Beyonce
Beyoncé Beyoncé Knowles is known as an amazing actress, single, and fashion icon, but what was she like before all the fame in fortune? And how has it affected her life? What does it really take to become as sucessful as her? From her early childhood, Beyoncé Knowles wanted to be more than a performer: she wanted to be a superstar. By the age of twenty-one, she had reached that goal, becoming worldly famous not just as a singer but also as an actress. After her huge success with the R&B group Destiny's Child, Beyoncé broke out on her own, releasing a solo ablum, Dangerously in Love, in 2003. The single "Crazy in Love," featuring her boyfriend, rapper Jay-Z, was one of the biggest hits of the summer of 2003. The song got the album to multimillion sales and earned Beyoncé a number of awards, including a Grammy Award and an MTV Video Music Award. In 2002 she showed her acting abilities in the third of Mike Myers's Austin Powers series Austin Powers in Goldmember, playing as Foxxy Cleopatra. The following year she appeared opposite Academy Award–winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. in The Fighting Temptations. Beyoncé also grabbed a lot of high-profile endorsement deals, acting as a spokesperson for Pepsi and for the cosmetics company L'Oréal. For all her money, fame, and critical recognition, Beyoncé has managed to hold on to her warm, genuine nature. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Her father, Mathew, worked for many years as a sales representative selling medical equipment. While her mother, Tina, worked in a bank and later opened her own beauty salon, which became one of the most successful salons in Houston. As a child, Beyoncé was really shy. Her parents signed her up for a dance class when she was seven years old. The first time Beyoncé's parents saw her perform, they were stunned. Beyoncé had found a way to break out of her shyness, and along the way she discovered she had real talent. She began singing in and winning local talent