Beyonce Knowles' Essence Cover Shoot

Adding another magazine cover to her credit, Beyonc� Knowles is featured on the front of the July issue of Essence.

In the accompanying interview, the ?Crazy in Love? songstress talked about having her mom as a role model.

"Tina Knowles was my first example of what a powerful woman is. She shaped my thinking not so much by what she said, but what she did. My mother taught me the principles of hard work, setting my own goals and visualizing my future.?

She also noted that visiting the Egyptian pyramids was amazing. "Egypt was the best. When I visited the pyramids, I had an experience I'll never forget:I started singing "Ava Maria" inside the pyramid. The depth of the tomb was incredible. I've never heard acoustics so clear. My voice sounded so pure. It was inconceivable. I could have stayed in there forever.?

As for her recent respite, "After the tour ended in Trinidad in late February, at last I focused on taking some time off. I had talked about taking a vacation before, but always ended up in the studio after two weeks. This time, though, I was serious. I was going to give myself a year to do all the things I never get to do. Simple things like play with my nephew, pick him up from school, visit museums, go to concerts, see some Broadway shows, learn to cook a meal and spend time with my husband.?

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/beyonce/beyonce-knowles-essence-cover-shoot-512432

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