Beyoncé
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A first-hand account of Beyoncé, behind the scenes.

New York City was illuminated by its skyscraper lights when Beyoncé waited by her phone. It was late, but this international call really mattered to her. And, up until now, nobody knows she made it.

Meanwhile, Newcastle, NSW was illuminated by its sunlight. The call's recipient, Chelsea James, 15, was in her bedroom when her mum got a heads-up: will Chelsea be able to answer her mobile in about 10 minutes? Somebody important will be calling it.

Chelsea had terminal cancer. Unlike other 15-year-olds, she couldn't braid her hair or tower in her first pair of heels: intense chemo/radiation when she was very young meant her hair never grew back and her height was never taller than that of an eight-year-old. This was to be her third intimate encounter with Beyoncé — but her most poignant. Chelsea had that morning been told she had two weeks to live, after a decade-long cancer battle. The call was for the two women to say goodbye to one another.

Four years previously, Beyoncé had spotted Chelsea, then 11, in the crowd when she was on stage in Sydney. At the time, Chelsea had just a one per cent chance of survival. The final few wispy strands of hair on her head blew serenely in the wind machine as Beyoncé changed the words to Halo, singing: “Chelsea, I can see your Halo – I pray you won’t fade away.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and the video went viral, reducing Ellen Degeneres to tears when she played it on her show.

On #InternationalDayoftheGirl, it is time for everyone to CHIME for girls’ rights, equality and empowerment!

Beyonce took to social media to support Michelle Obama's #62MillionGirls campaign:

"In school, I learned to be myself and how to be a leader. #62MillionGirls don't have that chance."

Jay Z's Tidal is ready to make a splash in the live music space.

The streaming service is gearing up for its first-ever concert event, dubbed TIDAL X: 1020, with an all-star lineup of more than 17 artists including Beyonce, Jay Z, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Prince, Lil Wayne, T.I., Fabolous, Damien Marley, Thomas Rhett and more. The event is set for Oct. 20 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Tickets, which will range from $74 to $244, will go on sale for Tidal members on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 12 p.m. ET, and for the general public on Friday, Oct. 2 at 12 p.m. ET. All funds collected from ticket sales will be administered by New World Foundation on behalf of Tidal.

According to the organization's website, New World Foundation builds partnerships with philanthropic allies who "value the essential truth that the people who suffer injustice are crucial to overcoming it."

An insider at the event echoes that all proceeds will "benefit nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing positive community relations and effecting systemic change for the development and sustainability of just societies, this inaugural event's philanthropic focus."

Fans who can't make it to the show in Brooklyn will be able to watch the whole thing streaming live on Tidal, for both members and non-members of the service, free of charge -- though viewers can make donations while watching the livestream.

On Saturday, Gucci and Chime for Change partnered with the Global Citizen Festival, a free-ticketed concert on the Great Lawn in NYC’s Central Park to support goals to end extreme poverty by 2030. Pearl Jam, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay were among the performers for the concert hosted by Salma Hayek Pinault, Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman, Kerry Washington, and Olivia Wilde. Attended by 60,000, with support from leaders from 13 countries, the concert aimed to raise awareness in tackling climate change, and supporting girls’ and women’s equality around the world. Chime for Change co-founders Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyoncé Knowles Carter penned a letter about the campaign’s new partnership with Global Citizen.

Dear Global Citizens,

In 2013, we joined with Gucci to launch CHIME FOR CHANGE, a global campaign to convene, unite and strengthen the voices speaking out for girls and women around the world. Nearly three years later, the power and passion of the CHIME FOR CHANGE community continues to inspire us, from corporate leaders and foundations, to non-profit organizations working on the ground, to individuals lending their voices and support.

Now, in 2015, Gucci and CHIME FOR CHANGE are joining Global Citizen to help create a world where gender equality exists. A world where every girl has the right to go to school, every woman has access to health care, and all girls and women are protected and given the opportunity to thrive. Together, we are creating our future. Now is the time for change.

Remember, none of us can move forward if half of us are held back.

