In advance of Beyoncé's appearance to receive the Woman of the Year Award at Billboard's Women in Music event Oct. 2 in New York, we invited friends, family and colleagues to offer their tributes. Several also named their favorite Beyoncé song.
"I'm definitely proud of her musical accomplishments but I'm probably more proud that she's a truly good person. My favorite song is a bonus track called 'Daddy' that appears on her first solo album. It basically says, 'Thank you for all you've given me and when I marry a man, it will be like my daddy.' "
—Mathew Knowles of Music World Entertainment, Beyoncé's father and manager
"I'm so proud of my big sister. She's more than woman of the year; she's an inspiration."
—Solange Knowles, singer/songwriter
"The good news for Beyoncé is that she's not just as good as her last hit song. My admiration for everything she does is immense. Behind her inspiration is an incredible amount of creative energy and work ethic. My life would be so much easier if I had 10 of her."
—Rob Stringer, chairman, Sony Music Label Group
"Beyoncé knows how to balance what fans want and how to push the envelope, experimenting with sounds and directions. That's what makes her the superstar that she is. 'Irreplaceable' was a sleeper on the album but ultimately turned out to be the fan favorite."
—Max Gousse, senior VP or A&R, Island Def Jam Records
"Beyoncé is a true artist who brings it every time. My favorite song will always be 'Flaws and All.' So much feeling, so beautiful; her voice sounds amazing."
—Kelly Rowland, singer/songwriter
"My favorite Beyoncé song would have to be 'Dangerously in Love.' She sang it with such conviction and passion; I believed every word. And that's what is great about Beyoncé: She knows how to personalize every song she sings."
—Rico Love, songwriter/producer
"Beyoncé is the greatest performer alive. How can one person have all that talent, grace and work ethic? Phenomenal."
—John Legend, singer/songwriter/producer
"It's a privilege to work with someone as talented and driven as Beyoncé. Besides being such an accomplished performer, she's also a great producer with some of the best A&R instincts for what makes a good song. She's not interested in knowing who the song was written by before she hears it. For Beyoncé, it's all about the music, not the personalities behind it."
—Big Jon Platt, president of West Coast Creative, EMI Music Publishing
"The greatest singers each have their 'thing' that they do better than anyone else. Beyoncé's thing is taking a great song and making it an event. She adds her own personality and vocal prowess like a master chef adds the missing ingredient to his signature dish. Beyoncé brings that missing ingredient."
—Ryan Tedder, songwriter/producer and member of OneRepublic
"Beyoncé is a great talent, extremely charismatic. People are drawn to her like a magnet. She's a down-to-earth young woman who, with all she has accomplished, is not full of herself. She is class personified."
—smokey robinson
"She's an incredible vocalist and one of the hardest-working artists in show business, not to mention a positive inspiration for women. Young people these days need strong role models, and she's that person. For all the fame and fortune she has been blessed with, Beyoncé acts like she's just the girl next door. She's a real and pure soul."
—Jim Jonsin, songwriter/producer
"She is graceful and never shows any weakness or frustration despite what may be going on around her. She always has fun with whatever she is doing. A professional but still a sweetheart."
—Sean Garrett, songwriter/producer
"Woman of the year . . . What took so long? She's been woman of the year for me for the last 10 years. My favorite Beyoncé song is 'Survivor.' It's just one of those songs that embodies strength and courage for females as well as males."
—Dennis Ashley, VP of concerts, International Creative Management
"When we worked together on 'Dreamgirls,' it was an opportunity to work with one of the true great voices in our business. I'm so proud to see her continuing in the tradition of great voices like Whitney [Houston], Toni [Braxton] and Mariah [Carey] for the next decade's listeners."
—Harvey Mason Jr., songwriter/producer
"It's not unexpected that she is being recognized as the woman of the year. You're talking about a woman who is super talented, tireless—and isn't showing any signs of slowing down."
—C. "Tricky" Stewart, songwriter/producer
"She was completely egalitarian [working on the film "Dreamgirls"]. It wasn't about, 'I'm the star and you're not' with the other ladies. It was, 'We're all in this.' And she was sweating bullets and working hard like everyone else. In all my years of mixing with people you would say are stars, Beyoncé was the most refreshing of anyone. The whole star trip isn't there. She's so talented and cool. I adore her."
—henry krieger, composer
" 'Irreplaceable' is a well-written, timeless record. And Beyoncé's delivery was incredible. I know I'll still be listening to that song 20-30 years from now."
—rodney jerkins, songwriter/producer
"I love songs that show off the emotion and rawness in Beyoncé's voice like 'Resentment' and the songs she did as Etta James in 'Cadillac Records.' This honor is well-deserved: She's one of the special angels that we're blessed to have. I absolutely love her to life."
—Michelle Williams, singer/songwriter
"I still remember the first time I ever heard 'Crazy in Love' and watched the video. I was blown away by the whole combination: a great record together with an incredible performance. The energy was so in your face. Beyoncé is the total package."
—Mikkel S. Eriksen of songwriting/production team Stargate
"I think it's very obvious what my favorite Beyoncé song is. But my second favorite is 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).' It's very sparse yet very creative and the lyrics are intriguing. I don't think I've ever worked with anyone better; I can't wait to work with her again."
