Singing sensation Beyoncé Knowles has already rung up enough accolades to put her on the threshold to super-stardom. Making her claim to fame as the standout singer and songwriter of the chart-topping group Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé (celebrating her 22nd birthday September 4) has skyrocketed to the top of her game with infectious songs such as “Bills, Bills, Bills,” “Survivor” and her current hit “Crazy In Love.” Now as a film star – and with Pepsi and L’Oréal endorsements making her even more visible – the Texas-born singer is quickly showing the music industry and the world that she is a true commodity in show business.

Whether Beyoncé is performing at the 2003 Essence Awards (where she brought down the house singing “Crazy in Love”), on The Late Show, The Early Show or, for that matter, any show, the sultry singer-turned actress has a way of showing up and showing out. She gives audiences an adrenaline high with her luminous voice, “Bootylicious” dance moves and her mere presence.

Beyoncé is undoubtedly blazing her own trail. But she is also following the path of other one-name celebrities like Cher and Madonna – gaining recognition and fame by just the mention of her first name. Her stage persona is sassy and electrifying, her outfits vibrant and sometimes flamboyant, but up close and personal she is surprisingly reserved.

After meeting the star and being in her presence at a few award shows, I was amazed at how a woman so modest and down-to-earth could once be classified as a diva. Her almost coy demeanor causes one to wonder if she takes to the stage as an outlet to express her myriad of emotions.

True emotion has definitely played a part in her life. With drama stemming from the departure of two of the original members of Destiny’s Child, followed by more mayhem when another member left the group, Beyoncé has had to endure scrutiny, criticism and even legal hassels over songs and contracts. Despite the drama, Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child continue to shine, seemingly undaunted and driven. Beyoncé shows the strength of a woman beyond her years. Her persona is one of independence, sensuality and feminine power. But she says her strength is not always well received.

“It’s really hard being strong because when people see that you’re strong they want to bring you down,” Beyoncé says. “They say negative things about you, and they are intimidated when they see your strength. But you cannot let people get you down. You have to continuously pray, stay positive – even when everybody else is negative.”

Beyoncé’s “I’m a Survivor” attitude stems from the values instilled in her by her parents, Matthew Knowles, her manager, and Tina Knowles, her stylist mom who designs many of the outfits worn by Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child. It’s obvious that she has a close-knit relationship with both parents, who made pivotal sacrifices in their own lives to help steer their daughter’s career. The Knowles are often seen at Beyoncé’s performances and events, quietly watching from the background as proud parents do when they know they have done their best to groom their children for success. Beyoncé says she gains wisdom from her parents as well as strength from her younger sister, Solange, who is also a singer. And while Beyoncé’s popularity and career are escalating to phenomenal heights, she seems to stay well grounded and approachable.

“A lot of times people become successful and they get out of touch with reality,’ Beyoncé notes. “You can’t tell them anything. They start thinking it’s all about them. They don’t realize that they still have room to grow.”

Since millions of record sales with Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé’s growth as an artist has become a natural part of her maturing process. When it comes to winning awards, she has surely brought in her share with Destiny’s Child, from Grammys and Soul Train Music Awards to American Music Awards and NAACP Awards – to name a few. But perhaps her most impressive honor was becoming the first African-American woman to win the coveted ASCAP Award for “Songwriter of the Year” in 2001. Beyoncé was also the second female winner in the history of the ASCAP Awards.

Even with all of the accolades for her songwriting talent, Beyoncé is quick to point out that writing and producing were not part of her initial plans. “I actually produced ‘Independent Woman’ and ‘Jumpin, Jumpin,’ and the record label sent me to the studio to write another song, and it was ‘Survivor,’” Knowles explains. “After that they sent me to the studio to write still another song and it was ‘Bootylicious.’ They continued to send me back to the studio and, before I realized it, I had written and produced an entire album.”

Instead of envying Beyoncé’s talents, group members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, who got favorable reviews with their own solo projects, sing her praises. “You have to be talented in songwriting to write,” says Rowland. “You can’t just write something on a piece of paper and then expect it to become a hit song. Beyoncé has what is a natural gift, and it’s songwriting.”

Despite separate projects, the trio says it will continue to make hit songs and perform together. They enjoyed a reunion at the Red Stripe SumFest in Montego Bay, Jamaica, this past summer as they performed together for the first time in over a year. “We [Destiny’s Child] make it, and it’s because God fights our battles for us and we give Him praise no matter where we go,” Beyoncé asserts. “We’ve been all around the world – Japan, all over Europe – basically giving praise. We are living testimonies to God and what He can do for you.”

Fans of Destiny’s Child are eager to see what will follow the threesome’s successful Survivor album and individual solo projects. But for now, Beyoncé’s hit “Crazy in Love,” from her debut solo LP Dangerously in Love, has become another sing-along anthem. Dangerously in Love swiftly moved up the Billboard charts its first week out and is still gaining momentum. Beyoncé collaborated with some of the best in the music industry, including Luther Vandross (with their rendition of “The Closer I Get to You”), Sean Paul, Missy Elliot, Outkast’s Big Boi and rapper Jay-Z, who is rumored to be Beyoncé’s on-again, off-again love interest.

Beyoncé prefers keeping her love life private. And whether she and Roc-A-Fella Record’s head man and street-wise rapper Jay-Z are “just friends” or a couple, the buzz surrounding their “relationship” brings fascination and intrigue to their fans. One thing is for certain, their collaborative works “Crazy in Love” and “03 Bonnie & Clyde” proved that they have a creative musical formula that works well together.

In the acting arena, Beyoncé first spread her wings when she starred in MTV’s Hip Hopera: Carmen opposite Mekhi Phifer. Shortly thereafter, she played Foxxy Cleopatra in the Austin Powers flick Goldmember. In The Fighting Temptations – filmed in Atlanta, Columbus and Senoia, Ga., as well as in New York – Beyoncé stars opposite Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. She plays the role of Lilly, a single mother and singer who returns to her roots in the church after being encouraged by Darrin (Gooding) to sing in the choir.

Loretha Jones, one of the producers for The Fighting Temptations and the executive music producer, says she’d work with Beyoncé in every film she produced if she could. “I think Beyoncé’s going to be as great an actress as she is a singer,” Jones says. “She is the sweetest, most down-to-earth person you’ll meet on the one hand but also the hardest working, most dedicated person I’ve ever worked with.”

As Lilly in The Fighting Temptations, Beyoncé captivates her audience as a beautiful Southern singer who is earthy and unassuming. In real life, Beyoncé has many of the same traits as her film character. “I think Lilly is probably closer to her than any of the three characters that people have seen her play on-screen or her Destiny’s Child [stage] persona,” Jones says. “She’s a great performer – able to be sexy and all those things that you see when she sings. She’s fabulous.”
With more film and music projects in the making, a hit album, major endorsement deals, good looks and her own clothing line on the way, Beyoncé is fast drawing comparisons to Jennifer Lopez. It’s certainly fitting. Both are marketable entertainers who appeal to a diverse audience.

From the Fall 2003 issue.

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