usher

Usher is a five-time Grammy Award-winning American who rose to fame in the mid-late 1990s. To date, he has sold approximately 20.4 million albums in the US and over 30 million worldwide. His 2004 album, Confessions, sold 1.1 million copies in the United States in its first week of release — setting a record for the most number of records sold in week for an R&B artist.

Early life

Usher's parents are Usher Raymond III and Jonetta Patton, who lived in Dallas, Texas at the time of his birth. [1]; Usher was primarily raised by his mother, who relocated the family from Chattanooga to Atlanta, Georgia when he was a child. Usher's mother focused family life around her faith and religion.

Usher started singing in the church choir, and soon his singing talents were noticed. As early as junior high school, Usher began entering local talent shows.

Career details

At age 13, Usher was performing at a Star Search audition when he was spotted by an A&R rep from LaFace who arranged an audition with L.A. Reid. A record contract soon followed. Usher explains:

I have been building my career since I was a little boy, because singing had always been what I wanted to do. At first I thought about playing [professional] football, then I wanted to play basketball, but in the end it was all about the music. It's my biggest passion and my biggest joy.

Usher was one month shy of his 15th birthday when his modest debut LaFace single made the R&B chart in late-1993, "Call Me a Mack," from the movie soundtrack of John Singleton's Poetic Justice.

In August 1994, LaFace Records released Usher, Usher's self-titled debut album. Heavily involved in the project was Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, who produced several of the albums tracks and co-executive produced the album. Usher peaked at number twenty-five on the R&B Albums chart - spinning off three singles: "Can U Get Wit It," "Think Of You," and "The Many Ways." Though the album was moderately successful and garnered Usher attention with urban listeners, it wasn't a runaway hit and went virtually unnoticed by pop audiences. Some critics, meanwhile, criticized Usher for its quasi-adult theme coming from a then sixteen year old singer. Usher, himself, later admitted that he wasn't fully comfortable with the direction of the album. The album was not a huge success. In America the album sold 48,000 copies and worldwide sales of nearly 100,000. Sales were initially lower than expected.

Over the next three years, Usher honed his skills as a stage performer, concentrated on graduating from high school, and laid the groundwork for his second album. Meanwhile, he was heard on "Let's Straighten It Out," a 1995 duet with fellow Atlanta teen recording artist Monica; and 1996's "Dreamin'," the first single from Rhythm of the Games, LaFace's Olympic Games benefit album.

My Way (1997-1998)

Usher developed a friendship with Jermaine Dupri, with whom he co-wrote and produced several tracks for his sophomore album. The advance single, "You Make Me Wanna" was serviced to radio in summer 1997 and hit #1 R&B in its second week out - the same week that My Way was released.

My Way, co-executive produced by L.A. Reid, Babyface and Dupri, marked Usher's first substantial "adult" effort. "You Make Me Wanna" stayed on top of the R&B/Hip-Hop track charts for a total of 11 weeks (the longest-charting R&B hit in more than 3 years) and at #2 on the Pop charts for 7 weeks (second only to Elton John's "Candle In the Wind" tribute to Princess Diana). The single eventually remained on the R&B chart for an unprecedented 71 weeks and became Usher's first platinum single. Into 1998, it segued into another hit, "Nice & Slow", which reached #1 R&B (for 8 weeks) and #1 Pop (for 2 weeks). "My Way", whose title tune single extended into the summer 1998 (#2 pop/#4 R&B, also platinum), went on to earn 6x platinum album sales in the U.S. alone. Interim, Usher received his first Grammy Award nomination as "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance" for "You Make Me Wanna," which was also nominated for a Soul Train Music Award as "Best Male R&B/Soul Single".

Usher hit the road on a series of engagements including a spot on Puffy's No Way Out tour, dates with Mary J. Blige, and the opening spot on Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope tour. There were television appearances on the Billboard Music Awards, VIBE-TV, The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Chris Rock Show, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, UNICEF's Gift Of Song, Nickelodeon's Big Help-a-Thon, and All That. Usher made his acting debut on Brandy's UPN television series Moesha, which resulted in a recurring role on the series and subsequently his first lead role in a movie, the eerie 1998 thriller, The Faculty.

