making the singer a virtual mainstay in the entertainment world. While some media outlets derisively championed Paris Hilton as "the next Marilyn Monroe," Beyonce was a much better contender for the role, her glittering pop culture persona only matched by her success onscreen and on record.
Born in Houston in September 1981, Beyonce Giselle Knowles began performing at age seven, winning upwards of 30 local competitions for her dancing and vocal abilities. Beyonce also joined her cousin Kelly Rowland and classmates LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett in forming an adolescent vocal group. Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father and Rowland's legal guardian, signed on to be the girls' manager, eventually quitting his full-time job to focus on their efforts. This situation would ultimately lead to the creation of one of the most popular female R&B groups of all time -- Destiny's Child.
While her inclusion on the movie's soundtrack failed to chart nationally, Beyonce's full-length solo debut, 2003's Dangerously in Love, reached multi-platinum status. Featuring collaborations with Sean Paul, Missy Elliott, OutKast's Big Boi, and romantic interest Jay-Z, the album spawned a total of four Top Ten singles and garnered the singer five Grammys. Destiny's Child reconvened the following year to release Destiny Fulfilled; upon completing the resulting tour, the group issued one final album.
a greatest-hits compilation entitled 1's, and subsequently disbanded. Beyonce turned her full attention to her burgeoning solo career, releasing the sophomore effort B'day in September 2006 and, three months later, turning in an award-winning performance for the movie musical Dreamgirls. The singer then embarked on the Beyonce Experience concert tour, releasing a live DVD in November 2007.
The following year 2008 proved to be another busy one as Beyonce Knowles landed the role of Etta James in Cadillac Records, a musical biopic that explored the heyday of Chicago's Chess Records. Shooting commenced in February 2008, with Beyonce also serving as co-executive producer. One month before the film's December release, the singer released her third studio album.
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