Singer, actress. Born Beyonce Giselle Knowles on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas. Knowles is the lead singer of the popular R&B group Destiny’s Child.
Knowles began singing with the original members of the group -- LaToya Luckett, Kelly Rowland and LaTavia Roberson -- as a pre-teen.

The girls went through various incarnations, singing a mix of gospel, rhythm and blues, and hip hop, before they officially became Destiny’s Child in 1995. Knowles’ father, Matthew, served as manager of the group. After performing in the Houston area, the group appeared on Star Search, the popular television talent competition. Although they did not win the competition, a contract with Columbia Records soon followed. Their first release, Destiny’s Child (1997), was a tremendous success in Europe. Upon the album’s release, the group kicked off a tour of sold-out shows there.

Their second effort, The Writing’s on the Wall (1999), brought them wider acclaim back home. The album generated three top-ten hits on the Billboard R&B singles chart. In 2000, despite internal conflicts that resulted in the departure of Luckett and Roberson from the group, Destiny’s Child continued to promote their sophomore effort, playing as a supporting act for Christina Aguilera’s summer tour.

In 2001, still calling themselves Destiny’s Child, the group released their third album, Survivor. In 2004, after launching a sucessful solo career, Knowles won five Grammy Awards, tying a record for most wins by a female artist. Knowles has also made a start in acting, making her debut in MTV’s Hip Hopera: Carmen in 2001 and co-starring as Foxxy Cleopatra in Mike Myers’ James Bond parody Goldmember in 2002.