Now let’s MAKE SOME NOISE for gender equality!

Sincerely,
Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyoncé Knowles Carter

Beyonce performed yesterday at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park in New York City.

Take action today and you'll be entered to win a pair of VIP tickets plus a 'Meet and Greet' with Beyoncé at the Global Citizen Festival in New York City on September 26!

"As the co-founder of Chime for Change I am committed to fighting for issues facing girls and women all over the world.

Take action now to empower girls and women by providing them access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. You'll be entered to win a pair of VIP tickets to the #GlobalCitizen Festival, and a chance to win a meet and greet!"

Go to globalcitizen.org for more information.

The 2015 Global Citizen Festival is on September 26th in New York City’s Central Park. Pearl Jam, Beyonce, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran will headline this year’s music festival. The concert is the flagship event for the United Nations’ Global Poverty Project, which campaigns to eradicate extreme poverty by the year 2030. Now, thanks to Charitybuzz, you and your guest have a chance to meet Beyonce with two Premier Global VIP tickets to the Global Citizen Festival.

The concert will be hosted by Stephen Colbert, Salma Hayek Pinault, Deborra-lee & Hugh Jackman, Kerry Washington & Olivia Wilde. You just have to place your bid until Thu, 10 Sep 2015 3:14:00 PM EDT and you’ll be part of one of the most significant events in music history! The current bid is $9,500, while the estimated value of this special offer is $40,000. So, hurry up!

In honor of World Humanitarian day, we’ve brought back the opportunity to #BeyGOOD and support the children of Haiti!

In May 2015, on a humanitarian trip to the island of Haiti, Beyoncé visited local programs in a personal capacity to continue her support of previously funded programs and to learn more about humanitarian activities.

While on location, Beyoncé visited the Saint Damien Hospital in Tabarre. Funded completely through private contributions to NPH worldwide, St. Damien provides high quality medical treatment for disadvantaged and sick children in Haiti and has associated public health and community programs that reach more than 90,000 children and adults annually.

CHIME FOR CHANGE and Global Citizen are proud to announce a long-term partnership to build a global campaign that will create change for girls and women around the world. Global Citizen’s community of people wants to learn about the critical issues facing women, and to take action in support of them.

Gender equality is fundamental to Global Citizen’s long-term objective of ending extreme poverty by 2030. Women account for half of the world’s population, but three-fifths of those in extreme poverty. Women also perform two-thirds of the world’s working hours, yet earn only ten per cent of the world’s income, and own less than one per cent of the world’s property.

This partnership will provide CHIME FOR CHANGE a global platform – GlobalCitizen.org – to engage millions of people around the world by educating and encouraging them to take meaningful action in support of girls and women. Together, these two groups will aim to achieve measurable outcomes for girls’ and women’s issues, leveraging the combination of their powerful platforms, communities, partners and influence.

In addition, Gucci and CHIME FOR CHANGE will serve as Presenting Partners at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival on the Great Lawn in Central Park on September 26 in New York City.

Watch the exclusive video of Beyonce's humanitarian trip to Haiti below!

"During my most recent visit to Haiti, I experienced the great work Saint Damien's Hospital is providing to so many of the country's children, but they still need our support.

Get your BeyGOOD shirt today: https://beygoodhaiti.beyonce.com #BeyGOODHaiti"

On May 16, 2015, Beyoncé embarked on a humanitarian trip to the island of Haiti to visit local programs in a personal capacity to continue her support of previously funded programs and learn more about humanitarian activities.

While on location, Beyoncé visited the Saint Damien Hospital in Tabarre. Funded completely through private contributions to NPH worldwide, St. Damien provides high quality medical treatment for disadvantaged and sick children in Haiti and has associated public health and community programs that reach more than 90,000 children and adults annually.

However, due to a recent reduction in funding commitment, the hospital has lost the equivalent of two months of funding resulting in significant cutbacks both in staff (450 Haitians are employed here) and in the number of children that can be treated. As an immediate result there are now empty wards, reduced oncology intake, the reduction in the residents program that trains Haitian Doctors, and hundreds of children who are turned away from medical care they desperately need.

