Beyonce, Pictures, News & Rumors, Pictures, Video, Fan Sites

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In the news most recently for giving birth to her first child, a daughter, in New York City - singer Beyonce and husband Jay-Z are currently riding high in their separate careers, as well as one of the music industry's most beloved power couples.

Born in Houston, Texas on September 4, 1981, Beyonce Giselle Knowles began her career singing in the church choir, and - as fate would have it - later teamed up with cousin Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams to form one of the hottest female R&B groups of the 90's - Destiny's Child.

With greatest hits such as Say My Name and Survivor, the Grammy Award-winning group had sold 33 million albums worldwide by 2001.

With great success came a desire for each of the group's members to branch out on their own, but it was Knowles who received most of the attention, launched by her appearance as Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember in 2002.

Today, she continues a successful solo career with hit albums and a promise of more film roles in 2006 starring with Jamie Foxx in the long-awaited film version of the Broadway hit, Dreamgirls and in a remake of the comedy classic Pink Panther co-starring with Steve Martin.

Beyonce's second solo album, B'day, was released on September 4 - appropriately enough - on her 25th birthday.

The pop diva also made a huge splash on newsstands worldwide in 2007 after becoming the only black female to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue since Tyra Banks in 1997.

Put a ring on it - and baby news!

In December 2006, wedding rumors buzzed that Beyonce and long-time boyfriend Jay-Z were finally planning to tie the knot with a lavish wedding on a Caribbean island. Both stars denied the rumors.

However, more stories surfaced in April 2008 that the couple applied for a marriage license pending a wedding within the month. People Magazine later reported that the couple had indeed tied the knot in a private ceremony on April 4, 2008 followed by a wedding bash in Jay-Z's Tribeca apartment in New York.

The 26-year-old Beyonce and 38-year-old Jay-Z had been dating since 2002, though the couple have since rarely discussed their relationship with reporters before or after their reported nuptials.

Beyonce with new baby,
Blue Ivy in January 2012.

In 2008, Beyonce returned to the big screen in the role of 50's chanteuse Etta James in Cadillac Records in a bio pic of the singer and her tumultuous life and career. More notoriety came in late 2008 on the Web when her mega-hit "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" went viral on YouTube, spawning dozens of fan imitators and parodies.

Away from the recording studio, more buzz in 2010 surrounded the rumor that the singer may have been pregnant with her first child with husband Jay-Z. A year later, the rumors turned to true reports - from the singer herself - who announced her pregnancy in late August 2011. She gave birth to her first child, a daughter, on January 7, 2012 in New York City.

More about Beyonce around the Web:

MTV.com - Beyonce - The full MTV treatment, with news headlines, feature story articles, audio and video clips, extensive photo galleries and bio.

Beyonce Knowles Photos on LAUNCH - A gallery of photos in clickable thumbnails, plus surf around the rest of the site for video clips, interviews, links to song lyrics and the official Beyonce site.

VH1.com : Beyonce - News, a good collection of photos, a complete bio, video clips, messageboards, interactive Beyonce trivia quiz, a list of upcoming TV appearances and related links.

Forever Beyonce - A huge collection of photo galleries, MP3 video clips, audio files and more with news, community forums and the latest updates.

HELLO! Profiles - Beyonce Knowles - Up close and personal with the star, from the UK magazine's archived features including a small photo gallery.

BeyonceWorld - Major fan site including the latest news, picture galleries including public appearances with Jay-Z, stage performances, photo shoots, plus discography, filmography, bio, quotes.

also see -> Music Video Playlist