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Tina Knowles, the mother of global superstar Beyoncé, recently shared a touching memory on Instagram that offers a rare glimpse into the singer's early life and the values instilled in her from a young age. In her post, Knowles recounted an event from when Beyoncé was just seven years old, preparing for a local performance of John Lennon's iconic song "Imagine."
The memory centers around the "Sammy Awards," a Houston talent competition where Beyoncé was set to perform. Her father, Mathew Knowles, wanted her to understand the profound meaning behind "Imagine," a song that dreams of a world united by peace and humanity. He believed that for Beyoncé to truly embody the spirit of the song, she needed to experience firsthand the challenges faced by those less fortunate.
© Frank Micelotta"This brings up very funny memory back to me. Saw it on ig today. Beyonce is seven she's preparing for the Sammy awards. She is going to sing John Lennon "Imagine" her dad wants her to understand the things that are going on in the world and he wants to create behind the scenes images," Tina wrote.
At the time, behind-the-scenes footage and moments were rare, but Mathew was always ahead of his time and determined to give his daughter a real-world lesson. While Tina was busy working at her salon, Mathew took young Beyoncé and her sister Solange under a bridge to witness the lives of homeless people. "Yes back then that was not a thing, but then he was always ahead of his time. doing BTS 😂 so while I was at work at my salon on a Saturday, he took Beyonce and Solange under the bridge to see how homeless people lived to talk to them And understand the state that the world was in so that she could have the sensitivity to sing the song," she explained.
One poignant moment that stuck with Tina involved Beyoncé showing immense empathy towards a homeless man they encountered. The man had a transistor radio in his shopping cart that wasn't working. Beyoncé, in her innocence and generosity, convinced her father to go to a store and buy batteries for the radio, believing this would solve the issue. When the batteries didn't work, she wasn't discouraged—Beyoncé then asked her father to buy the man a new radio, along with some groceries.
© Bennett Raglin"So he let Beyonce kiss this man on the cheek . Which was very sweet. The man had a transistor radio in his basket, and Beyonce insisted that her dad go to the store and buy batteries because she figured that that was why the radio would not play. So they went to the store and bought batteries and came back and put the batteries in the man's radio. The radio would still not work. So she had her dad go to the drugstore and buy the man a radio they bought him some groceries also," Tina added.
Tina reflected on this early lesson in humanity, noting how it helped shape Beyoncé and Solange's adult lives. "It was such a great lesson early on in humanity. It sticks with her today," she said. The values of empathy, kindness, and helping others have remained a core part of who they are. Tina pointed out that this experience, among many others, drives Beyoncé's continued commitment to charitable causes, including building homeless shelters and contributing to disaster relief efforts worldwide.
© Kevin Winter"She has helped to build homeless shelters, contributed to so many disaster relief situations and is always willing to lend a helping hand to those who are in need. These lessons have stuck with her and Solange all of their adult lives," she told her followers.
Through this heartfelt story, Tina Knowles reminded everyone of the importance of kindness and empathy, lessons that can shape a lifetime. Her post concluded with a simple yet powerful message: "Help someone today."
