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Video: Single Ladies (put a ring on it) by Beyoncé

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About Beyoncé Knowles

Beyoncé Knowles is one of the many impressive artists of the new millennium, but an individual in her own right. She's praised for her wildly inventive presentations in music and film, and respected for her down-to-earth persona. With her grace, beauty, charm, and gift for entertaining, Knowles has become a star and an American icon. Born in Houston in the fall of 1981, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles started performing at age seven. From dance classes to singing in the church choir, Knowles was a natural. She and cousin Kelly Rowland met Latavia Roberson during this time, and the trio formed a group with Letoya Luckett. Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father and Rowland's legal guardian, signed on to be the girls' manager. This situation would ultimately lead to the formation of one of the greatest female RB groups of all time -- Destiny's Child.

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That was just the beginning of the group's breakout success. The second single, " Bug a Boo ," didn't perform as well, but the third single, "Say My Name," was another massive hit, their biggest so far; it hit number one on both the pop and RB charts for three weeks apiece in early 2000, and made Destiny's Child a pop-cultural phenomenon. However, at the peak of "Say My Name"'s popularity, the group splintered. In December 1999, Roberson and LeToya attempted to split with manager Mathew Knowles, charging that he kept a disproportionate share of the band's profits, attempted to exert too much control, and unfairly favored his daughter and niece. While they never intended to leave the group, relations naturally grew strained, and when the video for "Say My Name" premiered in February 2000, many fans (not to mention Roberson and Luckett) were surprised to find two new members -- Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin -- joining Knowles and Rowland. Infuriated, Roberson and Luckett took legal action in March, suing both Knowles and their former bandmates for breach of partnership and fiduciary duties. A war of words followed in the press; meanwhile, the next Destiny's Child single, " Jumpin' Jumpin' ," hit the Top Ten, and The Writing's on the Wall went on to sell a whopping eight million copies.

Destiny's Child made its debut 1990 and within ten years, the vocal act had experienced personal and political highs and lows that fueled the group's desire to make it big. Destiny's Child sold 33 million albums worldwide by 2002 and earned a slew of Grammys and additional music awards. " Jumpin' Jumpin' ," " Bills, Bills, Bills ,"" Say My Name ," and " Survivor " were smash hits, and the group appeared unstoppable.

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In 2001, Knowles, Rowland, and Michelle Williams allowed themselves a break from the singing group and tried their hands at individual solo careers. Before landing several movie roles, Knowles became the first African- American female artist and second woman ever to win the annual ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year Award. An appearance in the MTV drama Carmen: A Hip Hopera quickly followed, but it was her role as Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember in 2002 that eventually moved Knowles from the stage to the screen. Her first single, "Work It Out," coincided with the release of the Mike Myers comedy and cemented Knowles' celebrity status. A guest spot on Jay-Z's "'03 Bonnie Clyde" was equally popular when it appeared in October. In 2003, she shed her last name and rejoined Jay-Z for her proper debut single, the funkadelic "Crazy in Love," as the press and fans christened her a bona fide star. Beyoncé Knowles' debut album, Dangerously in Love , which appeared in June 2003, featured collaborations with Sean Paul , Missy Elliott , and OutKast's Big Boi.

Beyoncé is also active for charity productions as in " What More Can I Give" a charity single recorded by Michael Jackson and more than 35 others, including Celine Dion, Ricky Martin, Luther Vandross, the Backstreet Boys, Carlos Santana and Mariah Carey.

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