Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981), often referred to mononymously as Beyoncé (), is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child. According to Sony, Knowles record sales, when combined with the group, have surpassed 100 million.Beyonce: The Billboard Cover Story. (2009-10-01) Billboard Retrieved 2009-10-01

During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which became one of the most successful albums of that year, and signaled her viability as a solo artist. The album was a commercial and critical success, spawning the hits "Crazy in Love", "Baby Boy", "Naughty Girl", and earning Knowles five Grammy Awards in 2004. The disbanding of Destiny's Child in 2005 facilitated her continued success: her sophomore solo album, B'Day, released in 2006, debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, and produced the hits "Déjà Vu", "Irreplaceable", and "Beautiful Liar". Her third solo album, I Am… Sasha Fierce, was released in November 2008, and included the hits "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo" and "Sweet Dreams". Knowles has attained five Hot 100 number one singles, becoming one of the two female artists with the most number ones attained within the 2000s, excluding her three Hot 100 number one singles with Destiny's Child this decade.