Beyonce Net Worth, Singer, Early Life

The American singer, songwriter, actress, and producer has had one of the most illustrious and industry-defining careers that the world has ever seen.

In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about Beyoncé, including her childhood, career, net worth, and other fun facts you might not have known about her.

Let's dive in.

Beyoncé: Early Life and Musical Discovery

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas on September 4, 1981.  Her mother, "Tina" Knowles, owned a salon and did hair. Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, was a Xerox sales manager (and later Beyoncé's manager).

Beyoncé was born and raised Catholic and went to St. Mary's Montessori School in her hometown of Houston. There, she enrolled in dance classes. By chance, her dance instructor discovered her singing talent when she was humming a song. Beyoncé finished it, hitting every single high-pitched note perfectly.

Her music and performance interest grew from there. She won a talent show at age seven, beating out 16-year-olds by performing John Lennon's "Imagine." By 1990, Beyoncé began attending Parker Elementary School, a magnet school specializing in music. Here, she joined the school's choir.

After that, she went to the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She also later attended Alief Elsik High School. During this time, she performed as a soloist for the St. John's Methodist Church choir.

Girl's Tyme

At eight years old, Beyoncé went to an audition for an all-girl entertainment girl and met LaTavia Roberson. Together, along with three other girls, they formed a girl group called Girl's Tyme. They performed shows around Houston and were later discovered by R&B producer Arne Frager.

He brought them to Northern California and placed them on Star Search, a popular talent show on national TV. However, they failed to win.

In 1995, Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage Girl's Tyme. However, the family struggled financially and they had to sell their home and cars, and even move into separate apartments.

They were soon signed by Elektra Records, then moved to Atlanta Records. The company cut them soon after. The strain caused Beyoncé's parents to separate. However, after a lot of hard work, the group was signed to Grass Roots Entertainment and began recording a debut album.

The Knowles parents reunited. Soon, Colombia Records signed the group to a contract.

Beyonce's Career: Destiny's Child

In 1996, the group changed its name to Destiny's Child. The name is based on a passage from the Book of Isaiah. The year after, they released their major label debut song "Killing Time." It was featured in the 1997 film Men in Black.

Later that year, they released their debut single and major hit "No, No, No." In 1998, they released their self-titled debut album, which secured them as a popular act in the R&B genre. They garnered moderate sales and even won several Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, including:

• Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year
• Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist
• Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No".

They went on to release another album in 1999 — The Writing's on the Wall. This album had some of the group's most famous songs, including "Jumpin' Jumpin'" and "Say My Name." The album sold more than 8 million copies worldwide.

LeToya Luckett and Roberson of Destiny's Child soon grew unhappy with Mathew's management of the band. Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin replaced the two.

Beyoncé grew depressed after the split and blamed the media and critics for it. At the same time, her then-boyfriend left her. Her depression became severe, and she occasionally spent days in her room without eating anything. Her mother is credited with helping her through the tough time.

Soon, Franklin was dismissed from the group, leaving just Beyoncé, Williams, and Rowland. They recorded their next best-charting single — "Independent Women Part I." It was featured in the movie Charlie's Angels. Later, they released their third album: Survivor.

During this time, Beyoncé also landed her first major role in a film: Carmen: A Hip Hopera. She later starred in her theatrical film debut as Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember.

The Beginning of Beyonce's Solo Career

Beyonce's very first debut as a solo artist came on Jay-Z's song "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" in 2002. It peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

She soon went on to release her first album, Dangerously in Love, on June 24, 2003, soon after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland both released their solo albums. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and has sold 11 million copies since.

The single, "Crazy in Love," featured Jay-Z and became her first number-one song as a solo artist. Three other songs also reached the top five. She won several Grammys for the album, including:

• Best Contemporary R&B Album
• Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2"
• Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love"
• Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals

Beyoncé went on to embark on an epic tour of Europe and North America with Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys. She performed the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII.

She originally planned on releasing a follow-up album, but put it on hold to focus on Destiny Child's final album: Destiny Fulfilled. This album also did very well and reached number two on the Billboard 200.

Destiny's Child soon announced that they would disband after the tour. They were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March of 2006 after selling 60 million records worldwide.

Continued Success in Music and Acting

Beyoncé released her second solo album, B'Day, in 2006 on her 25th birthday. It was nominated for five Grammys and received several nominations later on.

In 2006, Beyoncé starred in the comedy film The Pink Panther alongside Steve Martin. She also starred in Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical based on The Supremes.

