Beyonce Knowles in Allure Magazine for February 2010 issue

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Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z are to change their names.

The couple, who married in April 2008, are to take on both of their respective surnames in order to keep the ‘Crazy In Love’ star’s parental line from dying out.
Jay-Z – whose real name is Shawn Carter – will now be known as Shawn Knowles-Carter, while Beyonce is to become Beyonce Knowles-Carter.

A source told the Daily Star newspaper: “They want to keep Knowles because Beyonce’s parents didn’t have any sons and they’re keen to keep the name going strong, especially if they don’t produce any children themselves.”

Earlier this week, the Knowles family suffered a blow when it was announced that Beyonce’s parents Tina and Mathew would be divorcing after 29 years of marriage.

In October, rumours surfaced that Mathew may have been unfaithful, with a paternity suit filed by Alexandra Wright claiming he was the father of her unborn child – an allegation he has denied.

However, in a statement the estranged couple – who also have a daughter, Solange – claimed that the divorce would not be “an ugly, messy fight” and they would continue working together amicably.

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Beyonce took the interactive vibe of “Fuerza Bruta: Look Up” to heart Saturday night, trying to learn the choreography during the high-energy dance spectacle’s “murga” section, where dancers stomp on large platforms.

And when a large piece of silver material was pulled over the heads of the audience, the singer gleefully ran under it, mingling with the performers and fellow show-goers.

Our spies said Beyoncé’s more sedate hubby, Jay-Z, smiled throughout the show but didn’t try to get in on the act.

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Beyoncé was the inspiration behind Kanye West’s now-infamous onstage antics at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, but the “Single Ladies” singer had avoided making any comment on the matter — until Friday.

At Billboard magazine’s annual Women in Music event (where she was named Woman of the Year), Beyoncé finally broke her silence on West’s stage storming — which, at this point, has been commented on by everyone from Green Day and Jay-Z to former President Jimmy Carter and current President Barack Obama. Though she understood the rapper’s intentions, B said she was mortified by his actions.

“Well, I knew his intentions, and I knew he was standing up for art; and he told me before, when they said the nominees, he’s like, ‘You have this award,’” Beyoncé told O: The Oprah Magazine editor Gayle King after accepting her award. “And when they didn’t call my name he was, like, completely shocked. And when he walked on the stage, I was like, ‘No, no, no!’ and then he spoke, and I was like, ‘Oh, no, no, no!’

“But in the end, it ended up being a great night, and Taylor Swift did get her moment — and I didn’t have to make an acceptance speech,” she added, laughing.

West has repeatedly apologized for his actions on his blog, on “The Jay Leno” show and to Swift herself. And late last week, it was announced that his Fame Kills tour with Lady Gaga had been canceled, a move that seemed to be in keeping West’s “Leno” show pledge that he will be taking time away from the public eye “to analyze how I’m gonna make it through the rest of this life and improve.”

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A battle between the pop star and the fashion brand just turned fierce.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co, the apparel retailer known for sexy advertising and casual looks, has sued the singer Beyonce Knowles, claiming her plan for a new fragrance to be launched in early 2010 infringes on its existing trademark.

In a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, Abercrombie claims a fragrance under the singer’s “Sasha Fierce” label “poses a likelihood of confusion” with the retailer’s own “Fierce” brand.

It said such confusion could deprive it of control over a trademark it has used since 2002, and perhaps cost it sales. The lawsuit seeks to halt potential trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices.

Representatives of Knowles did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Best known for clothing sold to teens and college-age adults, New Albany, Ohio-based Abercrombie said it has sold more than $190 million worth of fragrance under the Fierce name, and expects $64 million of sales in 2009.

Abercrombie sells Fierce at more than 350 retail stores and on its website, typically for $40 to $70 in bottles featuring a young man’s muscular, nude torso. The fragrance is sprayed throughout stores via a scent machine or by store employees.

“A&F’s intent is that all garments that leave the store have the FIERCE scent attached to them,” the complaint said.

The company markets Fierce as a men’s cologne whose “fresh citrus aroma” and “warm musky subtleness” will “naturally draw her curiosity because of its seductive nature.”

