Usher, an eight-time Grammy winner, is best known for his best-selling album Confessions and songs such as “Yeah!,” “Nice & Slow,” “U Remind Me,” and “My Boo,” a duet with Alicia Keys. At 14, his performance on Star Search resulted him a recording contract with LaFace Records, propelling him into the spotlight. Usher launched his first album in 1994, when he was 15 years old, and began dominating the airwaves later that decade. In 2004, his first No. 1 album, Confessions, sold over 1 million copies in its first week and earned him three Grammy Awards. His most recent album is 2016’s Hard II Love. Usher is now performing a residency in Las Vegas, which will end in December 2023.
Early Life
Usher Terry Raymond IV was born on October 14, 1978, in Dallas and grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He started singing in the church choir when he was six years old. After moving to Atlanta with his mother and siblings, Usher appeared on the talent show Star Search and signed a recording contract with LaFace Records. In 1994, at the age of 15, he published his self-titled debut album. Usher quickly became recognized for his refined vocals, wide vocal range, elegant elegance, sensuous dance routines, and romantic ballads.
Songs and Albums
Since the late 1990s, Usher has been a major figure in the music industry. With his eight solo studio albums, he has explored a variety of musical genres such as R&B, blues, and pop.
In 1997, he released My Way, his second album after 1994’s Usher. The album, which included the singles “Nice & Slow,” Usher’s first No. 1 success, and “You Make Me Wanna…”, catapulted the young musician to stardom, selling over 7 million copies to date. Usher was soon praised for his smooth voice and catchy melodies. He was also recognized for including sexual themes in his songs, performances, and music videos.
Usher released 8701 in 2001. The album was extremely popular, with the No. 1 song “U Got It Bad” as well as two Grammy Award-winning singles: “U Remind Me” and “U Don’t Have to Call.” Over 4 million copies of 8701 have been sold in the US alone.
Usher’s 2004 album, Confessions, was well-received, ten years after his debut album. The record sold over a million copies in its first week, and sales have since reached nearly 20 million worldwide. The No. 1 album featured the No. 1 hits “Burn,” “Confessions Part II,” and “Yeah!,” a collaboration with Ludacris and Lil Jon that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks.Billboard later recognized “Yeah!” as the Hot 100 Single of the Year. In 2004, he scored another No. 1 hit with “My Boo,” a duet with Alicia Keys.
By this point, Usher had an exceptionally amazing track record, with 13 Top 20 hits, seven of which were No. 1 singles. He was named Artist of the Year at the 2004 Billboard Music Awards. A year later, he won three Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album for Confessions, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group for “My Boo,” and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Yeah!” He also received two People’s Choice Awards.
Fans eagerly awaited Usher’s next album, Here I Stand, which dropped in 2008. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and is well-known for its hit track “Love In This Club” starring Young Jeezy. Within two months of its release, the song achieved platinum status, and the album followed suit. Following the release of Raymond v. Raymond (2010), Usher received two further Grammys for Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Male R&B Performance with “There Goes My Baby.” The singer has received eight Grammys and 19 Billboard Music Awards, among other accolades.
In June 2012, he created Looking 4 Myself, his fourth consecutive album to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s albums chart. In September 2016, User released his eighth studio album, Hard II Love, which included the singles “No Limit,” “Crash,” “Missin U,” and “Rivals.” The song was initially only available on Tidal, which Usher co-owns with Jay-Z and other well-known performers, but eventually became available on other streaming platforms as well.
Usher is set to release his ninth studio album, Coming Home, on February 11, 2024. On the same day, he will headline the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show in Las Vegas. “It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list,” Usher said in a statement. “I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before.”
Movies and TV Roles
Aside from music, Usher has worked as a film and theater performer. One of his early performances was in the teen horror flick The Faculty (1998). He appeared as Marvin Gaye on American Dreams (2002), among other TV series. In 2005, Usher played a disc jockey in the movie In the Mix. One year later, he earned the main part of Billy Flynn in the Broadway drama Chicago (2006).
In March 2013, Usher returned to reality television as a judge and coach. He and Latin artist Shakira appeared in Season 4 of NBC’s iconic singing competition show, The Voice. The show featured Usher and Shakira, who replaced Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera, as well as returning judges Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. Usher quickly won over television fans with his unconventional tutoring method. Despite his triumph, he missed the following season before returning for Season 6, which his protégé Josh Kaufman won.
Philanthropy and Business Ventures
Usher is actively active with his charity, the New Look Foundation, which was created in 1999. The nonprofit funds children in foster care and service programs, organizes conferences and camps for at-risk youngsters, and promotes leadership skills in underprivileged regions. Usher has won recognition for his efforts with the nonprofit from organizations including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Trumpet Foundation, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Usher has also invested in a number of entrepreneurial ventures. He owns both the musical label US Records and a men’s perfume business. He also owns a stake in the music streaming service Tidal and co-owns the Cleveland Cavaliers sports team.
Personal Life
During the early 2000s, Usher dated Chili, a former member of the all-female group TLC. In 2007, he married Tameka Foster. Usher and Foster have two children together: Usher Raymond V (born 2007) and Naviyd (born 2008). The pair got divorced in 2009.
Kyle Glover, Foster’s 11-year-old kid from a previous relationship (and Usher’s stepson), was severely injured in a water mishap in July 2012. According to multiple media sources, Glover was riding an inflatable tube on Lake Lanier in Atlanta when he was struck in the head by a jet ski, knocking him unconscious. After being taken to a local hospital, doctors declared Glover brain dead.
The following August, Usher’s family experienced another tragedy. His son Usher Raymond V became stuck in a pool drain at the singer’s Atlanta mansion. Usher’s aunt was monitoring the toddler when the incident occurred and attempted to release the boy. The boy was sent to a local hospital where he survived his injuries.
Following the accident, Usher’s ex-wife Tameka Foster filed a civil action to reclaim custody of the couple’s two children. According to CNN, she alleges that the singer was “not capable of providing daily caregiving and supervision for the minor children” in her legal complaint. However, the judge in the case disagreed with Foster and allowed Usher to keep custody of the children.
In September 2015, Usher married his longtime lover and manager, Grace Miguel, a top executive at Def Jam Records. After two years of marriage, they announced their split in March 2018.
In September 2020, Usher and his girlfriend Jenn Goicoechea welcomed their daughter, Sovereign Bo. The couple welcomed their second child, Sire Castrello, in September of the following year.