Beyoncé Reflects on Turning 40 in Personal Letter to Fans

Photo Credit Instagram @beyonce

Her 40th birthday may have been Sept. 4, but Beyoncé her fans, parents and peers have been celebrating all month long. Thursday, however, (Sept. 23) the 28-time Grammy was feeling introspective.

She was also in a sharing mood and took to her website to share what the milestone birthday meant for her and thank her legion of fans in the BeyHive and beyond for their heartfelt messages and support in a personal letter.

"As Virgo Season comes to an end, I hope my fellow Virgos had great birthdays. I'm so thankful for every inspiring human who took the time to send me all the beautiful messages. I cried tears of joy and was covered in chilly bumps. Your videos, your posts, your countdowns, your playlists and your well wishes, I will cherish forever," the megastar began.

Those messages ran the gamut from well-wishes from everyday fans to a star-studded video put together by Harper's Bazaar, for which she was the September cover person. 

After thanking her fans Beyoncé went on to say that this year is the first in which she really understands what it means to live in the moment, something she thought she knew at 21 or 30 but admitted that she didn't. 

“The more mature I become, the more I understand and the deeper my joy grows. There’s a freedom and liberation knowing that I’ve made it to the other side of my sacrifice. I’m finally giving myself permission to enjoy the seeds I’ve worked so hard to plant my whole life,” she wrote. 

Most importantly for the singer perhaps was coming to the realization that turning 40 was not an end of youth that should be mourned but a new beginning that should be celebrated.

“Whoever tried to condition women to feel that we are supposed to be old or unhappy when we turn 40 got it ALL THE WAY F’D UP," she wrote. "This has absolutely been the best I’ve felt in my life. I’m so grateful to be GROWN, GROWN!”

Beyoncé ended the note by reminding the reader that most of us met her when she was 15, and we have grown up together, adding, "You bring soooo much joy into my life. I hope my art can continue to bring a little joy into yours. I Love You Deep Deep Deep Deep Deep.” 

Read the entire letter below:

The Fugees to Reunite for First Time in 15 Years to Celebrate 'The Score'

Photo Credit B+

For the first time in 15 years Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel will take to the stage together Wednesday, reuniting one of the defining hip hop groups of the 1990s – Fugees.

In 1996 the trio's second album "The Score" shot them to superstardom. Hit singles "Killing Me Softly" and "Ready or Not" helped propel it to the top of the Billboard charts. The Fugees went on to become the first hip-hop group ever to be nominated for Album of the Year at the 1997 Grammy's, where "The Score" took home awards for Best Rap Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group ("Killing Me Softly").

The group's first reunion since 2006, when the Fugees kicked off Grammy week with a free show in Hollywood, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the seven-time platinum album, which has sold over 22 million copies and is the best-selling album ever by a hip-hop group. 

“The Fugees have a complex but impactful history,” said Hill in a statement. “I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.”

Jean added: “As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.”

The reunion will also launch a 12-city world tour beginning with Wednesday's New York City "intimate" pop-up show that is scheduled to take place in an undisclosed location. According to reporting from Variety the New York show is in support of “Global Citizen Live,” a global broadcast event “calling on world leaders to defend the planet and defeat poverty,” to air on September 25. Those looking for an opportunity to attend can head here.

The rest of the tour will commence November 2 at United Center in Chicago and will make stops across the globe before finishing in Africa, with the final shows taking place in Nigeria and Ghana. 

FUGEES TENTATIVE TOUR 2021 DATES: 

• Wed, Sept 22 – NYC – ???
• Tues, Nov 2 – Chicago, IL – United Center
• Sun, Nov 7 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
• Fri, Nov 12 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
• Thurs, Nov 18 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
• Sun, Nov 21 – Miami, FL – FTX Arena
• Fri, Nov 26 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
• Sun, Nov 28 – Washington D.C. – Capital One Arena
• Sat, Dec 4 – Paris, France – La Defense Arena
• Mon, Dec 6 – London, U.K. – The O2
• ??? – Nigeria – ???
• Sat, Dec 18 – Ghana – ???

Patti LaBelle's 'Silver Throat' Sarah Dash, Dead at 76

Singer Sarah Dash, co-founder of the Grammy Hall of Fame group Labelle, which topped the charts in 1974 with the disco smash hit “Lady Marmalade," died Monday a the age of 76 according to reports from multiple media outlets.

No cause of death has been released but Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, a close friend of the New Jersey native, confirmed the death posting on Facebook: “Trenton lost a star today with Sarah Dash’s passing. She is now with the angels.”

Photo Credit Instagram @sarahasindash

Called “the woman with the silver throat” by fellow R&B legend and Labelle frontwoman, Patti LaBelle, Dash co-founded Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles which evolved through several iterations before becoming the rock and funk-infused Labelle.

In 1974 the group, then comprised of Dash, LaBelle and Nona Hendryx, scored its signature hit "Lady Marmalade" helping to spark the rise of disco as well as propelling the trio to worldwide notoriety.  Following the release that year they became the first "rock and roll" act to play the Metropolitan Opera House. Labelle was also the first group of African-American vocalists to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone.

The group recorded five studio albums together before going their separate ways. They remained close, however, reuniting serval times. 

"We were just on stage together on Saturday and it was such a powerful and special moment," Patti LaBelle said in a statement to the New York Daily News following Dash's death. "Sarah Dash was an awesomely talented, beautiful, and loving soul who blessed my life and the lives of so many others in more ways than I can say. And I could always count on her to have my back! That’s who Sarah was...a loyal friend and a voice for those who didn’t have one.”

Dash (far right), in a publicity still for the Labelle's with lead singer Patti LaBelle (center) and Nona Hendryx.

Dash never stopped singing and performing. She earned a hit with the song "Sinner Man" as a solo artist in the 70s and had a top-10 hit in the 80s with "Lucky Tonight." She also was a session singer and toured and recorded with many groups, most notably the Rolling Stones. Dash also worked on several of Keith Richards' solo efforts. 

Trenton lost a star today Miss Sarah Dash. Here she is with Keith Richards - Time Is on my Side/ Sarah Dash https://t.co/lLKwtfYdZu via @YouTube

— Mayor Reed (@gusciora) September 20, 2021

RIP Sarah Dash. The news of her death today comes just 2 days after she joined @MsPattiPatti for a final performance of "Isn't It A Shame" - the last song they recorded together in 1976.

So glad Patti was able to give Sarah her flowers while she was here to receive them. pic.twitter.com/eb7cUNfCmJ

— Lavern Spicer (@lavern_spicer) September 20, 2021