BEYONCE KNOWLES was born to be an entertainer — and to be a superstar. The hard-working singer/songwriter/producer/actress has that special ingredient that some identify as “the ‘it’ factor.” An artist either has it or they don’t. It cannot be created, and certainly cannot be faked.
Destiny’s Child took the world by storm from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, accumulating a remarkable run of major hits and winning every award imaginable. They rank with the Supremes as the most successful female vocal groups of all time.
Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams were, in fact, admirers of the Supremes, the ultimate “glam” group. Beyoncé also admires Tina Turner and is strongly influenced by her with regard to body movement and stage presentation.
The massive success of Destiny’s Child notwithstanding, there is something to be said for quitting while you’re on top. The ladies went their separate ways (amicably) and no one was surprised when “B” reached even greater heights. (Kelly and Michelle have done well, too.)
Beyoncé’s solo albums, “Dangerously Love,” “B’Day” and “I Am…Sasha Fierce” were massive hits, yielding the popular singles “Crazy in Love,” “Irreplaceable,” “Déjà vu” and, of course, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” with its much-viewed video.
Knowles is also a quality actress, as demonstrated in, among others, “Dreamgirls” and “The Fighting Temptations.”
MARIAH CAREY made her debut in 1990 and quickly found an enthusiastic and loyal audience. She, in fact, outsold all other female vocalists in the 1990s.
Most recently represented on the charts with “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel,” Carey’s rise to superstardom was meteoric and in some respects had fairy tale elements. Her first hit single, “Vision of Love,” seemed to signal that a new star had arrived, and her five-octave range reminded many of Minnie Riperton whose voice regularly soared into the stratosphere.
Although Carey had one success after another, and probably has enough plaques, trophies, Platinum records, etc. to fill a large room in her home, there have always been those who felt it was “too much.”
Carey counters with, “As soon as you have big success, a lot of people don’t like that. There’s nothing I can do about it. All I can do is make music I believe in.”
“The Emancipation of Mimi,” a 2005 release, gave Mariah Carey’s career a major boost, following a comparatively slow period. It was, in fact, the biggest selling album of that year.
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