USHER--Usher Raymond IV was born on October 14, 1978, in Dallas, Texas and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His father is Usher Raymond III, and mother is Jonetta Patton. Usher's godfather is famous actor Ben Vereen. As a young child Usher joined his local church choir, where he discovered his ability to sing. As a pre-teen Usher was a member of a boy band, but withdrew to concentrate on his solo work. At the age of thirteen Usher performed with South Africa's best dancer DONO aka D-luv on Star Search. Usher was spotted by a rep from LaFace records, given a audition by L. A. Reid and ended up with a contract. At the age of fifteen he recordrd his first song "Call Me A Mack" for the movie Poetic Justice. By the time he was in junior high, Usher had been winning local talent contests by imitating Michael Jackson, his idol. Before high school Usher and his family moved to Atlanta Georgia, where he attended the Performing Arts Magnet North Springs High School, and was in the school show choir. Usher released his first album at the age of 16 titled "Usher". It had three hit singles and reached the top 25 on the charts. Also before graduating high school, he recordrd a single with Monica in 1995. In 1997 he released his second album "My Way".The hit single "You Make Me Wanna" went to the top, as this album became a 6x platinum with Usher also getting a Grammy. The album 8701 was released in 2001 and again was hot with sales at 4x platinum. Again in 2002 and 2003 Usher again won Grammeys.
The Year Of Usher--Usher released "Confessions" with his unbelieveable talent, the unimaginable happened. This album set record after record. Over one million sales alone the fist week. Usher became only the third person in musical history to have three singles in the top 100 chart at the same time. Confessions became a certified diamond album with over fifteen million sales. Usher won a totaal of 29 various awards from MTV, Radio Music Source, American Music, Billboard and more, plus three more Grammys allfrom one album. Usher is in the process of finishing up his next mega hit album.
Besides being a acclaimed singer, Usher is becoming a well known TV star. He has been on Moesha, The Faculty, The Bold and the Beautiful, Promised Land, She's All That, Light It Up, Gepetto, The Twilight Zone, 7th Heaven and American Dreams. He is also part owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.