Usher's extracurricular activities outside of the recording studio gathered momentum over the following year as he was cast in the daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful and was seen in the family series Promised Land. He completed two more films, the Freddie Prinze, Jr. high school comedy She's All That, and his first starring role in another high school-based drama, Light It Up. He also appeared in the Disney TV movie "Geppetto" (with Drew Carey).

Usher was also starting to involve himself in community activities as a role model to youth. He served as national spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation's "Get Big On Safety" campaign, and appeared on NBC's NBA Inside Stuff. He participated in the NBA "Stay In School" program and performed at several of the franchises' jamborees entertaining students while showing them the importance of education.

As touring continued and Usher's concert audiences grew, "Live", Usher's live album, was released in 1999. Most of the singles were reprised along with concert versions of some key album tracks, and a surprise or two (like the medley of Bobby Brown hits). Lil' Kim added vocals to the mid-tempo "Just Like Me," and there were also guest performances by Jagged Edge, Trey Lorenz, Shanice, Twista, and Manuel Seal.

8701 (2001-2002)

The album "8701" (named for the years of his career at that point (1987-2001), and for its release date of August 7, 2001, or 8/7/01) was Usher's next album. The song "Pop Ya Collar", produced and co-written by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, was released in Europe in early 2001 and became a #2 hit in the UK. In the US, "U Remind Me" (produced by Philadelphia's Edmund "Eddie Hustle" Clement) was chosen as the album's first single. Exactly one month before the album's release, "U Remind Me" hit #1 on the U.S. Hot 100, staying on top of the charts for 4 weeks.

One month after the album's release, "U Got It Bad," a "slow jam" written by Usher, Dupri and Brian Cox entered the charts and eventually peaked on the top of the charts (6 weeks), while staying at #1 of the R&B/Hip-Hop tracks chart for further 7 weeks. "U-Turn" was the fourth international single followed by "U Don't Have To Call". "U Don't Have To Call" was the third US single and one of two album tracks produced by the Neptunes, which kept the heat on the singles charts into 2002, reaching the top 3. Usher also joined P. Diddy and Loon and contributed vocals to Diddy's song "I Need a Girl,".

By that time, "Can U Help Me" (a collaboration with hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) was released as the fourth US single from 8701 in late-summer 2002. To date the album had past 4x platinum, selling more than 8 million copies worldwide. The year closed out with an trio of dramatic TV series appearances, all in November, on "The Twilight Zone," "7th Heaven," and Dick Clark's "American Dreams" (portraying Marvin Gaye).

Because of Grammy deadline peculiarities of eligibility, "U Remind Me" was able to win the Best Male R&B Vocal award at the ceremonies in February 2002; and "U Don't Have To Call" won the same award at the ceremonies one year later, making Usher the only artist besides Luther Vandross (more than a decade before) and Stevie Wonder (back in the 1970s) to win that award in consecutive years.

Confessions (2004-2005)

Confessions was released on March 23, 2004 - just as the Lil Jon produced "Yeah!" was in its 6th week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 5th week at #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. The album's 1.1 million unit first week was not only the highest first week numbers ever scanned by a male R&B artist in Soundscan's 13-year history (breaking R. Kelly's record of 540k for TP-2.com back in 2000) – but also the highest first week scans by any male artist since Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP (also in 2000, with 1.7 million units). As a result the album became one of the most successful records of the year, topping the world charts for several weeks and eventually selling more than 15 million copies all over the globe. [2]

This success was simultaneously extended by the releases of the album's second single, "Burn", and third single, "Confessions Part II", which once again topped Billboard's Hot 100 for further ten weeks and made Usher the third lead artist in pop music history - but the first solo artist - to have three singles inside the Hot 100's top 10, since the Beatles in 1964 and the Bee Gees in 1978. In September 2004, "My Boo", Usher's first collaboration with singer Alicia Keys (which was included on a Special Edition, released a half year after the orginal version) also peaked at #1 and gave him a total of 28 weeks at #1 in 2004, In the December of the same year another single made its way to the top 10, when the album's final single "Caught Up" peaked at #8. The track also was used as the lead single of the Rhythm City CD/DVD, Usher released in March 2005 with a few previously unreleased tracks and a short motion picture.

