Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Becoming Beyoncé
The Untold Story
J. Randy Taraborrelli
Read by Allyson Johnson

Hachette Audio
November 2015/ ISBN 978-1478959885
Nonfiction / Biography / Audiobook - Unabridged(20 hours on 16 CDs)

Reviewed by Leslie C. Halpern
 

 

Before she was a global phenomenon known for singing, dancing, and acting, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was just a shy little girl living with her parents and younger sister, Solange, in Houston, Texas, with very big dreams of becoming a professional singer. The book, narrated by Allyson Johnson, who attempts approximated vocal impressions of Beyonce, her parents, managers, friends, and relatives, introduces readers to a young girl who was made fun of by school classmates because of her shyness and light brown skin. Throughout her childhood, she found peace, happiness, and an identity through music, beginning with a children’s group called Girls Tyme and eventually making it big with Destiny’s Child.

With 15 discs of text and a PDF with photographs, this audiobook covers more territory than just Beyoncé’s personal story. Her parents, Tina and Matthew, are scrutinized as well, from their childhoods through their turbulent married life disrupted by his infidelity, and, of course, as they guided their daughter along in her budding career. Numerous people were interviewed for the book, which also includes quotations from previously published articles and interviews. With so many voices telling the story, there are naturally some conflicting issues (such as when things happened, how old people were at the time, who came up with certain ideas, and who was or was not an alcoholic). Matthew’s mistress (with whom he had a child) also pipes in with her opinions on the Knowles family.

This book will surely delight devotees of the diva Sasha Fierce. No detail seems too small for the author to mention. Even Beyoncé’s sinus drainage is covered in embarrassingly detailed descriptions. Although some readers might be most interested in Beyoncé’s more recent years, including her carefully guarded private life and marriage to Jay Z, this story is an exhaustingly comprehensive biography that traces her earliest relationships and developing talents before delving into her current status as one of the most powerful and famous women in the world.

For many readers, the highlight of this audiobook will be the 20-page PDF (disc 16) that contains photographs and captions from Beyoncé from age 9 in 1990 through 2014 when she’s a wife, mother, and international celebrity. After hearing about the drama between other performers in the groups, Girls Tyme, Somethin’ Fresh, Destiny, and Destiny’s Child, and the arguments between the various managers throughout the years, it will satisfy the reader’s curiosity to see pictures of those involved in Beyoncé’s career. Her evolution from cute kid to gorgeous woman is interesting to observe, although readers may wish the ratio of sparse photographs to heavily detailed text were a little more in alignment.

Reviews of other titles by this author

Elizabeth [book] [audio]
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe
Once Upon a Time (Princess Grace & Prince Rainier)


 

Reviewer Leslie C. Halpern is the author of Passionate About Their Work: 151 Celebrities, Artists, and Experts on Creativity, Rub, Scrub, Clean the Tub: Funny Children's Poems About Self-Image, and Shakes, Cakes, Frosted Flakes: Funny Children's Poems About Table Manners.
Reviewed 2015
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