Beyoncé Cut Ties With Her Father in 2011, But Only Professionally
In September 1981, a baby girl was born in Houston, Texas, to Matthew and Tina Knowles. Tina decided to give the baby her maiden name, and thus the little girl was named Beyoncé.
Little did Matthew and Tina know at the time, but their baby girl would grow up to be an icon in the music industry.
Beyoncé has become a mega-star over the last 30 years, but her rise to fame wasn’t always easy. In 2011, Beyoncé even had to professionally cut ties with her own father.
Read on to learn more about Beyoncé’s journey to the top and the strain it has caused among her family along the way.
Beyoncé’s rise to fame with Destiny’s Child
Beyoncé’s rise to the top can trace its roots back to a little R&B group known as Destiny’s Child. The group initially formed in 1990 as Girl’s Tyme. The group consisted of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, and LeToya Luckett.
The group would get their first big break in 1997 as they were signed to Columbia Records as Destiny’s Child. The group found massive success with hit singles like “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Say My Name.” However, even with all their success, there was soon trouble in paradise for Destiny’s Child.
After conflict with the group’s manager, Matthew Knowles, Luckett and Roberson left Destiny’s Child in 2000. Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin were brought into the group as their replacement. Franklin would depart from the group within the first six months, and Destiny’s Child became an official trio consisting of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams.
Beyoncé served as the lead singer of the group, and Destiny’s Child would rack up a number of hits and fans until the group dissolved in 2006. After the end of Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé would embark on a solo career.
Becoming a musical icon
Beyoncé was well-known as a member of Destiny’s Child, but she became a musical icon after venturing out on her solo career. Beyonce’s debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, was released on June 17, 2003. The album produced two US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy.” Beyoncé’s success with her first solo album was just the beginning.
After the release of her first album in 2003, she would release five more solo albums. Each of these albums reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart after their release. Beyoncé or Queen Bey, as her fans affectionately call her, has created a dynasty for herself in the music industry after embarking on a solo career nearly 20 years ago.
Beyoncé is a notoriously hard worker. Her rise to the top did not come without hard work, and a few setbacks along the way. Unfortunately, some of the setbacks Beyoncé has had to navigate had to do with her own family.
Fame leads to a rift in the family
Matthew Knowles, Beyoncé’s father, managed his daughter singing career from the very beginning with her debut in the group Girl’s Tyme in 1990. Beyoncé was just a young 8-year-old girl at the time. Knowles would continue to manage his daughter until 2010 when Beyoncé decided it would be best for the two to professionally part ways. Beyoncé chose to cut professional ties with her father after discovering that he had been stealing money from her. Beyoncé uncovered this information after running an audit in October 2010.
Even after obtaining legal proof, her father continued to deny that he ever stole money from his daughter, per Billboard.
Despite this friction within the family, Beyoncé released a positive press statement concerning her father on March 28, 2011. She said, “I’ve only parted ways with my father on a business level. He is my father for life, and I love my dad dearly. I am grateful for everything he has taught me. I grew up watching both he and my mother manage their own businesses. They were hardworking entrepreneurs, and I will continue to follow in their footsteps.”
Despite her father’s betrayal, Beyoncé has made it very clear that she still maintains a relationship with her father and has only cut ties with him on the professional level.