Your purchase of a BeyGOOD Haiti t-shirt can help solve an urgent funding crisis with all proceeds from sales of this shirt directly aiding St. Damien in re-opening an abandoned wing and continuing to aid the people of Haiti.

Click here to purchase a shirt and support the cause.

On May 16, 2015 Valerie Amos the Emergency Relief Coordinator, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) accompanied Beyoncé on a humanitarian trip to the island of Haiti. During the trip, Beyoncé visited multiple local programs in a personal capacity to learn more about humanitarian activities.

First stop was the IDP Camp in Caradeux, one of many earthquake settlement camps still in Haiti following the destruction of the 2010 earthquake. The overall people in need of humanitarian assistance has decreased considerably and the number of people displaced in camps has dropped to about 65,000 a 96% reduction from July 2010. but with More than 65,000 Haitians still living in settlement camps, the need for assistance is dire.

Following visits to the camp, the team visited the NPH Saint Damien Hospital in Tabarre, Haiti. Funded through private contributions to NPH worldwide, St. Damien provides high quality medical treatment for disadvantaged and sick children in Haiti and has associated public health and community programs of reach over 90,000 children and adults annually.

The trip also included a tour of the IDP Relocation site in Morne Nazare and a helicopter trip over Port-au-Prince to see progress of the structural reconstruction since the devastation of the 2010 earthquake.

Thanksgiving marks the kick off of holiday season. Many of us are fortunate enough to associate the holidays with an over abundance of food and gifts, not every family is so lucky.

Infused with the giving spirit, BeyGOOD made the dedication to support two organizations that provided outreach to more than 150 families in three shelters in the Bronx, New York, and nearly 80 families through a community hospital in Harlem, New York.

Initially, we set out on the journey to provide turkeys with our own budget in mind, but as absolute proof that doing good inspires others to do good, John and Ruth Brown stepped up to the plate and personally committed to donating turkeys.

We first met John and Ruth in Las Vegas last year during the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. They had BeyGOOD stickers on so they were upgraded to the BeyStage. They asked to stay in touch so they could continue to carry the message of BeyGOOD and a year later they absolutely embodied the heart of real BeyGOOD Ambassadors! As the General Manager of a meat company, John and his wife Ruth committed to personally covering the cost of paying for half of the turkeys. After being inspired by John and Ruth, John’s boss, Ed, and a fellow meat distributor, also committed to donating turkeys because being GOOD inspires everyone!

Thanks to their giving spirits, and the spirit of BeyGOOD, we were able to support 250 families, assuring they would enjoy a hearty Thanksgiving meal.

Follow us on Twitter @BeyGOOD and share your stories of how you plan to give back and #BeyGOOD this holiday season.

Visit Beyonce.com for photos.

The world's biggest auction of celebrity shoes returns for its fifth instalment in December, with Beyonce's shoes among the highlights.

The Small Steps Project auction opens for bids on November 4, and closes on December 7. Profits will benefit charities supporting children living on landfill sites, many of who walk on them barefoot.

The highlights of the sale are shoes from Beyonce and George Clooney.

Go to smallstepsproject.org for more info.

Check out the two new posts from Beyonce's official website below!

"Today, alongside Chime for Change we commemorate ‪‎Day of The Girl‬ by highlighting some of the many impactful initiatives that have taken place over the last year.

#‎ChimeIn‬ for a girl who inspires you because together, we have the tools to create real impactful change for girls all over the world."

"Today, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to India’s Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai for their ongoing work against the suppression of children and for young people’s rights, including the right to education. At just 17, Malala is the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Congratulations, and may you both continue to be the inspiration the world needs."

Since inception a year ago, #BeyGOOD has reached more than 2 million people around the world through partnerships, drives, and projects that work to put the spirit of doing good into motion, and now the journey will continue with the assistance of STATE Union.

