What is Tina Knowles' Net Worth?
Tina Knowles is an American businesswoman and fashion designer who has a net worth of $25 million. Although Tina Knowles is probably best known for being the mother of Beyonce and Solange Knowles. She is also a successful businesswoman and fashion designer. Over the years, Tina Knowles has established two fashion brands: Miss Tina and House of Dereon. Tina was married to Matthew Knowles from 1980 to 2011. She was married to actor Richard Lawson from 2015 to 2023.
Ancestry and Origin of The Name "Beyoncé"
You may be surprised to learn that Tina Knowles' maiden name is actually "Beyonce" (without an accent on the "e" at the end). Tina was born Célestine Ann Beyonce on January 4th, 1954, in Galveston, Texas. She is of Black American of Louisiana Creole heritage. Her parents' last name was "Beyincé." Unfortunately, on the day of Celestine's birth, a hospital staffer accidentally wrote the last name on the birth certificate as "Beyonce" (misspelled and with no accent on the e). The name stuck and Celestine legally had a different last name from her parents and two older siblings. Fast forward a few years, and Beyoncé has cousins whose last name is Beyincé. In fact, her older cousin Angela Beyincé is an actor/singer and songwriter who has co-written several of Beyoncé's songs, including "Naughty Girl" and "Check on It."
Tina's paternal great-grandfather Jean Boyancé (1832-1894) emigrated from Noaillac, France, to the United States in roughly the 1850s. The exact date is not known, but it is known that he was living in Abbeville, Louisiana, in 1859 when his son Alexandre was born. Alexandre had 19 children from three wives. His youngest child, Lumis Albert Boyance, was born on May 22, 1910, in Delcambre, Louisiana. At some point during Lumis' life, for reasons that are not known, he began spelling his last name as "Beyincé" or even "Buyince" instead of "Boyance." In the April 1940 US Census, Lumis' wife was listed as "Agnes Buyince." Perhaps this was yet another clerical error, or this is how they were spelling their name at this point. FYI, Agnes' maiden last name was Deréon, hence the name of Tina's and Beyoncé's future fashion line, "House of Deréon."
Lumis and Agnes had three children. Their youngest child, daughter Celestine Ann Beyonce, AKA Tina, was born in 1954. In 1981 Tina named her firstborn child, a daughter, "Beyoncé," which is somewhat of a portmanteau or homage to various versions of her paternal last name going back several generations.
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Career
Tina Knowles became interested in singing during her high school years. She eventually joined a group called the Veltones, which drew influences from The Supremes.
At the age of 19, Tina Knowles started working for Shiseido, a Japanese cosmetics company. Knowles worked as a makeup artist at a California branch of the company but ended her makeup career when she returned how to be with her sick parents. Knowles then pursued a career as a dance choreographer at the University of Alabama.
She returned to a career in beauty in the years that followed, working as an esthetician in Birmingham, Alabama. She later opened up her own salon in Houston. The establishment is called Headliners, and it has since become one of the most famous hair businesses in the entire city.
When her daughter was involved in the music group Destiny's Child, Knowles became the costume designer. She was especially involved during the group's early years when funds were limited. Tina Knowles personally created many of the outfits the singers wore on stage.
In 2004, Tina Knowles used this experience to launch her own clothing line, House of Dereon. In 2010, she launched a second brand, Miss Tina By Tina Knowles. This second line was initially sold through the Home Shopping Channel, but it was moved to Walmart after one year. The expressed aim of Miss Tina is to improve the silhouette of women, hide flaws, and make women appear taller and slimmer. 2010 was a busy year for Tina Knowles, as she also helped her daughter create the Beyonce Cosmetology Center.
(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Book
In 2002, Tina Knowles published Destiny's Style: Bootylicious Fashion, Beauty, and Lifestyle Secrets From Destiny's Child. The book discussed how fashion impacted the success of Destiny's Child and other interesting tidbits of information.
Personal Life
In 1980, Tina Knowles married record executive Matthew Knowles. She initially filed for divorce in 2009, only to backtrack a year later. However, Tina Knowles officially divorced Matthew Knowles in 2011. After meeting actor Richard Lawson in 2013, Tina Knowles married him in 2015. As a result, Tina Knowles became the stepmother of Richard's daughter and actress, Bianca Lawson. Tina and Richard divorced in 2023.
Tina and Richard Lawson (Photo by Brandon Williams/WireImage)
Real Estate
In 2004, Beyonce paid approximately $1.6 million for a house in Houston, Texas. The singer then promptly transferred the deed to the house into her mother's name. In 2011, it was reported that Tina Knowles was listing the home for approximately $3.5 million. The impressive 9,000-square-foot mansion sits on 2.6 acres and features a large pool. In 2005, Tina Knowles purchased an apartment in Manhattan for approximately $3 million. In 2011, it was reported that Knowles was selling the sleek, high-class apartment for $5.6 million.
