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Tina Knowles is tracing the throughline of Beyoncé and Solange’s success

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Tina Knowles is tracing the throughline of Beyoncé and Solange’s success
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Tina Knowles is tracing the throughline of Beyoncé and Solange’s success

2025-04-24 05:52 Last Updated At:06:01

NEW YORK (AP) — Many of Tina Knowles’ fondest childhood memories are of sitting under a pecan tree as her mother recited the history of their family, stretching back generations. Now, the mother of Beyoncé and Solange has given her own story to the world with “Matriarch: A Memoir,” out this week.

“Beyoncé and Solange have been busy since they were little kids working, and Kelly (Rowland). … I’ve told them stories, but I don’t even know if they really listened,” said the 71-year-old Knowles. “When you’re young, it’s very few people that want to hear those stories about old times.”

At 59, Knowles began recording voice notes of that history — adding in her contributions — after contemplating her mortality following her divorce from Mathew Knowles after a three-decade marriage. The recordings were meant only for her grandkids and future great-grandchildren, before eventually becoming the book's foundation.

The 432-page Oprah’s Book Club selection explores a vast range of topics, including her enslaved great-grandmothers, her entrepreneurial spirit, the Houston childhoods of Beyoncé and Solange, her infidelity-plagued first marriage, Destiny’s Child's struggle to get a record deal, and the blatant racism her family experienced navigating a segregated United States. (She was once allowed to briefly sit in the front of a whites-only bus as a child, disguised by her fair skin tone.)

But you won’t find juicy details from the protective mother; there’s no mention of the infamous 2014 Met Gala elevator incident between Jay-Z and Solange, or of Kanye West taking the mic from Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV VMAs in his attempted defense of Beyoncé. This is Celestine Beyoncé's story — not her children's — still intriguing and very personal, revealing she was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer last year. She had initially left it out of the book.

“I just wanted to keep it to myself … as I went through that process of getting the surgery and all of that, there were things that I felt that I needed to share,” said Knowles, who is now cancer-free after surgery and treatment, and urges women to make mammogram appointments and get second opinions.

Knowles, who next month will launch a nine-city book tour that will include conversations with famous friends like former first lady Michelle Obama and Tyler Perry (she also hints at “family” joining her at some stops), spoke with The Associated Press about receiving due credit, regrets as a parent and finding happiness. Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

KNOWLES: I gave a lot of people credit for things — and I’m fine with that — but this is all about my truth.

I definitely feel like I was a driving force, and I can say that now without feeling like — I was taught as a kid to just be super humble and to not ever brag. … I think I’ve dimmed my light for so long, I don’t want to do it anymore.

KNOWLES: I don’t think that’s important, because from that time, everyone has flourished and just moved on from that. And I just choose to focus on the positives in life. … I don’t feel like it’s a need to harp on those things. I don't want to talk about them.

KNOWLES: Solange has been a speaker of truth since she was little … she was the one that was in my case all the time. ’Cause she’s like, “Mom, you’re just so irresponsible when it comes to school.”

I just felt like that was healing for me to talk about it. Because people think ... you're trying to be the perfect mother, and definitely, I was screwing up just like everybody else. And so, I was really wanting to be honest about my shortcomings.

KNOWLES: Some of them can be detrimental, and I go into detail about that because I realize that a teacher telling me that Beyoncé was slow in kindergarten and that she needs to repeat the grade and it’s December — that woman could have messed up my child’s life. We wouldn’t even have a Beyoncé today if I had listened to her.

You gotta fight for your kids. I hope that lesson came through loud and clear. … That was important to me because I see a lot of parents that don’t, and my mom didn’t protect me.

KNOWLES: By the time I finished the book and I was ready to share it with them, both of them were on these really crazy schedules and I just didn’t want them to feel, “Oh, I got to stop and go read a book.” So, I sent them all of their parts and they approved the parts.

KNOWLES: No. They were in agreement with everything.

