In her new memoir, Tina Knowles, mother of Beyoncé and Solange, tells her own story

NPR's Book of the Day

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

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Summary

Tina Knowles intended to write a behind-the-scenes look at her career in the music business. But she says that when she began writing, her own story flowed onto the page instead. In her new memoir Matriarch, the entrepreneur and mother of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Solange Knowles shares the story of how she helped her daughters become cultural icons. In today's episode, Tina Knowles speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about fighting to allow her girls to express their style, a memorable moment on set with the singer Maxwell, and Knowles' relationship with her ex-husband.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Mother's Day is coming up.
0:07.1	And there are the type of moms who are moms, not just to their own kids, but play a motherly role for other people in their orbit.
0:16.0	If even for a second, Tina Knowles is one of those moms.
0:19.9	If that last name rings a bell, her kids are
0:22.0	Solange and Beyonce. Maybe you've heard of them. Anyway, Tina Nolz has got a new book out titled
0:27.0	Matriarch, all about the inside story of how she got her girls to superstardom. But in this
0:32.3	interview with NPR's Michelle Martin, the part that stuck out to me was her interaction with
0:36.9	Maxwell, the R&B star.
0:39.2	Of course, he wasn't a star when they first met.
0:41.8	The way Tina Knowles tells it, he seemed just like a shy kid, so shy, in fact, that
0:47.2	she had to step in and play the role of mother for just one moment.
0:51.9	That's ahead.
0:53.3	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
0:58.1	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.
1:02.5	On our new show, Sources and Methods.
1:04.6	NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,
1:08.4	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:12.2	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:17.6	Before Tina Knowles became known as the behind-the-scenes force helping to style and guide Beyonce and Solange,
1:24.0	she owned a beauty shop, she liked to cook and care for her family and friends. And she
1:28.3	prided herself on helping other people achieve their dreams. Now, in a new book, Tina Nolz
1:33.4	steps into the spotlight herself with the inside story of how she helped her girls achieve
	...

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