Mathew Knowles knows firsthand how empowering his daughters Beyoncé and Solange to soar has helped them in pursuit of their dreams.
On April 11, the music executive shared a rare throwback photo of his daughters on Instagram, and fans are stunned by the family resemblance to one of his grandchildren. The image features Solange in a white dress holding a bag of Lay’s chips, standing in front of her sis Bey in a blue shirt and pink shorts.
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Beyoncé is arguably the biggest pop star of her generation, and Solange unabashedly pushes the needle forward with her own creative endeavors that surpass her solo artistry. But without the support of their dad, Knowles, and mom Tina Lawson, it is plausible to believe their lives may have turned out drastically different.
In his lengthy caption, Knowles explained why the most significant act a parent can do is to nurture a child’s interests.
“We need to encourage our children,” he wrote. “I believe our young people are often more intuitive than adults in many areas. Those early passions many children possess should be nurtured and supported.”
Knowles used his own life as an example, sharing that his mother, Lue Helen, supported his every ambition, especially his love of learning and basketball. As a result, he succeeded in corporate America and the music industry, and became a part-owner of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.
When his and Lawson’s daughters began to show an interest in music, he returned the favor. “When Beyoncé and Solange showed an interest in music at a very young age, Tina and I (who were already corporate professionals and entrepreneurs) didn’t attempt to downplay their passions,” he said.
“Rather, we encouraged them, we guided them, we supported them. As long as they took it seriously and strived to be the best they could, we were happy with whatever career path they chose,” noted Knowles.
He continued, “The world needs more people who are connected to their inner ambitions and passions, and are surrounded by those who nurture them. It’ll make the world a better place for us all.”
His message resonated with fans who thanked him for helping to develop two of the most creative Grammy Award-winning artists in the industry.
“Congratulations to Tina & You on Nurturing, Raising , Smart Ambitious Daughters . God Bless You!” read one comment.
“Your encouragement created the biggest star on this planet,” wrote one person.
“This right here!! Thank you for the great eye opener Mr Knowles. One day when I become a parent I’ll hold this deep in my heart as a reminder of what I wish my parents had faith in and be sure to support my children and trust in them whole heartedly,” read a third comment.
Knowles famously helmed Destiny’s Child through their many incarnations before they blew up in the late 1990s. He also served as his daughter’s manager and opened up about one of the pivotal lessons he taught the entertainers last year.
“One thing I taught Beyoncé and Solange was to practice failure,” he wrote in an Instagram post. He said they were trained to understand that anything can happen and learned how to push past any mishap.
“We would practice how they’d respond if their microphone got cut off, if their shoes broke on stage, if the wrong song got queued in their performance set,” he added.
The “Renaissance” singer has proved time and time again that training paid off, whether she was taking a tumble down stairs or managing to not miss a note as her hair became snagged in a fan.