In late 2008, Beyoncé released I am...Sasha Fierce. It introduced Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce. Although it received mediocre reviews, it still sold well and debuted atop the Billboard 200.

She continued to expand her acting career as well. She starred as blues singer Etta James in the movie Cadillac Records. It was well-received by critics. Later, she starred opposite Idris Elba in the thriller Obsessed.

In January of 2010, she announced she would take a break from her music career to follower her mom's advice: "to live life, to be inspired by things again." She traveled around the world from Europe to China to Egypt to Australia.

Post-Hiatus Career

In 2011, Beyoncé became the first solo female artist to headline the Glastonbury Festival in over 20 years. Her next album, 4, was released two days later. It featured several songs that would chart on the Billboard 200. By December 2015, it sold 1.5 million copies in the US.

Because of this album, she also became the first female artist to have three different albums surpassing one billion streams on Spotify.

In January 2013, Destiny's Child reunited to release Love Songs, a compilation of songs from previously released albums. The next month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show in New Orleans. It was the second most tweeted moment in history.

In 2013, she went on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. It was one of the most successful tours of all time. Later in December, she unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album without any announcement or promotion — yet still reached number one on the Billboard 200.

In 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and performed it at the Super 50 halftime show. It was controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party.

She later released an album called Lemonade with a corresponding one-hour film on HBO. She became the first act in Billboard history to have six studio albums at the top of the chart. It became her most critically acclaimed work to date according to Metacritic.

Current Career

In 2019, Homecoming was released, which documented Beyonce's historic 2018 Coachella performances. This was accompanied by a live album as well.

Beyoncé voiced Nala in the remake of The Lion King in 2019 which featured a remake of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" with Danny Glover, originally performed by Elton John.

On June 9, 2022, Beyoncé removed all of her profile pictures across social media platforms. This caused people to believe that she was planning on releasing new music. They were right — she later announced her seventh studio album, Renaissance, was coming. It was released on July 29, 2022.

Influences

Beyoncé has named several musical icons as influences of her music. One of the most notable is Michael Jackson. When she was five, she attended her first concert ever to watch Michael Jackson. She claims to have realized her career purpose at that show.

Beyoncé was also influenced by Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, and Madonna. She states that they were strong influences on the way she writes music and performs.

Other notable musical influences that she has credited include:

• Mariah Carey
• Prince
• Shakira
• Lauryn Hill
• Sade Adu
• Donna Summer
• Mary J. Blige
• Anita Baker
• Toni Braxton

She has also stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and other non-music-related icons.

Beyoncé's Net Worth

Her career has become one of the most successful of all time in the music industry. So how much is Beyoncé worth?

Beyoncé's net worth is $500 million. Combined with her husband Jay-Z, a successful rapper and producer, they have a net worth of $1.8 billion.

Family

Beyoncé has a younger sister, Solange Knowles, that is also a singer. She was also a backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Together, they are the first sisters to have both had number one albums.

Beyoncé's grandparents on her mother's side were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé is also considered a Creole. From this side, she is a descendant of French Aristocrats from the southwest of France. Many of them are notable, and you can find noblemen, military leaders, and more in her family lineage.

Beyoncé also found that she descended from a slave owner who married a slave.

Beyoncé married American rapper and songwriter Jay-Z. They met when Beyoncé was 18 and Jay-Z was 30 and married in 2008. Before that, Beyoncé's relationships were rumored to feature celebrities like:

• Justin Timberlake
• Kobe Bryant
• Sisqó
• Marques Houston
• Mos Def
• Pharrell
• Sean Paul

Jay-Z and Beyoncé have three children. Two of them are girls and one is a boy — Blue Ivy Carter, Rumi Carter, and Sir Carter.

FAQs and Beyoncé Facts

How tall is Beyoncé?

She is 169 cm tall.

When was Beyoncé born?

She was born in 1981.

What is Beyoncé's middle name?

Her middle name is Giselle.

What was the name of Beyoncé's first music group?

It was originally known as Girl's Tyme and later changed its name to Destiny's Child.

The Legendary Success of "Queen B"

That's everything you need to know about Beyoncé. Since she was a child, she has constantly proven herself to be one of the most talented and successful singers to ever grace the music industry.

Our net worths are for entertainment purposes only. We do our best to provide accurate figures, but we cannot guarantee their accuracy. The figures are based on public information and estimates, and may not reflect the true value of assets or liabilities.