A saleswoman at a San Francisco store nonetheless described it as a “unisex” scent.

WHO IS MORE FIERCE?

Fragrance maker Coty Inc has signed an agreement to market Knowles’ fragrance.

Knowles, often known solely by her first name, is one of the world’s best-known singers, after having risen to fame as lead singer of the group Destiny’s Child.

Last November, her album “I am … Sasha Fierce” debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. On Sunday, the song “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” from that album won the Video of the Year award at the MTV Video Music Awards.

In English vernacular “fierce” means “cool” or “fabulous.”

The case is Abercrombie & Fitch Co v. Knowles, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio (Columbus), No. 09-807.

The year’s not even over, but Billboard already knows who its woman of the year is – Beyonce.

The superstar will be honored by the industry publication at its annual Women in Music event.

Past “Woman of the Year” honorees were Ciara and Reba McEntire.

Beyonce will be on hand to accept her award at the Oct. 2 event in New York City. It’s been yet another big year for the entertainer. She had the smash hit “Single Ladies,” sang at President Obama’s inauguration, had a No. 1 movie with “Obsessed” and embarked on an arena tour.

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I was going to try and think of some wonderfully witty headline, but I think in this case, short and succinct works best. Beyonce was supposed to perform at a club in New York tomorrow night. She was paid $200,000 for the appearance and even posted the event on her website. The owner of the club told The NY Post that on Wednesday Beyonce’s people called and said they were going to have to cancel. They claimed they didn’t have enough time because they are preparing for her tour. Instead, they did offer to come by the club for an hour and mingle with people.

The owner of this club spent $100K on everything that Beyonce demanded in her rider. He sold tables and tickets and was counting on this concert for the grand opening of the new club M2. How is that Beyonce is so busy preparing for her tour that she can’t come sing for an hour or so on Saturday night but can find time to do a meet and greet on Sunday? I will tell you why, because she doesn’t want to work on a Saturday night for what is probably not enough money to her. Instead she wants to show up on a Sunday night and sit in a roped off VIP area talking to her bodyguards and collecting $200K for doing absolutely nothing.

Does anyone really think that she would walk around the club for an entire hour and mix with people? Does anyone seriously believe that? Does she think we are stupid? The club owner is pissed and rightly so. He says he is going to sue her and he should. Plus, what is the deal in canceling 72 hours before the show? It isn’t like she is sick or anything. Hasn’t she already been performing this tour? I would think they are pretty much ready to go. I think the issue is that Beyonce limits herself to no more than one hour of activity each day and she probably had a spa appointment or something for Saturday and was going to be drained after that.

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The pop princess was slated to perform tomorrow at M2 — the West 27th Street nightclub that used to be Crobar and Mansion — as part of the launch of her “I Am . . . Sasha Fierce” North American tour. M2 owner Joey Morrissey agreed to pay the singer $200,000 for the gig, he says.

But on Wednesday, Beyoncé’s people suddenly pulled the plug on the performance, despite having signed a contract that had prompted Morrissey to spend $100,000 preparing for the show, according to the clubowner. “They said they were too busy with the launching of the tour and that they wouldn’t have time to do the kickoff party,” Morrissey tells Page Six.

To make up for the cancellation, Morrissey says Beyoncé offered to stop by the club “to hang out for an hour” on Sunday. He adds, “I mean, we sold tables for thousands of dollars for the show, and spent $100,000 renting a soundboard and other equipment, as per their stipulations. What good does her showing up for an hour do me? They’ve been totally unwilling to agree to another show.”

As a result, Morrissey says he’s now preparing to file suit against Beyoncé, claiming his place has suffered a “loss of reputation” in addition to the sunk cash. “We had an overwhelming response from our clubgoers, who were lining up to buy tickets and tables. This will come as a great disappointment to all of them,” he claims, adding, “If Beyoncé cancels and doesn’t give us a new date, this hurts our credibility in night life.”

The gig, which was initially posted on the singer’s Web site, has since been taken down. A rep for Beyoncé at Sony did not respond to our phone calls and e-mails.

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