Beyonce is the type of icon whose impact is so massive that it’s hard to imagine the world without her. She started her career off with a bang as the frontwoman of Destiny’s Child, leading into an incomparable solo career of hits including “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” “Crazy in Love,” “Halo” and countless others. Check out five facts about the iconic singer below.
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1. Her vocal coach predicted she’d be a star
Beyonce started vocal lessons when she was eight years old after her mother contacted teacher David Lee Brewer when he moved to their native Houston, Texas. Brewer lived with the Knowles family for 10 years and did private lessons with Beyonce. Unsurprisingly, the singer was a star student.
“I kneeled down and looked her in the eyes and told her, ‘You’re going to be the biggest star in the world,’ and she laughed,” Brewer told New Orleans news station WGNO. “She was a teacher’s dream. Very inquisitive…We never had any conversations about money or fame. The only conversations we ever had was about music. Beyonce never gave me any trouble.”
2. She was temporarily vegan
Six months after giving birth to twins Rumi and Sir in 2017, Beyonce headlined Coachella. To prepare for the highly anticipated performance, she went on a 100 percent plant-based diet for 44 days. “I’m back on the stage after giving birth to twins,” she says in a voice-over. “I was a woman that felt like my body was not mine.”
“I became vegan temporarily, gave up coffee, alcohol, and all fruit drinks,” she added in an interview with Vogue. “But I was patient with myself and enjoyed my fuller curves. My kids and husband did, too.”
3. She has complicated ancestry
Born on September 4, 1981, Beyonce is the daughter of Tina Knowles of Louisiana Creole heritage and her father, Matthew Knowles, is African-American. The superstar revealed to Vogue in 2018 that through research, she discovered that she’s the descendant of a slave owner who married one of his slaves.
“I had to process that revelation over time. I questioned what it meant and tried to put it into perspective,” she said. “I now believe it’s why God blessed me with my twins. Male and female energy was able to coexist and grow in my blood for the first time. I pray that I am able to break the generational curses in my family and that my children will have less complicated lives.”
4. She’s the most-winning artist in Grammy Award history
The singer is living up to her famous nickname, “Queen Bey.” To date, she’s the recipient of 32 Grammy Awards both as a solo artist and part of Destiny’s Child, solidifying her as the most-winning artist in the show’s history. Her 2023 wins for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album, Best Dance/Electronic Recording, Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Song helped clinch this title.
5. Her favorite number is four
We all have a lucky number, and Beyonce has several solid reasons why four is hers. She was born on the fourth of September, while her husband Jay-Z was also born on the fourth of the month in December. The couple wed on the fourth of April in 2008. She even brings the number into her music, as her 2011 album is titled 4. “On April 4, 2008—eight divided by two is four—[Jay Z] put a ring on it,” she allegedly said during a concert in 2011.
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