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Author and Designer Tina Knowles is stepping into the spotlight for her nine-city book tour for her 1st New York Times Best Selling Book for three weeks, “Matriarch”. The mom of superstars Beyonce Knowles-Carter and Solange Knowles has always been behind the scenes for the last 25 years being the creative force behind the iconic outfits for the Grammy-Award Winning R&B Group Destiny’s Child, Beyonce’s Grammy-Award Winning solo career, and the successful urban women’s clothing line, House of Dereon.

Before Tina and King entered the stage thousands of book lovers were surprised with a special guest, Grammy-nominated singer Debra Cox. Cox captivated the audience by performing one of Tina’s favorite songs “Nobody’s Suppose To Be Here”. After she performed, she introduced Gayle King, who announced that “Matriarch” is officially on Oprah’s Book Club Pick for 2025.

She shared her feelings after reading the book, I read the book and read it again. The stories in this book are going to blow you away. We love her! We adore her!” said King “We’re buying the books and reading the books because we know it’s a good book!” she said.

King next introduced Tina on stage who was welcomed to a warm standing ovation. Attendees were eager with anticipation to hear the juicy details from Tina and her journey coming from Galveston, Texas, where she was born Celestine Ann Beyoncé. This is the origin of where she got Beyonce’s name. “I thought it was the country’s thing I ever heard! But I changed it to Tina and was nicknamed Badass Tina B” she said.

King asked Tina what was her motivation for writing a book after all these years. ”I have been behind the stage for a long time, so to be out and talk to people and tell a story from my mouth.” said Tina. “At 59, I got a divorce after being married to Richard Lawson for a decade, and after that, I felt sad and felt my mortality. I felt that I needed to tell the story for my great-grandchildren. I never met my grandparents and my kids never met their grandparents, so I felt fearful they wouldn’t know the stories.”

Currently, Beyonce will be in New Jersey for her five sold-out shows run on The Cowboy Carter Tour at the MetLife Stadium, which has successfully grossed over $70.2 million. Beyoncé brought Tina on stage for the first time and announced that “Matriarch” went #1 in one week. “I got to be up there with her and Blue, I’m usually behind the stage, but it was really fun and exciting!” said Tina.

Tina told the story of her childhood, she was raised in the Catholic Church, and her family was so poor that her parents had to work in exchange services for her tuition for attendance at the local Catholic school. Tina was the youngest girl and her mother was a super Catholic. She spoke about her brother Skip who was wrongfully arrested when he was 16 because he was drugged at a house party. Her brother was one of the black students who attended an integrated school.

She spoke on her wild youth being arrested for riding a motorcycle without a helmet when she was 17, by the same cop from the arrest of her brother a couple of years earlier. “I was on the beach, and people would ride motorcycles with no helmet and no shoes all the time,” said Tina. “The same cop picked me up and I was so embarrassed! He drove me through the parking lot taunting me, yelling look at Tina B! I was trying to hide in the back seat, but I had this huge blonde afro!” she said.

King brought up a surprising fact in the book, that Tina was in her girl group before having kids. “I was in a girl group up to I was 16, so honestly, I never thought I would make it as a singer coming from Galveston. I was the one who helped the other two girls walk and practice in heels When the other two girls quit, I was trying to keep it together my mother told me do you see any singers in Galveston? “said Tina. ”

But, I made it a life goal to be in the business of making women feel beautiful. I would do the make-up for the other two girls in the group. I would make their prom dresses and outfits. The feeling you get when you transform somebody is like nothing else!” she said

King next moved the conversation on to when Tina got married to Matthew Knowles and had Beyonce and Solange in the 80s. King stated that Tina described how each daughter is dramatically different in personality. “I think Solange is defiantly more like me when I was younger, more outspoken and tell like it is and Beyonce is more like me when I got married and had kids because I had to be more responsible,” she said.

She spoke on the successful salon she started in the 90s for financial security. “I was out of the workforce for years, and my husband made a really good living. He was never the type to say my money or your money, but I still felt it wasn’t my money. I wanted to feel confident that I could take care of my two children and have my own money. I finished beauty school and started her “escape plan” for her business. Matthew provided the $10,000 to start her business. I had a plan and I had to get money right away. I want to put 100% into it.” said Tina. “Matthew was the promoter, and I love people and we made a good business team,” she said

She next spoke in the earlier days of Destiny Child, after getting signed with Columbia Records in 1997. She tells the story of the name Destiny’s Child, “The girls went through so many names, and I was looking for a name, and I would put their picture in my bible or prayer book, and I came up with Destiny, but there was a gospel group already with that name, so Matthew added Child.” she said.

After the release of the first album, “The Writing on the Wall” in 1999, the group was a full-time business. Tina detailed the difficulties the group faced dealing with the label on Destiny Child’s image, which was all created by Tina.

“In the beginning the label used to give $1,500 for wardrobe for four girls. I was a necessity, so I took the money and brought fabulous fabrics and made the group’s costumes, Many of the looks were inspired by Motown, the label though thought the looks were too soulful, the clothes were too sparkly, the hair was too big, and their black girls with curves,” said Tina.

“The girls and Matthew had to fight for me. The fans loved the looks and wanted to know where to get them. The label said I was the problem. Matthew had to fight and told them she was not going anywhere. My feelings did get hurt. When they did the Independent Women Part II music video for the Charlie’s Angels movie, the label wanted to hire this big-time stylus and the girls said they wanted me to be the stylus for the video. I cried.” said Tina.

King brought up the most shocking part of the book, which was Tina’s cancer scare in 2021.
“I went in for a Pap-Smear and breast exam. I didn’t get a chance to go for a check-up because of COVID-19. When they did the mammogram, they found spots and wanted to perform a biopsy. I had Level I breast cancer. I was sad and scared. I had surgery and had a good outcome. I pray for women to take time for themselves and I didn’t want to leave my kids. My health is very good today.” she said.

King asked about the woman she is now evolved into being she’s 70 and a grandmother.
”I look back and realize I’ve achieved so much. I had successful clothing lines, I traveled the world, and I met interesting people and leaders. I am up here today talking to all of you! I can do everything being authentically me.” she said.