Surprising details about Beyoncé every fan should know

Beyoncé, whose real name is Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, is a beloved singer and songwriter from Houston, Texas.

The 44-year-old superstar used to be a member of the popular R&B group Destiny’s Child, and later rose to fame after debuting her solo career.

But even before the group’s disbandment in 2006, Beyoncé had started working on being a solo artist and released her first album Dangerously in Love, which became one of music’s top-selling artists with sold-out tours and a slew of awards.

In 2008, she tied the knot with hip-hop star Jay-Z, with whom she shares three children.

The Hollywood icon has also achieved a record breaking win, holding 35 Grammy wins.

Bond with her family

Beyoncé credits most of her success to her hard working parents. During her chat with Elle in 2016, the Single Ladies hitmaker candidly shared, "My parents taught me how to work hard and smart. Both were entrepreneurs; I watched them struggle working 18-hour days."

"They taught me that nothing worth having comes easily. My father stressed discipline and was tough with me. He pushed me to be a leader and an independent thinker. My mother loved me unconditionally, so I felt safe enough to dream," she added.

Her parents, Tina built her career in fashion, meanwhile her father Mathew Knowles spent many years managing Beyoncé’s music career.

Although they would have supported any career choice the superstar wanted to take on, they stood by their daughter’s side as she worked hard to make a name for herself in the music industry.

In 2004, Mathew told the Rolling Stones, "It never mattered to me if my kids did music."

"If Beyoncé came to me and said, ‘Dad, I wanna be a doctor,’ I would find a way of buying a hospital," he said.

Her father ended up leaving his job to focus on his daughter’s future career, and took on the role of being her manager up until 2011.

Speaking with Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé reflected on the decision to no longer work with her father, saying, "We both knew it was time, maybe a few years before, but I love my father so much, and he has taught me so many things. So (choosing to part ways) was something that was hard."

Continuing, "I had to tell myself, ‘At some point, you have to be the adult that your father has raised.’"

A look into her childhood

Before her rise to fame, Beyoncé’s early years were fairly ordinary.

She grew up in a religious household, and spent her Sundays at St. John’s Downtown Church, a United Methodist church in Houston, quite regularly.

The Run the World hitmaker spent her spare time during her childhood watching movies, enjoying outings to AstroWorld amusement park, and going to the Houston rodeo.

To help their shy and timid child come out of her shell, her parents made her take dance lessons in attempts to encourage her to make friends. Doing so, Beyoncé ended up discovering confidence she didn’t have before.

It seemed like her fate as a performer was set in stone when she was only in first grade, when she won the school talent show singing John Lenon’s Imagine.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, she expressed, "I was like, ‘Oh, Lord, this is amazing.'"

"So I knew I wanted to be a singer. I think I knew before that, but I’d never been on a stage before that."

After this boost of confidence, she went on to participate in many other talent shows and ended up winning 35 times in a row.

In conversation with GQ, her sister Solange shared that she still remembers seeing her sibling rehearsing on her own in her room.

"I specifically remember her taking a line out of a song or a routine and just doing it over and over and over again until it was perfect and it was strong. At age 10, when everybody else was ready to say, ‘Okay, I’m tired, let’s take a break,’ she wanted to continue to ace it and overcome it."

The superstar also admitted that her mother had a big role in helping her stay grounded and connected to the life around her.

In 2005 she opened up, crediting Tina, saying, "She always kept me a normal kid; she made sure I had slumber parties, made sure we hung out with our friends, even after eighth grade, when we started being home-schooled."

Prior to being homeschooled, she was enrolled in St. Mary, a private Catholic school; Parker Elementary School; and Welch Middle School.

She also sharpened her talents at High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

Her time as a member of Destiny’s Child

Beyoncé and her friend Kelly Rowland, who stayed with the Knowles family for sometime, showed their incredible talents performing together in the iconic girl group Destiny’s Child.

Back in the 1900s, when the global star was only nine years old, she and her friend Kelly joined hands with some classmates to start a music group.

Originally called 'Girls Tyme,' the group got their first break in 1992 with an exciting appearance on the TV talent competition show Star Search.

Although they stunned everyone with their incredible performance, it wasn’t enough to leave with a prize.

This caused Beyoncé’s father to ultimately resign from his corporate job and help his daughter and the group pave their way in the industry, becoming their full time manager.

After some rebranding and some major changes, the group ended up securing a record deal with Columbia Records in 1997 as Destiny’s Child.

With the release of their debut self-titled album in February 1998, the group quickly shot to popularity, with its biggest hit being No, No, No.

It marked the start of Beyoncé’s journey as a songwriter, as she delivered another No. Hit with the Grammy winning Say My Name, and the fan favourite Jumpin’ Jumpin.

Over the years the group faced many changes and challenges all while releasing many hits and further rose to fame. However, in 2005, the group shocked fans after announcing that they will be breaking up after their final concert on their Destiny Fulfilled… and Lovin’ It tour in September of that year.

Career as a solo artist

Now, paving her way as a solo artist, the Formation singer has released many albums over the years, each earning massive success.

Remarkably, eight of her albums opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and collectively sold the equivalent of 37 million copies.

In 2025, Beyonce also received the Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter, which was released on March 29, 2024.

Life with Jay-Z

In a low-key ceremony, back in 2008, Beyoncé exchanged vows with the rapper Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Corey Carter.

The power couple took Europe by storm in June 2018, as a part of their 48-date tour, putting on dazzling performances.

During their tour, they sent fans into a major frenzy on June 16, in London, after unveiling their joint album Everything is Love.

Fun Facts

Won a Journalism Award

Beyonce stepped out of her comfort zone and opened up in a rare moment, writing a cover story for ESSENCE, titled 'Eat, Play, Love.'

In the story, she reflected on her nine month hiatus from performing and shared details about her family life, personal passions and creative awakening.

The article seemed to be loved not just by the public, her fans but the critics as well. But the praise didn’t stop there as in recognition of the piece, New York Association of Black Journalists honoured the celebrated artist with a writing award for her heartfelt essay.

Isn’t just a singer

Beyonce is not just a singer but has dabbled in acting as well. She has starred in productions like Obsessed, Austin Powers in Goldmember, Dreamgirls, Pink Panther, Cadillac Records and more.

She is also the voice of Nala in the live action remake of The Lion King.

Obama’s inaugurations

Beyonce was present at each of former President Obama’s inauguration ceremonies, in 2009 and 2013.

At his first inauguration, the singer serenaded him and the First Lady Michelle Obama with Etta James’s At Last and during his second inauguration, she performed The Star-Spangled Banner.