Who was Beyoncé’s uncle Johnny and what happened to him? Tina Knowles honors nephew in new memoir

Beyoncé’s uncle Johnny, to whom the music star had dedicated her 2022 album Renaissance, was her mother, Tina Knowles’ nephew. In a social media post in July 2022, Knowles, while appreciating Beyoncé’s album dedication to Johnny, clarified the nature of their relationship. She said,

“Johnny was my sisters son but more like a brother to me so my kids called him Uncle Johnny.”

Beyoncé’s uncle Johnny passed away in 1998, a year after he was diagnosed with AIDS related dementia. Notably, his tragic death took place right before Beyoncé’s group, Destiny’s Child, was launched. Destiny’s Child would go on to mark the initial signs of Beyoncé’s global super-stardom in the music world.

In her recently released memoir, Matriarch, Tina Knowles echoes Beyoncé’s 2022 album dedication to Johnny, acknowledging the importance of her nephew in her and her daughter’s success. Knowles spoke in an exclusive interview with Out, and referring to her memoir, in which she has dedicated a significant portion to Johnny, she said,

“We needed each other…I was a really hyperactive kid…me and Johnny were the rebellious two who never wanted to go with the crowd. We went against everything. He protected me always, and I protected him, it was a mutual thing. We felt like it was us against the world…We were both outcasts and we just leaned into each other. He was the closest person in my life who understood me. I didn't feel like anybody else understood me.”

The role Uncle Johnny played in Beyoncé’s life

Beyoncé has, on numerous occasions, shared Uncle Johnny’s influence on her musical sensibilities. In fact, while dedicating her album Renaissance, she revealed that it was he who had introduced her to House music, a genre which has a huge influence on her career. In her dedication to Uncle Johnny, as per a report by Harper’s Bazaar, Beyoncé stated,

“A big thank you to my Uncle Johnny. He was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album…. thank you to all of the pioneers who originate culture, to all of the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long. This is a celebration for you.”

Beyoncé mentioned Johnny previously during her GLAAD Media Awards acceptance speech in 2019. While she dedicated her award to Johnny, in her speech, she also made references to his struggles with HIV/AIDS while coping with the stigma attached to homosexuality. She said,

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“I want to dedicate this award to my Uncle Johnny, the most fabulous gay man I have ever met, who helped raise me and my sister. Witnessing his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever lived. I’m hopeful that his struggle served to open pathways for other young people to live more freely. LGBTQIA rights are human rights.”

As per Independent, a 2023 concert film, titled Renaissance, A Film by Beyoncé, which documented Beyoncé’s shows across Europe and North America as a part of the Renaissance World Tour, included a separate segment that was dedicated to Johnny’s influence on Beyoncé’s life and art.

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