In the meantime Usher was recognized with a number of awards, including two MTV Awards for "Best Male R&B Artist", three World Music Awards ("Best Male Artist", "Best Male Pop Artist" and "Best R&B Artist"), two Source Hip-Hop Music Awards ("Male R&B Artist of the Year" and "R&B/Rap Collaboration of the Year", a Nordic Music Award, three Radio Music Awards, four American Music Awards and two more MTV Europe Music Awards. At the 2005 Grammy Awards ceremony, Usher also won three Grammy awards, including "R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals" ("My Boo" with Alicia Keys), "Rap/Sung Collaboration" ("Yeah!") and "Contemporary R&B Album" (Confessions).

In spring 2005 Usher's work entered the top 5 of Billboard's Hot 100 when "Lovers and Friends", with Ludacris and Lil Jon, was released as the second single from Lil Jon's album Crunk Juice. The track eventually managed to peak at #3 on the U.S. singles chart. Around the same time Usher also finished working on his motion picture In the Mix, a crime-comedy, in which he portrayed the leading role Darrell, a DJ. Released on November 23, 2005, the film performed poorly at the box office, and failed to earn critical acclaim (the film was at one point voted #2 in the IMDb bottom 100).

Currently (2006-present)

On August 22, 2006, Usher took over the role of Billy Flynn in the long-running Broadway musical Chicago, and will continue in that role until October 14. Critical response to his appearance has been mixed; his singing and dancing received more positive reviews, while his acting received negative notices. [3]

The next album of Usher The Untold Story will be out at the begining of March 2007. The first single Girl You're Amazin' will hit the radio at the end of December 2006. So far, the album involves production by Jermaine Dupri and Swizz Beatz.[4] [5]

Discography

Main article: Usher discography

Albums

DVDs

• Usher Live Evolution 8701 (2002)
• Usher - Unauthorized (2005)
• Rhythm City Volume One: Caught Up (2005)
• Usher: Glamorous Life (2005)
• Usher: Behind The Truth: Truth Tour - Live (2005)
• Through The Eyes Of A Showbiz Dad (2005)

Filmography

• The Faculty (1998)
• She's All That (1999)
• Light It Up (1999)
• Texas Rangers (2001)
• In the Mix (2005) (also executive producer)
• The Ballad of Walter Holmes (upcoming) (2006)

Television work

• Moesha (1997, 1998, 1999)
• The Bold and the Beautiful (cast member in 1998)
• Geppetto (2000)
• 7th Heaven (2001)
• The Twilight Zone (2002)
• Soul Food (2003)

Awards

Us Records

In 2005, Usher announced that he was beginning his own record label, Us Records. The first three signees are rapper Rico Love, R&B group One Chance, and R&B solo artist Ryon Lovett. The first album from the label, One Chance's Private, is expected to be released November 28. Rico Love's The 5th Element is expected to be released in fall 2006.

Trivia

• As a child, Usher was trained by 3-time World Karate Champion and future WCW superstar Ernest Miller.
• In 2004, Usher became the first artist in 34 years to top the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart four times in a year.
• He was part of the launch of a celebrity debit card. The Usher Raymond 4th Debit MasterCard, issued by Bankfirst in 2004.
• Chosen as one of Teen People Magazine's 21 Hottest Stars in 1999.
• Usher once made a mistake when he introduced Album of the Year award winner Bob Dylan as "Bill" during the award telecast.
• Usher has been banned from San Antonio, Texas for taking off his shirt
• He also formed a vocal group with other vocalists called Black Men United which recorded a song called "U Will Know" for the Jason's Lyric soundtrack.
• Usher served as national spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation "Get Big On Safety" campaign, and appeared on NBC's "Inside Edition".
• He participated in the NBA "Stay in School" program and performed at several of the franchises' jamborees entertaining students while showing them the importance of education.
• He is part-owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers professional basketball team. He also owns property in Solon, Ohio.

External links

• Official Site
• Usherforever.com
• Usher Music Videos
• Usher at MTV.com
• Usher at VH1.com
• Usher at RollingStone.com
• Usher Raymond at the Internet Movie Database
• Usher at WikiMusicGuide