Humble Beginnings
Beyoncé was born in 1981 as the first daughter of Tina and Matthew Knowles. Her sister Solange was born five years later, and the four of them were a very close family.
Beyoncé grew up in Houston, Texas, with her sister and her parents. Her mom was a hairdresser and her dad sold copiers. But from the very beginning, her parents realized that she had a talent for music, and they encouraged it as much as they could.
Natural Talent
Both Beyoncé and her younger sister Solange were interested in music since a young age and sang whenever they could. Her big moment came when she was seven years old.
When Beyoncé was only seven years old, she entered a talent contest where there were mostly teenagers participating. She stole the show by singing John Lennon's Imagine. This was the moment when her parents realized they needed to do something to get her out there.
Her First Group
Beyoncé's parents got her a spot in a group called Girl's Tyme, of which Kelly Rowland was also a member. Beyoncé and Kelly were neighborhood friends and they shared the same passion for music.
The group did hip hop music and participated in a talent show on TV, but they didn't win. Still, the girls, especially Beyoncé, had promise, and they weren't just going to give up.
Dad And Manager
Beyoncé's father decided to quit his day job to become a full-time manager to the girls. The group consisted of six members originally, but Matthew quickly noticed that this wasn't working out.
With this decision came many changes, such as cutting it down to just four members and changing its name to Destiny's Child. He did everything he could to get the girls a record deal and eventually, their dreams came true.
Destiny's Child
At this point, most people know about Destiny's Child, but not many people remember that the original lineup included four members and that Michelle Williams wasn't a part of it originally.
The group got a deal with Columbia Records in 1997 and slowly climbed up the charts. Their first album was a success and Beyoncé was definitely the star of the group. Two of its members, however, LaTavia and LaToya, weren't very happy about Beyoncé's stealing the show.
Four Is A Crowd
After months of tension in the group, the two girls decided to quit the group and it was just Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland left. Although at first it seemed like a problem, the group quickly picked itself up.
A girl called Michelle Williams was hired as a replacement and th group was left with three members. Right when this happened, their popularity exploded and they became one of the most profitable groups around.
A Star
The first big hit of Destiny's Child was Say My Name, which stayed at the top of the charts for three weeks. Their following singles were also successful and definitely put them on the map.
The group was extremely successful and they were all clearly talented, but people always noticed one thing: Beyoncé was almost in the front of every picture and every music video, and she was always performing in the middle. She was clearly the biggest star in the group, and this started some nasty rumors.
The Favorite
It was no secret that the other two members of Destiny's Child left because of Beyoncé's star power, but Kelly and Michelle claimed they were very happy with how things were. Still, rumors were going around about Beyoncé getting all the attention while the other two were in the background.
In fact, the girls claim that they did feel insecure, but that it was because of all the rumors surrounding them. They began comparing themselves with each other, which is a terrible thing to do.
Is It True?
On the one hand, the girls always said they were very happy and didn't feel discriminated against. But on the other hand, you could always see Beyoncé in the middle, getting the most camera time, the most singing time, and being the center of attention always. But why was this happening?
When there's three people in a group, naturally one has to be in the middle of the picture, and maybe it was just a coincidence that it was Beyoncé who always had that spot. Or maybe, like many people claimed, it was all because of Beyoncé's father.
Daddy's Girl
The most important piece of evidence to back up these rumors was that Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, was the group's manager. The manager is the one who makes the biggest decisions concerning the group, so it was clear that he was doing things to favor his daughter.
On the other hand, the group was doing extremely well, and a lot of it was thanks to Matthew's effective management. He was clearly doing something right with the group, so what was the problem with that?
Rumors Get Stronger
Even though everyone involved kept denying it, the rumors got stronger. And it's not like Beyoncé gave up the spotlight at any time to ease the rumors. On the contrary, she was becoming bigger and bigger as the days went by. On some songs, she basically sang 80% of the song while the others did background vocals.
Many people defended Beyoncé because they believed she had the strongest vocal abilities and that's why she sang most of the songs. The market is also about popular demand, and people clearly loved hearing Beyoncé's voice.
Acting Career
While Destiny's Child was booming, Beyoncé decided to pursue an acting career. She famously starred in Austin Powers in Goldmember and also did the music for the movie, reaching a wider audience than her group ever did. She then moved on to even bigger projects.
The movie opened up more doors for her and she also appeared in The Fighting Temptations and Fade to Black. She was busier than she ever was before, and people wondered whether she would have any time left to work on Destiny's Child.
