Usher Raymond IV was born on October 14, 1978. At the age of 6, he started
singing in the church choir, led by his mother, Jonetta Patton.
When he was just twelve years old, he and his family moved from
Chattanooga to Atlanta. Two years later, at age of 14, he was discovered
by a record executive from LaFace Records. He was signed to his first
recording contract while still in high school.
In 1994, at the age of 16, Usher released his self-titled
debut album under the direction of executive producer P. Diddy. Sales
were disappointing, although it produced one hit
single, "Think of You." Shortly thereafter, Coca-Cola acquired
Usher's services for a holiday jingle, and he united with R&B singer,
Monica, for a remake cut on her album.
In 1997, after graduating from high school, the Usher released his
sophomore album, "My Way." By now he had taken creative control, with
the help of co-writers and co-producers, Jermaine Dupri and Babyface. His
experimental hip-hop single "Nice 'N' Slow" was a US chart-topper the
following year. The album became Number #4 on the Billboard 200 and number
#1 on the R&B album charts. As a result of his success, Usher was selected
to be the opening act for Janet Jackson on her Velvet Rope Tour.
In 1999, while taking time out to be an actor, Usher released
his "Live" album. He also appeared in various television series, including
"The Bold and the Beautiful" (1998) and "Moesha," (1997-1998). He
acquired acting roles in a handful of movies that included:
"The Faculty" (1998), "Light It Up" (1999), "She's All That" (1999),
"Gepetto" (2000), and "Texas Rangers," (2001).
2001 saw the release of Usher's album "8701" (named after the date
of its release). With its hip-hop feel, "8701" soon became a chart-topper
on both sides of the ocean, with significant successes in the UK and
Australia. In March 2004, Usher released his next
album, "Confessions" which has since sold more than 3 million copies. The
featured single, "Yeah!" has been well received internationally. In its
first week, "Confessions" sold more than 1.1 million records, the most
sales ever for an R&B artist, and the highest sales by any artist
in three years. Usher later won a Grammy for best male R&B vocal
for his work on "U Remind Me."
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