She’s an award-winning singer and actress who’s gone from Destiny’s Child to performing for the president to being a mom.
/ 66 PHOTOS
Beyonce's beautiful life
From dancing in dazzling leotards to gracing the red carpet with husband Jay-Z, take a look at Beyonce's superstar life.
Beyonce poses backstage with survivors of the Boston bombing before her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour 2013 performance on July 23, 2013 at the TD Garden in Boston.
— Robin Harper / Invision
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Dancing duo
Jay-Z joins Beyonce onstage during the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour 2013 on Aug. 5, 2013 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
— Robin Harper / Invision
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Standing up
Beyonce listens to speakers at a rally for Trayvon Martin on July 20, 2013 in New York.
— Don Emmert / AFP
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Glove love
Beyonce poses on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala benefit, "Punk: Chaos to Couture", on May 6, 2013 in New York.
— Evan Agostini / Invision
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Seeing the sights
Beyonce and Jay-Z tour Old Havana, Cuba, on April 4, 2013 for their fifth wedding anniversary.
— Ramon Espinosa / AP
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Power ladies
Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey attend the premiere for the HBO documentary film "Beyonce: Life Is But A Dream" on Feb. 12, 2013 in New York.
— Larry Busacca / Getty Images North America
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Star audience
Jessica Biel, Beyonce and Jay-Z attend the 55th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
— Christopher Polk / Getty Images North America
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Reunited, and it feels so good
Beyonce reunited with her 1990s band, Destiny's Child, in a much-buzzed-about concert at halftime of the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013.
— Jeff Haynes / X02430
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Not G-rated?
Beyonce's sexy black leather costume and risque performance at the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show resulted in complaints from some who wanted a more family-friendly show.
— Chris Graythen / Getty Images North America
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Any questions?
After taking heat for lip-syncing at the 2013 presidential inauguration, Beyonce held a press conference before the Super Bowl and sang the national anthem live to prove she could do it.
— Christopher Polk / Getty Images North America
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Hail to the chief
President Barack Obama listens as Beyonce sings the national anthem during his inauguration on Jan. 21, 2013, in Washington. She would later be criticized for not singing live.
— Carolyn Kaster / AP
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Guests of the president
Jay-Z and Beyonce arrive for the presidential inauguration in Washington on Jan. 21, 2013.
— Pool / X80003
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Post-baby body
Beyonce appears on the February 2013 cover of GQ. The magazine didn't even send teaser quotes for the accompanying article's press release, saying only: "We promise it will just get better."
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Pepsi payday
Beyonce, who signed a $50 million deal with Pepsi, takes part in a publicity photo shoot at Canoe Studios in New York in October 2012. This image will appear as life-size promos in stores as an extension of the brand’s "Live For Now" campaign. Through a photo contest, 100 fans will join Beyonce onstage during the singer’s halftime show performance at the 2013 Super Bowl on Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans.
— Patrick Demarchelier / Pepsi
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Face to lace
Beyonce attends the Costume Institute Gala celebration at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 7, 2012.
— Larry Busacca / Getty Images North America
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Top of her class
Beyonce appears on the cover of People magazine as the world's most beautiful woman on April 25, 2012.
"I feel more beautiful than I've ever felt because I've given birth. I have never felt so connected, never felt like I had such a purpose on this earth," Beyonce told People in an interview for the issue.
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Hoopin' it up
Beyonce and husband Jay-Z attend an NBA game between the New York Knicks and Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden in New York on April 15, 2012.
— James Devaney / WireImage
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Style child
Beyonce is seen carrying her 3-month-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter in what looks like a faux-fur wrap in New York on March 27, 2012.
— Jackson Lee / Splash News / Splash News
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Back in the spotlight
Beyonce steps out for the first time after giving birth for the party following Jay-Z's concert at Carnegie Hall to benefit The United Way of New York and the Shawn Carter Foundation at the 40 / 40 Club on Feb. 6, 2012.
— Kevin Mazur / Getty Images North America
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Her Blue heaven
Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy Carter made her debut on Feb. 10, 2012. Jay-Z and Beyonce took to the Internet to introduce their month-old daughter to their fans on the web page helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com. "We welcome you to share our joy," the couple wrote of their first child together.
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All the elements
A pregnant Beyonce attends a special screening of "Beyonce Live at Roseland: The Elements of 4" at the Paris Theatre in New York on Nov. 20, 2011.
— Evan Agostini / AGOEV
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Finger on the pulse of fragrance
Beyonce attends the party for the launch of her fragrance, Beyonce Pulse, at Penthouse at Dream Downtown on Sept. 21, 2011, in New York.
