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Charleene Folks
English 101-18
Dr. Witherspoon
7 November 2014
Expository Essay (Beyonc Knowles Revised)
This once shy girl broke out into one of the most entertaining women of this time.
Beyonc Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981 in Houston Texas. As a young girl,
Beyonc wanted to be something big, she wanted to be a star, and by the age of twenty one, she
achieved that goal. Knowles always loved to sing and dance for her family; her parents say,
They were stunned, when we saw her on stage for the first time, it was incredible. I'd never seen
her so alive and confident"(Hamid Karzai). Beyoncs musical career was most important to her
that her parents allowed her to drop out of school and pursue her vocal dreams; however after
understanding that her education would be essential to her success she went back to school to
obtain a degree (PerezHilton.com). Beyoncs musical foundation and versatility has made her
one of todays most successful entertainers.
Beyoncs musical foundation was one of the major keys to her future success. She was
most interested in music before she could even speak. At the age of seven, Beyonc started
singing in her church choir at St. Johns Church in downtown Houston Texas. Beyonc was
involved in many local pageants and Talent Shows when she was younger. In one of the local
contest she entered at the age of eight, she won and received a standing ovation from her
audience and beat fifteen and sixteen year olds. In 1990 she auditioned for a spot in the singing

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group called Girls Tyme and she got the spot. Beyonc was enrolled into Parker Elementary
School, a music school in Houston. Then later she attended the High School for Performing and
Visual Arts. There is where Knowles took Opera classes and received her Classical Training.
Beyoncs vocal trainings have made her a key asset in the girls group Destinys Child.
From the time of her first public recognition in the group, Beyonc always seemed to have stood
out as a performer; she was always the lead singer. The group was formed in 1990; however, at
the time, they were known as Girls Tyme. The group trialed through various different names
such as: Somethin Fresh, the Dolls, and Destiny before finally settling on the name Destinys
Child. And in fact Beyoncs mother Tina actually encouraged the group to identify themselves
as Destinys Child after a night of reading her Bible. The R&B group was first composed of six
girls who all met each other at the audition for a spot in the girl group Girls Tyme, but soon
afterwards the group ended up with just four girls. They received their big break on the televised
talent show Star Search. Unfortunately, they lost to the Rock band Skeleton Crew. Beyonc
never became discouraged though. She realized that some of the artists that she looked up to
once lost. In 1995, the group signed a deal with Silent Partner Production. Sadly, the deal fell
through and it did not last. Nonetheless in 1997 Columbia Records signed the group, and then
they settled on the name Destinys Child. Beyonc was very dedicated to the group; many of
their songs were written by her. Sadly the group separated in early 2000, but then got back
together in 2003. However, on June 11, 2005, in Barcelona, Spain the group announced their
official break up. Nonetheless, they continued to perform shows together. They officially broke
up in 2006.
It was not long before Beyonc launched her solo career. In fact, between 2002 and 2006,
Beyonc focused on her solo career. Beyoncs full potential was finally recognized when she

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established herself as a solo artist. Most people argue that she had been the leader of Destinys
Child, especially since she had most if not all the leading roles and parts. She wrote many of
their songs, and her producing expertise was remarkably impressing. Beyonc always exhibited
something that made her stand out from the rest. Whether it was her appearance or vocals, she
always seemed to take the spotlight. Many might say looks do not get you far and that may be
true, however it did play a factor for Beyoncs success. During Beyoncs solo career she
became the first African-American female artist and second woman ever to win the annual
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Pop Songwriter of the Year
Award. However, it did not stop there, at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010; Beyonc
set a record for female artists. Winning six Grammy at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in
2010, Beyonc set a new record for the most Grammys won by a female artist in a single year.
Once Beyonc broke out into her solo career she really began to be recognized for her
other talents such as acting. In 1999 Beyonc and the other Destinys Child members made an
appearance in the movie Beverly Hood. However 2001 is when Beyonc was offered a leading
role in the movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera. Beyonc was able to further showcase her vocal
ability due to the fact that the movie was a musical. She has had nine other roles in nine different
films.
Beyoncs versatility has brought her so far and has brought her so many achievements
and so much success. Her versatility makes her a force to be reckoned with in the entertaining
industry. There are not many women and men who can do what she can in terms of her
flexibility and if so it is not as good as her. Beyonc is one of the best entertainers because of her
ability to successfully accomplish many different tasks with her talents. This once shy girl has

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blossomed into such an influential woman and role model for many undiscovered female artist.
Beyonc Knowles has made her mark on the entertainment industry.

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Works Cited
"Beyonce Gonna Get Her GED?" PerezHilton RSS. PerezHilton, 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.
"Beyonce Knowles Biography." AceShowbiz. ACESHOWBIZ.com, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.
"Beyonce." MTV Artists. Viacom International, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.
"Beyonc Knowles." IMDb. IMDb.com, 2014. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
"Beyonce Knowles Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
"Destiny's Child." Destiny's Child. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
Karzai, Hamid. "Beyonc Knowles Biography." World Biography. N.p., 2005. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.
Leahey, Andrew, and Rovi. "Beyonce." Pandora. Pandora Media, Inc, 2005. Web. 26 Nov. 2014.