I'm really good at what I do. I want to make sure I know exactly what I'm doing and I'm just gonna take my time because I want to be here for a long time."
Destiny
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"I like Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross, I like all the old movies where the women had to be able to sing and dance and act," says the multi-faceted star. Having become one of the most important figures in the world of popular music at the age of 21, Beyonce may well equal, if not surpass, the achievements of her showbiz heroines.
With work on her next film, The Pink Panther, well underway, she also looks set for silver screen success. And then there is the fashion label, My Touch Of Couture, a collaboration with her mum, which is expected to hit the shelves in time for Christmas.
While she says that her kids will be the number one priority when the time comes, for now the inimitable Ms Knowles has several creative goals in mind. "I want to be the first black woman to win an Oscar, a Tony and a Grammy," she declared recently. "I already have the Grammys, so now I have two more awards to go."
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- Hello! Magazine | |