— Mike Coppola / Getty Images North America
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Fashion-forward family
Beyonce walks with her mother, Tina Knowles, as they launch their fashion collection, House of Dereon, in London on Sept. 17, 2011.
— Jonathan Short / AP
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Baby on the way
Beyonce revealed her pregnancy at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.
— Danny Moloshok / X01907
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Youth movement
Surrounded by young fans, Beyonce makes an appearance at Target in New York to promote dance on Thursday, June 30, 2011.
— Evan Agostini / AGOEV
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British invasion
Beyonce headlines the Pyramid stage on the fourth and final day of the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in England on June 26, 2011.
— Tabatha Fireman / Redferns
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Power trio
Oprah Winfrey greets Beyonce and Madonna during the taping of "Oprah's Surprise Spectacular" in Chicago on May 17, 2011. Winfrey kicked off one of her last-ever national talk shows on Tuesday with hugs from celebrities in a packed Chicago arena.
— John Gress / X01637
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Costume gala
Beyonce arrives for the annual Costume Institute Gala Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 2, 2011.
— Justin Lane / EPA
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'Idol' fun
Beyonce and the six female "American Idol" finalists perform onstage during the "Idol" finale in Los Angeles on May 25, 2011.
— Kevin Winter/american Idol 2011 / Getty Images North America
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Vegas, baby
Beyonce performs onstage during the 2011 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 22, 2011 in Las Vegas.
— Ethan Miller / Getty Images North America
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Rising above
Recording artist Beyonce attends the unveiling of the Beyonce Cosmetology Center at the nonprofit Phoenix House on March 5, 2010 in New York. The program helps women who are seeking treatment for addiction learn beauty skills.
— Jason Kempin / Getty Images North America
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Courtside
Beyonce and husband Jay-Z, part owner of the New Jersey Nets, sit courtside during a game between the Nets and the Phoenix Suns in Newark, N.J. on Monday, Feb. 28, 2011. The Suns won 104-103 in overtime.
— Julio Cortez / AP
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Heat is on
Beyonce launches her new fragrance "Heat" at Macy's Herald Square in New York on February 3, 2010.
— Jemal Countess / Getty Images North America
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Her big night
Beyonce Knowles accepts the best female pop vocal performance award during the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards held at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010.
— Kevin Winter / Getty Images North America
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Pay attention, single ladies
Beyonce performs at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010.
— Robyn Beck / AFP
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Helping hand
Chris Martin of Coldplay, left, and Beyonce are shown at the "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief," in London on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010.
— Mj Kim
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Taking Berlin
Beyonce holds one of three awards she received during the MTV Europe Music Awards at the O2 World arena in Berlin on Nov. 5, 2009.
— Rainer Jensen / DPA POOL
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What a woman
Beyonce receives the "Woman of the Year award" at Billboard's 4th Annual Women In Music event at The Pierre Hotel in New York on Oct. 2, 2009.
— Jemal Countess / Getty Images North America
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Follow her moves
Beyonce performs during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sept. 13, 2009.
— Christopher Polk / Getty Images North America
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As you were saying ...
Taylor Swift, right, finishes her previously interrupted acceptance speech for best female video as Beyonce watches at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York on Sept. 13, 2009. Beyonce had been announced as the winner of the award for video of the year and called Swift back to the stage to finish a speech which had been cut off by Kanye West.
— Gary Hershorn / X00129
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'Obsessed' with acting
Beyonce stars as the wife of a successful asset manager, played by Idris Elba, in the new film "Obsessed." Elba's character is stalked by a new office temp, played by Ali Larter, in the thriller with "Fatal Attraction" written all over it.
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Putting on her top hat
Beyonce performs during the 81st Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif., on Feb. 22, 2009.
— Michael Yada / Ampas / Ho Michael Yada / Ampas / Ho / AMPAS AMPAS
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Always a splash
Beyonce sports a black and gold mermaid-style gown upon arrival at the 81st Academy Awards in Hollywood, Calif., on Feb. 22.
— Jason Reed / X00458
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All about Image
Beyonce accepts the award for outstanding female artist at the 40th NAACP Image Awards on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009 in Los Angeles.
— Chris Pizzello / AP
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'At Last' indeed
President Barack Obama, left, and first lady Michelle Obama wave to Beyonce after their first dance together at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The singer performed the Etta James classic "At Last."
— Elise Amendola / AP
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Braving the cold
Beyonce and Jay-Z attend the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C.
