Usher Raymond

Usher Raymond biography

Usher's journey began in 1987, when he moved with his family from a quiet neighborhood in Chattanooga, Tenn., to Atlanta to pursue a career in music. Soon after his arrival, he began participating in various local talent shows. In 1992, the precocious teen would turn an impromptu audition for a thoroughly impressed LaFace Records honcho Antonio "L.A." Reid into a bona fide contract. In 1994, at the age of 14, Usher recorded and released his self-titled debut album, which was produced by emerging hip-hop impresario Sean "Puffy" Combs. Despite the disc's first single, "Think of You," becoming a marginal hit, the CD was a big flop. On top of that, Usher's voice began to change due to puberty, and Puff Daddy could no longer fit him into his busy schedule. "A lot of the lessons you learn later on in life, I learned at an early age," he says of the abandonment. "At one point in time, I felt like didn't nobody care about me. I had lost my voice, and was at my lowest point." Afterward, Usher took a long sabbatical, during which he made a conscious decision to take greater creative control of his music. In 1997, he connected with Atlanta's hottest hitmaker, Jermaine Dupri, and released his comeback CD, My Way. "What we ended up writing and recording about is my life –- about what I've dealt with, being a teenager who's going into manhood," he says about the project. The album spawned Top 10 hits like "Nice & Slow," "My Way" and "You Make Me Wanna," which topped Billboard's R&B singles chart for 11 straight weeks. Usher's latest recording, 8701 -- the title represents the years he's been in the business (from 1987 to 2001) -- earnestly displays his maturity. "The album is really about my evolution as an artist, as a writer, as a producer and as a man," he explains. "I learned how music works dealing with Jermaine Dupri, and I learned how image works dealing with Puff Daddy." Music is not the only thing on Usher's résumé. In recent years, the multitalented star has turned his attention to the big screen. He's appeared in such films as The Faculty, She's All That and Light It Up. The self-proclaimed "king of hip-pop" currently is preparing to share the stage with the King of Pop during the all-star concerts in New York celebrating the career of Michael Jackson. "For Michael Jackson to ask me to be a part of the tribute to him Sept. 7 and 10 in Madison Square Garden, that's a step," he says of the request. Usher only hopes he can continue to entertain his fans as long as his idol MJ has. "Sleeping is forbidden at the age of 22," the singer says of his demanding career. "It's all work and no play."

Trivia

Won 2 Grammy Awards, Best Male R&B Performance 2001 for U Remind Me, and Best Male R&B Performance 2002 for U Don't Have To Call.

Is the godson of actor Ben Vereen.

Is a co-owner of the (NBA team) Cleveland Cavaliers.

Quote

"Strivers achieve what dreamers believe."