After years of speculation, singer Beyoncé Knowles wed her longtime boyfriend, rapper Jay-Z, on Friday, a friend of the couple’s tells PEOPLE. Though there is no official confirmation, the friend says, “It happened earlier this evening. Jay wanted it to be a really private affair – close friends and family.” The ceremony was followed by a lavish party at the rapper’s Tribeca apartment that drew Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles, her father/manager Mathew, her sister Solange, her Destiny’s Child mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and the couple’s friend Gwyneth Paltrow.

(See photos of the guests arriving here.)

The wedding buzz began when the couple went to get a marriage license at a village hall in Scarsdale, N.Y., on Tuesday. DJ Cassidy, a favorite of Jay-Z, was hired to spin. “Cassidy mentioned a week ago that he was really excited for Jay Z and Beyoncé’s wedding party to happen,” says another source. Early Friday morning, workers erected a white tent atop the building in Tribeca, where Jay-Z owns a penthouse apartment. Not long after, an SUV carrying what seemed to be AV equipment arrived, followed by deliveries of party rentals and flowers. A source tells PEOPLE that Amy’s Orchids was hired to provide 50,000 to 60,000 white orchid blooms from Thailand for a “big party.” At the apartment, waiters were seen practicing their service.

A couple since 2002, Jay-Z, 38, and Knowles, 26, always kept quiet about their relationship, even as they were photographed together on romantic holidays around the world. Still, marriage seemed to be in the cards – eventually. “I never pictured myself as a bride,” she told Cosmopolitan in January 2006, “but after my sister’s wedding, I did start thinking about what kind of wedding I’d want. I don’t think I want a big one.”

[ SOURCE: PEOPLE ]

Beyoncé Knowles and longtime beau Jay-Z have taken out a marriage license in Scarsdale, N.Y., PEOPLE has learned. According to a source, the pair obtained a license Tuesday morning. The document is valid for 60 days. A rep for Beyoncé told PEOPLE, “No comment.” Jay-Z’s spokesperson could not be reached.

Beyoncé, 26, and Jay-Z, 38, have been dating since 2002, though the couple have stood reluctant to discuss their relationship publicly. Rumors about their romance began circulating after the singer appeared on Jay-Z’s song “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde,” followed by collaborations on Beyoncé’s solo hit “Crazy in Love,” in 2003.

While the two have remained tight-lipped about the state of their romance, by no means has Beyoné brushed off talk of marriage. In December 2006, the singer told InStyle, “You can’t rush a man into anything – whether it’s a relationship, marriage or having children.”

Earlier that month the pair were besieged by rumors that they were all set to get hitched in the Caribbean – a rumor that was quickly scotched by their reps.

[ SOURCE: PEOPLE ]

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE SONG!!

Here’s a photo of Bey leaving her trailer preparing to go on set for her new movie, “Cadillac Records.” She’s portraying legendary soul singer Etta James in this biopic due for a late 2008 or early 2009 release.

Singer-actress Beyonce Knowles, Idris Elba (American Gangster), and Ali Larter (Heroes, Resident Evil) have been tapped for Screen Gems’ thriller Obsessed. Elba will play an asset manager with a hot wife (Knowles) and thriving career — until a temp office worker (Larter) begins stalking him. Director Steve Shill (NBC’s Knight Rider telepic) will helm from a script by David Loughery. Will Packer. Beyonce will executive produce along with her father, Mathew Knowles. She is also producing and co-starring as Etta James in Cadillac Records for Sony BMG. Larter is working on episodes of NBC’s Heroes. Elba next stars in Prom Night for Screen Gems.

[ VIA EW.COM ]

Two weeks after Barack Obama delivered his “Yes We Can” speech in Nashua, New Hampshire, the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.I.Am assembled an all-star cast of musicians and actors (including Common, John Legend and Scarlett Johansson) to appear on his “remix” of the speech and the accompanying video, an arty, black-and-white clip that quickly became a YouTube sensation, racking up more than 4 million views. Now, two weeks after Obama delivered another speech — this one from his hometown of Chicago, after a triumphant Super Tuesday in which he won 14 states — Will is at it again, booking time in a Los Angeles studio to record yet another pro-Obama tune.

So far comedians/actors George Lopez and John Leguizamo have recorded spoken parts for the track, and a publicist for the project told MTV News Jessica Alba, Ryan Phillippe, Ben McKenzie, Macy Gray and the Black Eyed Peas’ Tabu are slated to participate. And rumor has it that Beyoncé is trying to clear up her schedule to make an appearance too. The whole thing is coming together with a spur-of-the-moment kind of feel (in the studio, Will was collaborating with a New York-based percussionist via online chat service Skype), and it looks like that’s the way it’ll be until the song is finished. [ READ MORE @ MTV NEWS » ]

Beyonce Knowles will be coached for her role as Etta James in a forthcoming movie about blues label Chess Records by the singing legend herself. James is thrilled Knowles has been picked to play her in ‘Cadillac Records’, and is excited about her own role - as a special adviser to the R&B star-turned-actress. The 70-year-old, who is most famous for her timeless classic ‘I Just Wanna Make Love To You’, wasn’t sure the 26-year-old was up to the task, until she watched her rock the Grammy Awards last week in a duet with Tina Turner.

