- Beyonce paid tribute to her Uncle Jonny on her album ‘Renaissance.’
- Beyonce’s Uncle Jonny was her mom Tina Knowles’ ‘best friend.’
- Beyonce thanked Uncle Jonny when she had her historic win at the 2023 Grammys, making her the person to have won the award the most times.
Uncle Jonny was a major component of Beyoncé's Renaissance album, and when the album won the Best Dance/Electronic Album award at the 2023 Grammy Awards, it marked a historic moment for the singer and the award show. She honored her late uncle with a ceremony that she had nominated for most Grammy Awards of all time.
Beyonce's latest album Renaissance is certainly a star-studded project, involving artists like Grace Jones, Tems, and of course, guest vocalist Big Freedia. Yet amid all the publicity, there's a different, unidentified, central figure: Jonny, the singer's homosexual uncle who died of HIV complications.
Beyonce expressed her gratitude to her uncle Jonny on Thursday, July 28. "He was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and the culture that inspire this album."
Beyonce's moving post included two photos: one of Bey with her three sleeping children, Blue Ivy, Rumi, and Sir, and another of Tina Knowles looking at Uncle Jonny in the Renaissance CD booklet.
He isn't actually her uncle.
While Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowles called him Uncle Jonny, he wasn't their uncle — he was their mother, Tina Knowles' nephew. Whether he was technically Bey's uncle or not, he certainly had an impact on the "Lemonade" singer.
During her acceptance of the Vanguard Award at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2019, she said, "I want to dedicate this award to my uncle Johnny, the most wonderful gay man I ever knew."
Tina's'best friend,' he was.
Beyonce and Solange fell in love with Uncle Jonny so warmly, and his mother Tina once said he was her "best friend" following the singer's touching public tribute in 2019. "My nephew Johnny was my best friend growing up," she wrote via Instagram on March 29 of that year.
Tina continued the post, which included a video of Beyonce paying tribute to him onstage, alongside her hubby Jay-Z. "He was my brother, my best friend," says Tina.
Beyonce's HIV battle has had an enormous impact on her.
Uncle Jonny's battle with, and death from, HIV problems profoundly impacted the burgeoning superstar. "He lived his truth," she said in the GLAAD Media Awards address. "I'm hopeful that his struggle helped others to live more freely. LGBTQIA rights are human rights."
Tina wrote in a 2019 Instagram post about Jonny's death. "He was my best friend," Tina continued. "I thank God for the opportunity that I got to spend with him and I'm very grateful that Beyoncé dedicated her award to him. My Johnny, please rest in peace."
Uncle Jonny was very inventive.
Tina shared that Uncle Jonny was very talented and talented, and that he created beautiful christmas dresses for Beyonce and Solange, in green velvet and plaid. During a visit to the house, the children replied, "Johnny!" at which time the reporter asked me who is Johnny? "He's my wife."
Jonny was Tina's sister's son.
Tina referred to Jonny as her sister Selena's "son," and his children referred to him as "uncle out of respect." Selena is 92 years older than Tina, and is now in her 90s. "I am with my big sister Selena."