KNOWLES: Your life, whatever it is, cannot just center around everyone else but you. And it took me a long time — I had to be 59 years old before I realized I deserve to be happy. And I deserve to have the things that I deserve, and not feel bad about it, not feel guilty about it.

I’m going to live my life — live my best life, as the kids say.

Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.

Tina Knowles poses for a portrait on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles poses for a portrait on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles poses for a portrait on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles poses for a portrait on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles poses for a portrait on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles poses for a portrait on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles poses for a portrait on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles poses for a portrait on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — After spending two days working solely at receiver during Jacksonville’s rookie minicamp, two-way star Travis Hunter will move to the other side of the ball next week.

Coach Liam Coen said Saturday that Hunter will start getting repetitions on defense when the team reconvenes for offseason conditioning. It should set the stage for Hunter’s expansive role during organized team activities.

“He’ll be able to get integrated next week on the defensive side of the ball,” Coen said. “He’ll start to roll on defense.”

He’s already rolling on offense. Hunter caught nearly every ball thrown his way over two days alongside fellow rookies. And the few routes or results that didn’t go his way? Well, Hunter went right back to the front of the line for a redo.

“The organization expects a lot out of me,” Hunter said. “They expect me to come out here and play right away. I’m going to do whatever it takes for me to play right away.”

The Jaguars traded up three spots, giving up a second-round pick, a first-rounder next year and more to make it happen, to select Hunter with the second overall pick in the NFL draft last month. He gives the franchise more star power than its had in decades — maybe ever.

Fans packed a small pro shop outside the practice field and waited in deep lines to buy his No. 12 jersey. The Heisman Trophy winner has his own YouTube channel, lights up rooms with his smile and elevates the play of everyone around him. He did it in high school in Georgia and did it again in college at Jackson State and at Colorado.

The Jaguars anticipate the trend continuing despite Hunter’s 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame. He caught Coen’s eye during practice Friday when Hunter’s cleat slipped off during a route, and he didn’t slow down or get sidetracked one bit.

“Made a great catch,” Coen said. “It’s more just his presence and the energy he does provide both in the classroom, in the meeting rooms and also out here on the field.”

Hunter became the first person in his immediate family to walk in a graduation ceremony when he took the stage at Colorado on Thursday while wearing Jaguars pajama pants.

“That’s the first thing I ordered off of Amazon when I got drafted,” Hunter said.

He donned his Jaguars jersey for the first time the following day. This one was teal. At some point soon, he’s expected to be swapping between teal and white during the same practice. Or, as Hunter suggested, maybe get his own color. No one would be surprised considering he’s that unique.

Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns last season at Colorado and notched 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups, eight forced incompletions and four interceptions while allowing just one touchdown.

The Jaguars intend to use him in a similar role this fall, planning to have him working as a slot receiver on offense and as a cornerback in certain packages on defense. It’s familiar territory for someone who played more snaps (1,461) than anyone else in college football in 2024.

Hunter already has taken a leadership role among the rookies and hopes to do the same with the rest of his teammates. It could help that he has two former Colorado guys around him, defensive lineman B.J. Green II and safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig.

Silmon-Craig and Hunter first played together at Jackson State in 2022 and have been teammates since.

“It feels like a family here,” Silmon-Craig said. “It’s a new everything around here. We’re just trying to change the culture here and build a culture. Why not get a couple Colorado guys?”

Especially the Colorado guy.

“He’s a waymaker, a game-changer, a phenomenal person,” Silmon-Craig said. “If he comes out here and doesn’t dance one practice, I’m going to go ask him, ’You good? What’s wrong?'

“That’s what he does. He dances and flies around and has fun. That’s why I love him.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Fans try on Jacksonville Jaguars' Travis Hunter No. 12 jersey at a team store during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Fans try on Jacksonville Jaguars' Travis Hunter No. 12 jersey at a team store during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter makes a reception during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter makes a reception during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter speaks with reporters after practice at the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter speaks with reporters after practice at the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter performs a drill during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter performs a drill during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter makes a reception during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter makes a reception during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

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