Beyoncé Knowles

Although Beyoncé Knowles is not yet 30, the sensual superstar has already succeeded on many levels: as a dancer, singer, composer, model, music producer, video director and actress. Like rap star/entrepreneur Jay-Z, with whom Beyoncé recently married, she has evolved into a businesswoman, who with her designer-mother, Tina Knowles, markets Beyoncé's personal fashion line, House of Dereon. The multi-talented, global entertainer lends her name and image to many commercial and philanthropic ventures. She is the spokeswoman for L'Oreal and appears in ads for Pepsi and Ford.

This biography tells the story of a young, talented woman's meteoric rise in the entertainment industry. From a shy, demure Catholic schoolgirl growing up in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé Knowles eventually morphed into the first African-American woman to win the Songwriter of the Year Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Pop Music Awards. The once-shy suburban schoolgirl has gone far beyond her original dream of becoming a first-rate musician and vocalist. With the assistance of her manager-father—former Xerox executive Mathew Knowles—and as lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child (the world's all-time bestselling female group), Beyoncé has won 10 Grammy Awards and two Golden Globe nominations. Her albums have reached more than 20 million people worldwide, and she has become a cultural icon to music lovers everywhere as well as a role model for young women. Author Janice Arenofsky gives students and general readers alike an insightful look at a music and fashion icon who has a unique niche in popular culture today. Complete with photos, a timeline, and a thorough bibliography.

It must be a part of human nature to love drama. We never would have sold as many records -- and we never would have been this popular -- if our member changes did not happen. Up until that point, we were squeaky-clean nice girls who couldn't get on the cover of any magazines. --Beyoncé Knowles

They're beautiful, they're talented, they're bootylicious . . .

From first kisses and broken hearts to pillow fights and legal battles to losing friends and finding strength in God, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams share it all. Their example of survival has made Destiny's Child one of the most beloved, bestselling female groups ever.

Here for the first time, the three share the struggles that have made them stronger, from Beyoncé's battles with weight loss and shyness, Kelly's coming to terms with growing up without a dad, and Michelle's triumph over grade-school bullies. They've grown up under the media microscope, and have had to deal with lineup changes and media rumors. Now they set the record straight.

The demands and drama, the schedules and scrutiny -- from the tour bus to the dressing rooms to backstage at awards shows, Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle talk about what it takes to be successful. Whether it's changing outfits in the rain, changing their hair color, or changing a name, they've done it.

Don't be mistaken, they're not a prefab group of young girls -- they're smart, independent women with a lot of soul. When these ladies had only minutes of studio time to work with Wyclef Jean to remix one of their songs, they didn't stress, they just started singing faster -- and the result was a unique sound that put them on the map. Everyone has caught on to the Destiny's Child groove -- Whitney Houston, Bono, and Michael Jackson have all given them props, and the King of Pop himself serenaded them with a rendition of “Bootylicious.”

Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle take you behind the scenes of a video rehearsal at which Aaliyah rewound their practice music, to the set of Austin Powers 3, where a starstruck Beyoncé felt anything but foxy before auditioning for the part of Foxxy Cleopatra, and backstage at the Grammys, where a last-minute costume change fiasco nearly kept Michelle from going onstage.

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