—Toby Gad, co-writer of "If I Were a Boy"
Billboard
"I'm definitely proud of her musical accomplishments but I'm probably more proud that she's a truly good person. My favorite song is a bonus track called 'Daddy' that appears on her first solo album. It basically says, 'Thank you for all you've given me and when I marry a man, it will be like my daddy.' "
—Mathew Knowles of Music World Entertainment, Beyoncé's father and manager
"I'm so proud of my big sister. She's more than woman of the year; she's an inspiration."
—Solange Knowles, singer/songwriter
"The good news for Beyoncé is that she's not just as good as her last hit song. My admiration for everything she does is immense. Behind her inspiration is an incredible amount of creative energy and work ethic. My life would be so much easier if I had 10 of her."
—Rob Stringer, chairman, Sony Music Label Group
"Beyoncé knows how to balance what fans want and how to push the envelope, experimenting with sounds and directions. That's what makes her the superstar that she is. 'Irreplaceable' was a sleeper on the album but ultimately turned out to be the fan favorite."
—Max Gousse, senior VP or A&R, Island Def Jam Records
"Beyoncé is a true artist who brings it every time. My favorite song will always be 'Flaws and All.' So much feeling, so beautiful; her voice sounds amazing."
—Kelly Rowland, singer/songwriter
"My favorite Beyoncé song would have to be 'Dangerously in Love.' She sang it with such conviction and passion; I believed every word. And that's what is great about Beyoncé: She knows how to personalize every song she sings."
—Rico Love, songwriter/producer
"Beyoncé is the greatest performer alive. How can one person have all that talent, grace and work ethic? Phenomenal."
—John Legend, singer/songwriter/producer
"It's a privilege to work with someone as talented and driven as Beyoncé. Besides being such an accomplished performer, she's also a great producer with some of the best A&R instincts for what makes a good song. She's not interested in knowing who the song was written by before she hears it. For Beyoncé, it's all about the music, not the personalities behind it."
—Big Jon Platt, president of West Coast Creative, EMI Music Publishing
"The greatest singers each have their 'thing' that they do better than anyone else. Beyoncé's thing is taking a great song and making it an event. She adds her own personality and vocal prowess like a master chef adds the missing ingredient to his signature dish. Beyoncé brings that missing ingredient."
—Ryan Tedder, songwriter/producer and member of OneRepublic
"Beyoncé is a great talent, extremely charismatic. People are drawn to her like a magnet. She's a down-to-earth young woman who, with all she has accomplished, is not full of herself. She is class personified."
—smokey robinson
"She's an incredible vocalist and one of the hardest-working artists in show business, not to mention a positive inspiration for women. Young people these days need strong role models, and she's that person. For all the fame and fortune she has been blessed with, Beyoncé acts like she's just the girl next door. She's a real and pure soul."
—Jim Jonsin, songwriter/producer
"She is graceful and never shows any weakness or frustration despite what may be going on around her. She always has fun with whatever she is doing. A professional but still a sweetheart."
—Sean Garrett, songwriter/producer
"Woman of the year . . . What took so long? She's been woman of the year for me for the last 10 years. My favorite Beyoncé song is 'Survivor.' It's just one of those songs that embodies strength and courage for females as well as males."
—Dennis Ashley, VP of concerts, International Creative Management
"When we worked together on 'Dreamgirls,' it was an opportunity to work with one of the true great voices in our business. I'm so proud to see her continuing in the tradition of great voices like Whitney [Houston], Toni [Braxton] and Mariah [Carey] for the next decade's listeners."
—Harvey Mason Jr., songwriter/producer
"It's not unexpected that she is being recognized as the woman of the year. You're talking about a woman who is super talented, tireless—and isn't showing any signs of slowing down."
—C. "Tricky" Stewart, songwriter/producer
"She was completely egalitarian [working on the film "Dreamgirls"]. It wasn't about, 'I'm the star and you're not' with the other ladies. It was, 'We're all in this.' And she was sweating bullets and working hard like everyone else. In all my years of mixing with people you would say are stars, Beyoncé was the most refreshing of anyone. The whole star trip isn't there. She's so talented and cool. I adore her."
—henry krieger, composer
" 'Irreplaceable' is a well-written, timeless record. And Beyoncé's delivery was incredible. I know I'll still be listening to that song 20-30 years from now."
—rodney jerkins, songwriter/producer
"I love songs that show off the emotion and rawness in Beyoncé's voice like 'Resentment' and the songs she did as Etta James in 'Cadillac Records.' This honor is well-deserved: She's one of the special angels that we're blessed to have. I absolutely love her to life."
—Michelle Williams, singer/songwriter
"I still remember the first time I ever heard 'Crazy in Love' and watched the video. I was blown away by the whole combination: a great record together with an incredible performance. The energy was so in your face. Beyoncé is the total package."
—Mikkel S. Eriksen of songwriting/production team Stargate
"I think it's very obvious what my favorite Beyoncé song is. But my second favorite is 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).' It's very sparse yet very creative and the lyrics are intriguing. I don't think I've ever worked with anyone better; I can't wait to work with her again."
—Toby Gad, co-writer of "If I Were a Boy"
Billboard