Dreamgirls
She also starred in Dreamgirls, a critically-acclaimed movie that also included many songs, where her voice got to shine. The movie won several awards, including two Oscars, and it made people finally accept Beyoncé as a full-on actress.
She was becoming a superstar on her own, while Kelly and Michelle only had Destiny's Child. Right after that, something even bigger happened that changed everything.
First Solo
In 2002, Beyoncé released her first solo album, Dangerously In Love, which skyrocketed her to pop-star royalty. The album was a huge success and it featured Jay-Z, who started a secret relationship with her. The two collaborated on many projects while keeping their romance secret.
Even though their relationship was a secret, rumors about it were always floating around. The two also collaborated on her second album, B-Day, which was released in 2006.
Reaching The Top
With her father and Jay-Z by her side, coupled with her immense talent, Beyoncé was unstoppable. Everything she touched turned into gold, and she won every award imaginable. In 2006, she was nominated for five Grammys!
She also starred in The Pink Panther and later embarked on her first world tour. She was a household name, and the thought of Destiny's Child was becoming a distant memory. But what would happen to the group?
Bad Thoughts
Although she was at the top, Beyoncé felt worse and worse as the days went by. Rumors of her being a diva and purposely stealing the spotlight from her friends were tearing her apart inside. She always looked happy, and nobody thought about the effect of these rumors on her.
The truth is that she always had an alter ego: Sasha Fierce. Sasha was the persona she used on stage, a very confident, sexy, and fearless woman. But behind the scenes, she felt like a different kind of person and she kept it to herself.
Heartbreak
Beyoncé fell into a deep depression around 2005. She was hurt by what people were saying about her, and she had to make a tough decision. The group wasn't doing much for her now that she was a big star, but if she left the group, people would say even worse things about her and she would prove everyone right.
While at the top of her solo career, Beyoncé had to decide what to do about the group, and this decision would change the music industry forever. She couldn't keep doing both things, and she had to choose one.
A Tough Decision
The truth was that, at this point, Destiny's Child was holding her back. She loved her friends and enjoyed making music with them, but the group had run its course. She needed to spread her wings and follow her own destiny, and the other girls had to do the same.
All three girls always stated that it was never something personal and that they always loved each other and sadly, we all have to admit that all good things must come to an end at some point.
The Breakup
In 2006, after having won multiple awards and sold millions of records, Destiny's Child announced they were breaking up. This was the right decision for everyone involved, and although they were sad to say goodbye, they all knew they were doing the right thing.
Even thought their disbandment was official, the three of them stated that it didn't mean they would never perform together again and that the door would always stay open. The breakup, however, put Beyoncé in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
The Backlash
Everybody in the media blamed Beyoncé for the breakup of the group. They called her selfish and a diva, and people claimed that her father was behind all of it. This made her not even want to leave her house, and she seriously considered quitting music forever. She just wanted to be left alone!
It was all very unfair, especially considering that Kelly and Michelle always had her back. In fact, after the disbandment, all former members collaborated in each other's solo music and only had good things to say about each other. Yet, everyone was against Bey.
Rock Bottom
Even after all her success and popularity, Beyoncé felt empty. She loved music more than anything, but she didn't know what to do anymore. She still released music and performed live, but she wasn't sure whether she wanted to keep doing it much longer.
The following years after Destiny's Child's breakup were very tough on her, even though her career was at its best. How did she manage to get out of this hole she was in? Well, it was all thanks to one special person... well, two actually.
Love Trumps All
It was the love and support of her husband, Jay-Z, that helped Beyoncé rediscover her love for music. The two made beautiful music together and that made her remember what it was all about. She wasn't going to let people's comments bring her down! Around that same time, the couple got some incredible news that made everything better.
Around the time Beyoncé was ready to give everything up, she found out she was pregnant with her first child, Blue Ivy. This reminded her that what matters is not what random people say about us, but the special people we have in our lives. With her beautiful family's help, she got back on her feet.
Happily Ever After
Becoming a mother and a wife completely changed Beyoncé's perspective. She realized that what other people think and say about you doesn't matter, unless it is coming from those who know you the best.
A few years later, she and Jay-Z welcomed twins Rumi and Sir. They are now raising their three beautiful children and staying as far away from the spotlight as possible. If there is one lesson she has learned through these experiences is to never give up, because things always get better.