Beyoncé
Beyoncé in 2010, photo by kathclick/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
Place of Birth: Houston, Harris, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 4, 1981
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – Louisiana Creole, including African, French, Acadian/French-Canadian, as well as distant Irish and Breton, remote Penobscot First Nations
Beyoncé, also known as Harmonies by The Hive, Queen Bey or Queen B, Third Ward Trill, Sasha Fierce, and Beyoncé Knowles, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, and businessperson. She was a member of R&B girl group Destiny’s Child, along with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and also, originally, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson. As a solo artist, she has won the most Grammy Awards of any person, at 32, and has sold over 200 million records worldwide. Often exploring themes of feminism and womanism, her songs include “Crazy in Love,” “Baby Boy,” “Me, Myself and I,” “Check on It,” “Déjà Vu,” “Irreplaceable,” “Beautiful Liar,” “If I Were a Boy,” “Single Ladies,” “Halo,” “Run the World (Girls),” “Drunk in Love,” “Formation,” “Perfect Duet,” “Break My Soul,” “Cuff It,” “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and “II Most Wanted.” Beyoncé has starred in the films Carmen: A Hip Hopera, Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Fighting Temptations, The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, Obsessed (2009), Epic (2013), and Disney’s The Lion King (2019), the latter two in voice role. She co-directed her music films Life Is But a Dream, Lemonade, and Black Is King, which she also co-wrote; and directed and wrote her music films Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.
Beyoncé is the daughter of Tina Knowles (born Célestine Ann Beyincé), a fashion designer, and Mathew C. Knowles, a businessperson and talent manager. Her sister is singer and actress Solange Knowles. They are the first sisters to have each had No. 1 albums. She is married to rapper and music producer Jay-Z, with whom she has three children, including Blue Ivy Carter. Beyoncé and Jay-Z are in a band together, The Carters. Beyoncé is a step-sister of actress Bianca Lawson. Her mother is married to Bianca’s father, actor Richard Lawson. Beyoncé founded management company Parkwood Entertainment.
Beyoncé’s father is African-American. Beyoncé’s maternal grandparents were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia; their ancestry was mostly African and French, including French ancestors who lived in Canada. Through her mother’s line, Beyoncé is a great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard, and a descendant of Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin (born c. 1652), and of his wife, Marie Mathilde Pidianske/Penobscot (born c. 1658), who was the daughter of Madockawando Abenaki, a chief of the Penobscot (Panawahpskek) people. Through Marie Mathilde, Beyoncé is of 1/1024 Indigenous descent. Beyoncé is also of approximately 1/32 Irish ancestry, and has distant Breton roots on her mother’s side, as well. Her name, Beyoncé, is a tribute to her mother’s maiden name, Beyincé. Through her Broussard line, she is a third cousin of gospel singer and graphic artist Karen Showell.
Beyoncé has said that she has Nigerian ancestry. She may have discovered this through a DNA test.
Beyoncé’s parents Mathew and Tina, 2007, photo by bigstock.com
Beyoncé’s mother has also been described as having Cherokee and/or Choctaw Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented. No Cherokee or Choctaw Native American ancestors appear on publicly available family trees of Beyoncé’s mother. One book biography, Crazy in Love: The Beyoncé Knowles Biography, also refers to Beyoncé’s mother having Spanish, Jewish, Chinese, and Indonesian ancestry. It is also not clear if this is accurate.
Beyoncé does not speak French or Spanish, but she has sung in Spanish before.
A picture of Beyoncé’s maternal grandparents can be seen here.
Beyoncé’s paternal grandfather was Matthew/Mathew Q. Knowles (the son of Taylor Knowles and Girlie/Gurlie/Gerlie Mae Miller). Matthew was born in Alabama. Taylor was the son of James Isaac Knowles and Sarah Elizabeth Dixon. Girlie was the daughter of Prophet Miller and Jane Hall.
Beyoncé’s paternal grandmother is Lou Helen Hogue (the daughter of Davis/Dave Hogue and Hester Moore). Lou was born in Alabama. Davis was the son of Jim Hogue and Rosetta Moore. Hester was the daughter of Pinkney Madison Moore and Arenia Goree.
Beyoncé’s maternal grandfather was Lumis/Lumas Albert Beyincé/Buyincé (the son of Alexandre/Alexon Beyincé/Buyincé and Mary Olevia). Lumis was born in Delcambre, Vermilion, Louisiana.