— Timothy A. Clary / AFP
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Stars of all stripes
Beyonce performs during the "We Are One: Opening Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial" in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Jan. 18.
— Alex Brandon / AP
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Oh, 'Boy'
Beyonce performs her song "If I Were a Boy" at the 40 Principales Awards 2008 at Palacio de los Deportes in Madrid, Spain, on Dec. 12, 2008.
— Carlos Alvarez / Getty Images Europe
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Just Fierce
Beyonce performs on the TODAY show in New York's Rockefeller Center on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008. She sang "If I Were a Boy," "Single Ladies," "At Last" and "Crazy in Love." Her third studio album, "I Am Sasha Fierce," hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts that morning.
— Richard Drew / AP
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Smile, wave, repeat
Beyonce arrives at the premiere of "Cadillac Records" in Los Angeles on Monday, Nov. 24, 2008.
— Matt Sayles / AP
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Channeling Etta
Beyonce portrays Etta James in a scene from "Cadillac Records." The singer was nominated for a Golden Globe for best original song for "Once in a Lifetime" from the film.
— Eric Liebowitz / Sony TriStar
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'B'Day' present
Beyonce poses with her trophy for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 49th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 11, 2007. Her second studio album, "B'Day," was released on Sept. 5, 2006, to coincide with the celebration of her 25th birthday.
— Gabriel Bouys / AFP
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Holding Court
Beyonce performs on stage during the 2006 World Music Awards at Earls Court in London on Nov. 15, 2006.
— Getty Images / Getty Images Europe
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Dreamgirl
Beyonce arrives at the premiere of "Dreamgirls" in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Dec. 11, 2006. Her character in the film, Deena Jones, was based on Diana Ross from the Motown female group The Supremes.
— Matt Sayles / SAYLES
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Girl power
Anika Noni Rose, Knowles and Jennifer Hudson, from left, perform as a 60s girl group in "Dreamgirls." The film received five Golden Globe nominations in 2006, including a best actress nomination for Beyonce.
— X80001
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Hair-raising performance
Beyonce shows off her moves at the World Music Awards at Earl's Court in London on Nov. 15, 2006.
— Kieran Doherty / X90053
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Pretty in pink
In 2006, the pop diva starred in the remake of "The Pink Panther," alongside Jean Reno, left, and Steve Martin.
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'Crazy in Love'
Beyonce and Jay Z arrive at the 77th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater on Feb. 27, 2005, in Hollywood, Calif. The singer has remained mostly private about her relationship with the rapper, who she married on April 4, 2008, in New York City.
— Carlo Allegri / Getty Images North America
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Final bow
On June 13, 2005, Destiny's Child announced that they would disband after their world tour ended in September. In Oct. 2005, the group released their final album, "#1's," including all of Destiny's Child's No. 1 hits and most of their well-known songs.
— Joerg Koch / AFP
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Sweet smell of success
The singer-turned-perfumier introduced her new women's fragrance, True Star, at the Macy's in Herald Square in New York City on Oct. 22, 2004.
— Brad Barket / Getty Images North America
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Golden girl
In 2003, Beyonce released her debut solo album, "Dangerously in Love." She was one of the biggest-selling artists of 2003, and received the 2004 Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year at the 18th Annual Soul Train Music Awards.
— Kevin Winter / Getty Images North America
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Screen star
In 2003, Beyonce starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the film "The Fighting Temptations," and recorded a song for it called "Fighting Temptation," alongside female rappers Missy Elliott, MC Lyte and Free.
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'Pop' star
Beyonce replaced Britney Spears as Pepsi's spokeswoman in 2002. She is "a multi-talented entertainer who has achieved tremendous success and popularity in both music and movies," Dave Burwick, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Pepsi-Cola North America said.
— Chris Casaburi / PEPSI
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'Foxxy' lady
In 2002, Beyonce went from the concert stage to the big screen, co-starring in the film "Austin Powers in Goldmember," playing Foxxy Cleopatra opposite Mike Myers and Michael Caine. She also recorded the song "Work It Out" for the film's soundtrack.
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United front
Destiny's Child performs during the "United We Stand" benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 21, 2001. The group's hit singles included "Independent Women Part I," "Bootylicious" and "Survivor."
— Molly Riley / X01007
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'Destiny' calling
Beyonce began her musical career as part of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child in 1998. After much-publicized turmoil and various reincarnations of the act, the trio of Kelly Rowland, Knowles and Michelle Williams, from left, became one of the most successful pop groups of the early 2000s.