This summer STATE and #BeyGOOD are hitting the road and giving back to thousands of kids in underfunded communities across the east coast with the #BeyGOOD x STATE GIVEBACKPACK Program.

Together, we’ve handpicked six cities in very high need – and partners doing phenomenal work in support of those communities – and starting on August 18th, STATE and #BeyGOOD will be visiting Charlotte, Baltimore, Washington D.C, Philadelphia, Newark, and New York City, and carrying out STATE’s signature high-energy, motivational bag drop rallies to provide over 2,000 students with new backpacks for the school year. The rallies will be followed by a simulated shopping experience where all participating students will have the opportunity to stuff their #BeyGOOD STATE Bags with brand new school supplies.

In an effort to support as many youth as possible, shop.beyonce.com has made it easy for anyone to get involved. For a limited time, a special edition custom #BeyGOOD STATE Bag backpack will be available for purchase with all proceeds benefitting the 2014 Back To School Program initiative.

ABOUT THE BAG:

The premium classic backpack finished with high-end details. It features a large main storage compartment with 15″ padded laptop sleeve pocket, a second compartment with multiple supply organizers, key clip and iPad pocket, and a front stash pocket. The #BeyGOOD X STATE Union also features leather zipper pulls, leather-bound side pockets and heavy gauge antique brass zippers. It is finished with a signature STATE rivet in black and embroidered #BeyGOOD patch.

Get your #BeyGOOD x STATE GIVEBACKPACK Union bag here.

As the new school year is approaching, Beyonce also prepared a special Back to School Bundle for her fans, which is available for pre-order at Beyonce Online Shop!

Beyonce posted a short birthday message to Michelle Williams on her official website:

"Happy birhday, Michelle!

-B"

She also thanked her fans for participating in the Houston Food Drive:

#BeyGOOD joined forces with The Bread of Life, Miss-A-Meal, the Houston Food Bank and The Box and Majic 102.1, to fuel the movement to eradicate hunger with the Houston Food Drive.

From July 14-18, the city of Houston had the opportunity to #BeyGOOD and join in the effort to fight hunger for a chance to win tickets to see Beyoncé and Jay Z’s On the Run Tour at Minute Maid Park. The outcome was astounding.

With nearly 2,500 people showing up to the Houston donation site over the course of 5 days, the amount of food collected exceeded expectations. Thanks to the generosity of the people of Houston, The Houston Food Bank and Bread of Life were able to raise more than 10 tons of food that will help feed thousands of families facing hunger in the Houston area.

Thank you, Houston for joining the #BeyGOOD movement to help make a difference for those that need it most. We are all in this together and this food drive was proof that each and every one of us can make a difference by giving back.

See more photos from the food drive here.

Beyonce and Jay-Z performed at the second show at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on July 12, 2014.

The next stop on the On the Run Tour was Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on July 15.

On Friday, the couple performed at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Before the concert, Beyonce encouraged her fans to participate in a food drive, which qualified them for a chance to win pit tickets to the show. Read more about the action and check out pictures from the donation site at Beyonce.com.

Beyonce’s charitable efforts may have been questioned by the likes of Harry Belafonte, but her longtime pastor Rudy Rasmus sings a completely different tune. According to the Houston church leader, Mrs. Carter has been instrumental in his ministry.

In an interview with local news station KHOU, Rasmus shares that Beyonce dropped $7 million on a housing complex that now provides homes to 42 previously homeless people.

“She’s doing great things, matter of fact, phenomenal things,” Rasmus said in support of the singer. “ has a global platform and is doing some amazing work. And I’m glad she’s a friend of mine.”

Rasmus, who also officiated Beyonce and Jay Z’s wedding, dispelled rumors of trouble in paradise between the couple, saying that he gives validity to things “based on conversation with the person.” He also recalled Bey’s pre-stardom days of singing in his church.

“She’s an incredible human being, has an incredible heart, and has been extremely helpful in our mission, in our ministry here,” he said.

Watch Pastor Rudy Rasmus discuss Beyonce below.