HELLO AMERICA!—As I sit back remembering some of the fantastic gifted actors and singers I’ve been fortunate enough to meet, performed with as well as interview during my very long career, I must admit that Beyoncé is one of those at the very top of the list.
She quickly lets you know that she was originally from Houston, TX and proud of it. Even at the early age of 3 or 4 she knew exactly what she wanted to do in life. “I simply had the need to make people feel good, to smile,” she said.
“Fortunately, I had parents sensitive enough to understand this and was given every opportunity to grow and get the experience needed.”
When she eventually formed the very successful Destiny’s Child, the realization that it was even more important for her to try her luck at going it alone. “I guess it was similar to what Dianna Ross must have experienced. I loved the girls in our group and still do, but there was something churning inside of me that made me what to explode with the creative juices I had sort of kept under control and when it happened, my entire world was turned upside down, sprouting colors of amazement, it felt that finally I was a grown woman, eager to take on anything, any artistic challenge which might be offered. Indeed, it was an awakening!”
With all the hoopla about her marriage to Jay-Z, and the obvious controversy which tagged along with every move they made, Beyoncé admitted that it was and still is quite difficult to sustain her dignity as a woman and mother. “It’s not easy dealing with the kind of success I’ve had, especially when you’re married to a guy like Jay-Z who is really a genius at what he does as a musician and that of a very wise business man.”
The multi Grammy winner quickly admits that “success” isn’t at all what it’s cracked up to be. “Suddenly,” she offered, “there are tons of people around you, displaying big smiles and expressions of love and you wonder if they really know who you really are. They have seen me in films, TV and the theater but they don’t know this girl from Houston. You see, I was brought up in a reality where I can easily look in the eyes of someone and know immediately if they’re for real. And that has kept me walking tall with my head high.”
Beyoncé when asked about her future plans, she didn’t hesitate to note that she wanted to contribute as much as possible in opening doors for those who need the support in discovering who they really are as possible educators, musicians, artists, scientists or in business. “We all need support, especially when you’re just starting out in life. Too many of us who have been fortunate enough to rise to a certain level of success forget this sense of reality. All it takes is a simple effort of reaching out, extending your hand and letting people know that you genuinely understand and want to help as much as possible.”
When asked what she thought her tomorrow will be like, Beyoncé laughed heartily and said, “I just hope that I might still have the energy to do all those twists and turns in those dance routine created for me. Hey, those youngsters I have working with me, they are outrageously talented. They force me to keep it together, if you know what I mean!”