Beyoncé’s maternal grandmother was Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon (the daughter of Eugène-Gustave DeRouen/Deréon/Derezen and Odelia/Odilia Broussard). Agnès was born in Decambre, Louisiana, and was a prominent seamstress. Eugène-Gustave likely was the son of Eloi Jacques DeRouen. Odelia was the daughter of Éloi/Éloy-René Rosemond Broussard, who was white, of French descent, and of Celestine Joséphine Lessee/Lesse/Lesser/Lacy/Lacey/Lessassier, who was black/mixed-race black, and the daughter of a slave mother. Éloi and Joséphine had many children together, and possibly married. A picture of Beyoncé’s great-grandfather Eugène-Gustave can be seen here.
LOS ANGELES – FEB 10: Beyoncé arrives to the Grammy Awards on February 10, 2013 in Hollywood, CA photo by DFree/Bigstock.com
Sources: Genealogies of Beyoncé – http://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com
Family history of Beyoncé – https://www.hollywoodancestry.com
https://www.dailymail.co.uk
Family history of Beyoncé, by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak – http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Beyoncé’s paternal grandfather, Matthew/Mathew Q. Knowles, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Beyoncé’s paternal grandmother, Lou Helen Hogue, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Beyoncé’s maternal grandmother, Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon, on 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Article about Beyoncé’s maternal great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Broussard – http://www.biographi.ca
So many insecure people trying to erase the woman’s ancestry. Tf?? She is what she is, just because you say she looks “just Black” doesn’t mean she is. Stfu please. She looks mixed to me, she looks like Shakira.
I hope that you know that a vast majority of African Americans are mixed with something. Don’t just consider us mixed when we look like it. Chris Tucker, Oprah, Don Cheddal, all have something mixed in them.
Beyonce hypes up what she is honeslty this woman is going back ten generations to prove that she is part French, she obvioulsy has “issues”
it’s well known that shes insecure. I doubt she can even speak French and Creole (when she can barely speak English)
@california, its the non-blacks, whites who support and love her that have the insecurities when they cannot admitt that a black woman can be beautiful without having a white parent. So the black stars have to hype this mixed nonsense. Beyonce is not mixed in my opinion, no more than any African American or Carribean
thank you. claiming shes part native American and they can’t even find it…
@California read the article. Beyonce has no mixed ancestry. I am sorry for her lunatic fans that place her with Mariah Carey. Beyonce is just a light skinned black woman who wears caucasian hair weaves and so does her mom. Beyonce is taking advantage of the naive non black public thats where the insecurity is. White women like to tan and they like blonde hair, so she markets herself as relating to them but she lies about being pregnant and her real age. She is all about money.
@California we are blacks commenting and we can recognize other black people. If youre not black, you dont understand and cannot.
Beyonce and Rihanna look biracial. Their distant Creole and Irish genes really came out lol
Will then all light skin black women are mixed because they look like ordinary light skin black women.
@Ilovecherloyd niether Beyonce nor Rhianna look biracial, you are thinking of thier fake hair and nose jobs, plus skin bleaching. Its soo sad. Halle Berry ‘s beauty started all of this biracial wannabee mess.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2087388/Beyonc-white-skin-row-Controversial-photo-shows-singer-looking-shades-lighter-usual-tone.html
She doesn’t have Native American blood, Beyonce is mainly a mix of Black and Creole (Black+French)..Creole means Black+French..
your right, she did brighten up.
Lol @ Black people being diverse in skin tone. I never saw a Black person light skinned unless they had mixed ancestry or are albino. They are called Black because they normally have black skin. Beyonce has Caucasian features and looks like her Creole mom. Solange took after her father’s side. Beyonce is light because she has distant French and Native American ancestry.
Creoles can be black too. Both of Beyonces parents are black people. Her mom has past admixture generations ago. Black people are NOT all one color. And for the record Beyonces skin tone is not that light as to not fit into West Africa. People just try to mix up Beyonce alot more because she is attractive. Beyonce is a brown dark honey toned black woman. Its not like she is super light skinned, she really is not.
Speaking as a Creole, yes they run the range of color, from Fats domino to whomever. There’s nothing fixed (colorwise, hair, eyes, facial features)
Mariah Carey and Jenniffer Lopez look mixed to me but Beyonce looks like an average African American or Carribean black woman especially when you take away the fake caucadian hair and makeup. People I guess are discounting that both of Beyonces parents are black people.
UMMMMMM Mariah CAREY is half black and white. Jo lo is Puerto RICAN which can mean a mixture of African , white mix. maybe some Middle Eastern in her blood as well.