She tells PageSix.com: “I have my own way of putting those songs over, and I was just wondering if Beyonce could, and my son said, ‘They’re thinking about how she looks, but mama, she can really sing!’ It’s a privilege and an honour to have somebody like that girl. I don’t think she looks like me, but that’s all right. They can fix that up. I kinda have a man’s voice. It’s a contralto, more bluesy, religious. I would really like to work with her on that.”

Former heroin addict James claims Beyonce has a tough task, taking on her rollercoaster life, adding, “Oh my god, she’s going to have a hill to climb, because Etta James ain’t been no (sic) angel! I can tell Beyonce some things; some of the things I might not tell her. I wasn’t as bourgie as she is, she’s bourgeois. She knows how to be a lady, she’s like a model. I wasn’t like that… I smoked in the bathroom in school, I was kinda arrogant, so those are some of the things I would want to tell her.

Knowles, who will also act as executive producer on ‘Cadillac Records’, will join Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Cedric The Entertainer and Tammy Blanchard in the project, which begins shooting next month.

Here’s the video of Beyonce performing with Tina Turner at Sunday night’s Grammy Awards. Amazing performance! Photos from the event, including the afterparties will follow shortly. Be on the look-out for them!

Our girl Beyonce landed a top 10 spot in Forbes Magazine’s list of the richest women in music this year. The list, called “Cash Queens of Music,” also features big names like Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Shakira and Mariah Carey, and takes into account not only the cash these leading ladies are making through CD sales and tours, but also their varied side projects including clothing and perfume lines. Beyonce is #5 on the list because she made approximately $27 million dollars last year! I mean damn Beyonce, just let me borrow a couple grand, Lol! If you’re interested in checking out the full list, follow the link below. CONTINUE READING THIS ENTRY

A rumor spawned from Media FAKE Out regarding Beyonce and Ne-Yo. According to the rumor, Ne-Yo, who took a hand in writing Beyonce’s hit single “Irreplaceable” planned on suing Beyonce because of unpaid roylaties or whatever. Well, Ne-Yo has set the record straight stating that he is not suing Beyonce, and “the rumor is untrue.” He went on to say that there’s no beef between the two.

He’s still suing R. Kelly’s ol’ punk ass though … lol!

While it is unknown whether or not Beyonce will release an album this year, it has been confirmed that she’ll in fact be performing as an actress later on this year, in the movie “Cadillac Records.” Beyonce will take on the role as famed blues singer Etta James in the 1950s-inspired movie, and will be joined by Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, and Cedric the Entertainer.

Filming is due to take place later this year in New Jersey and Mississippi. For more on Etta James, check out her Wikipedia!

Beyonce has teamed up with Starwave Mobile to create a stylish mobile game called Beyonce Fashion Diva, featuring her clothing line Dereon. The game will allow players to create and style a diva, take part in photo shoots to earn virtual cash and watch clips from Beyonce’s hit album “B’Day.” Beyonce Fashion Diva will coincide with an online social networking service so players can express their views on other people’s style and fashion. The game is now available for U.S. network carriers on Beyonce’s new B’Phone by Samsung. For more information visit www.beyoncefashiondiva.com.

Singer Kelly Rowland couldn’t wait to finish touring with Destiny’s Child - because bandmates Beyonce Knowles and Michelle Williams were messy roommates. The 26-year-old was delighted to announce a solo tour in autumn last year - because she could finally keep the tour bus as organized as she pleased.

She says, “They were both slobs! They would come on to the tour bus and take their shoes off, and I was the one who would say, ‘Put your shoes in the corner!’ I have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) tendencies, so I drove them totally nuts.”

- WENN

The writers decided to let the Grammys go on without being picketed, and according to PEOPLE, Beyonce and Tina Turner are set to hit the stage together! As all of us fans know, Beyonce has always been a fan of the 68-year-old icon. I’m sure you all remember back in 2005 when she performed “Proud Mary” during the Kennedy Center Honors! Now, this is supposedly a “surprise performance,” so you know the people behind the Grammys are being tight-lipped about who’s presenting and who’s performing: “We haven’t released any presenters or performers, and until we do, nothing is confirmed.”

It’s been over a month since my last post, and I’m sorry for that. And on top of that, today is January 10th and we haven’t posted a thing in the year 2008. Sad, I know. But lately, it’s become harder and harder to keep this site updated alone. The “assistant contributors” to the site have jobs, other sites, and lives of their own, so I can’t knock them for not being able to update as much as I would like them to. Hell, if it weren’t for the help of Fai, Jason, and Brittany, this site probably would have died a long time ago. So a big thank you goes out to the three of them.

I still have the same amount of love and respect for Beyonce that I’ve always had, but updating FB has recently become a chore. I even put out a search to add some contributors, and when I e-mailed 4 of them to congratulate them on being a new addition to the site, I got no response.

I’m getting NO help, what-so-ever. And I can’t do it alone. I’ll be a college student come Fall 2008, and if I can’t find anyone to help me out with the site, I’m not sure what the fate of Forever Beyonce will be. I really DO NOT want to close it, because it was my first “domain” site, and I have a ton of love, loyalty, and respect for Beyonce and you guys (the fans/visitors), but I can’t do it alone…

But I have one more friend who reached out and asked if I needed any help over here. She’ll be helping out with gallery updates, and possibly some news headlines. Be on the look-out for her!

Also, if you guys have any other suggestions, let me know. I notice that Gyp, Chef, and a few other people comment on the site like, everyday lol. Would you guys like to post news updates? Maybe we could turn this site into a community-type site, like Oh No They Didn’t. I’m open to suggestions…