Superstar Beyonce Completes Search for 10-Piece All-Female Band

Pop culture superstar Beyonce has completed her search for an all-female band and selected ten (plus two alternate) musicians to become her touring ensemble in support of her second solo album, "B'Day," slated for stateside release on Tuesday, September 5.

Some 1,000 aspiring musicians showed up for open-call auditions held earlier this month in New York, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles. 30 finalists were flown by Beyonce from their localities around the country into New York City to meet up with ten New York area finalists for an intense set of decisive auditions at the Sony Music Studios. Beyonce made her final band choices last Sunday.

Beyonce will perform live at the 2006 BET Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June 27 at 8pm (Eastern/Pacific)/7pm (Central). (Check your local television listings.)

While an all-female band is rarity enough in the worlds of R&B and pop, Beyonce has doubled the funk by including two drummers and a percussionist in her groundbreaking new ensemble.

With a look as hot as their sound, the members of Beyonce's new band represent a diverse range of cultures and ethnicities. The names of Beyonce's new bandmates will be revealed soon. The personnel was drawn from the following locations.

  The Band:

  Horn section -- Tenor Sax (from New York City); Trumpet (from Summit, New
  Jersey); Alto Sax (from Denver, Colorado)

  Drums (from Los Angeles, California and Fredericksburg, Virginia)

  Percussion (from Houston, Texas)

  Keyboards -- 1st keyboards (from Saga, Japan); 2nd keyboards (from
  Houston, Texas)

  Bass (from Atlanta, Georgia)

  Guitar (from Denver, Colorado)

In addition, Beyonce has chosen an alternate bassist from Tel Aviv, Israel and an alternative keyboardist from New York City.

Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia Records will release "B'Day," the much-anticipated new solo album from Beyonce, on Tuesday, September 5.

"B'Day" will be released worldwide on September 4, Beyonce's 25th birthday.

The pop music superstar's sophomore studio album premieres all new music produced, written and arranged by Beyonce. "Deja Vu," the album's first single, features guest artist Jay-Z with production by Rodney Jerkins. Beyonce's producers on B'Day include Rich Harrison, Sean Garrett, The Neptunes, and Swizz Beatz. B'Day is executive produced by Beyonce and Mathew Knowles.

Beyonce's new album is the artist's first full-length solo work since her #1 multi-platinum 2003 solo debut, "Dangerously In Love," which earned her five 2004 Grammy Awards including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best R&B Song ("Crazy In Love"). With her five-in-one-year Grammy win, Beyonce tied the record for the most Grammys to be won in a single year by a female artist. "Dangerously In Love" and "Crazy In Love" made chart history when both album and single simultaneously hit #1 in the U.S. and the UK (which hadn't happened since 1983). Beyonce toured for the first time as a solo artist in 2003 in support of "Dangerously In Love," which has sold more than 11 million records worldwide.

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SOURCE: Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia Records

CONTACT: Yvette Noel-Schure of Sony Urban Music Media, +1-212-833-4483,
Yvette.Noel-Schure@sonybmg.com

Web site: http://www.columbiarecords.com/
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http://www.beyonceonline.com/
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