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Whether it be from the time that she was part of a singing trio, or when she went solo, Beyonce Knowles has been one of the most successful singers in music history. These days, she simply goes by Beyonce, and has a massive following around the world as a showstopping performer. It’s now estimated that Beyonce, along with her husband, is worth a combined $1.4 billion, making her a powerful force in the industry.

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Beyonce was born on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas where she had also gone to school and had interest in singing and dancing. It was clear that Beyonce had a lot of talent, and at a very young age had become part of a girl’s group that made their way onto the reality competition series “Star Search”. Though the didn’t win, Beyonce would continue to hone her craft until she and her friends that established the group Destiny’s Child were able to land their first record deal.

Destiny’s Child released their debut self-titled album in 1998 that put them on the chart thanks to the hit “No, No, No”. The following year, they had an explosion of popularity with “The Writing’s on the Wall”, which contained a pair of number one hits with “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Say My Name”. A third album called “Survivor” was released in 2001 that had two more number one songs with “Independent Women Part I” and “Bootylicious”.

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In the early 2000s, Beyonce had collaborated with legendary rapper Jay-Z for the first time for the song “03 Bonnie & Clyde”. The two quietly started a relationship, keeping their personal lives very private, leaving many to wonder if they were indeed a couple. Then, in 2008, without a lot of fanfare, the two were married. Along the way, the couple has had three children, including twins that were born in 2017.

Being perhaps the most influential couple in the entire music industry, Beyonce and Jay-Z have been able to purchase each other a lot of very expensive gifts. In recent years, Beyonce bought a Bombardier Challenger 850 that’s able to hold nearly 20 people. It cost a pretty penny, as well, setting Beyonce back $40 million. It was the first time that Jay-Z was celebrating Father’s Day as a father, and Beyonce was willing to spend big to make it special.

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Around this time, Destiny’s Child had gone on hiatus, allowing Beyonce to release her first solo album with 2003’s “Dangerously in Love” that contained Beyonce’s next two chart topping singles with “Baby Boy” and “Crazy in Love”. Destiny’s Child reunited for one more album in 2004 with “Destiny Fulfilled”, and afterward Beyonce would reembark on her solo career.

She released two more albums during the 2000s with “B’Day” and “I Am...Sasha Fierce”, both of which sold eight million copies worldwide. She continued to be a force during this era, thanks to massively popular songs like “Irreplaceable”, “Beautiful Liar” and her most popular track, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”.

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During the 2010s, Beyonce would release another trio of albums, all of which matched her previous ones in terms of chart performance. These albums were “4”, “Beyonce” and most recently with “Lemonade” in 2016. There’s been just one number one song for Beyonce during that time with “Perfect Duet”, but she’s had plenty of songs that have come close to reaching the top.

On top of her singing career, Beyonce has also been an actress that has garnered a lot of success. In the 2000s, she starred in films like “Austin Powers in Goldmember”, “The Pink Panther” and “Dreamgirls”. After starring in “Obsessed” in 2009, Beyonce took a break from acting, but returned for a voice role in 2019 when she starred as Nala in “The Lion King”.

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These days, Beyonce has a following that’s unmatched by any other singer it seems. When asked how she keeps things fresh and seems to reinvent herself, Beyonce said that “The predictable rock star DNA is a myth. I don’t believe you don’t have to accept dysfunction to be successful. This is not to say that I have not struggled. I have the same pain that life brings to everyone else. I try to shift the stigma that says with fame there has to be drama. It is how you relate to your hardships and use that to evolve. And I try to keep real ones around me.” 

So if she didn’t become a wildly successful singer, what would Beyonce be doing these days? “If I weren’t performing, I’d be a beauty editor or a therapist,” she said. “I love creativity, but I also love to help others. My mother was a hairstylist, and they listen to everyone’s problems - like a beauty therapist.”