H.E.R. facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids H.E.R.
H.E.R. in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson
Also known as	Gabi Wilson
Born	(1997-06-27) June 27, 1997 (age 28) Vallejo, California, U.S.
Genres	R&B
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	2011–present
Labels	RCA MBK

Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, known to the world as H.E.R. (which stands for "Having Everything Revealed"), is an amazing American R&B singer and songwriter. Born on June 27, 1997, she has achieved incredible success in music. H.E.R. has won an Academy Award, a Children's and Family Emmy Award, and five Grammy Awards! She has also been nominated for many other prestigious awards, like a Golden Globe Award.

H.E.R. first recorded music using her birth name. In 2016, she chose the stage name H.E.R. and signed with RCA Records. She then released her first collection of songs, called an extended play (EP), titled H.E.R. Volume 1. This was just the beginning of her journey. She followed up with more EPs, and her self-titled album, H.E.R. (2017), became very popular. It reached number 23 on the Billboard 200 chart and earned her two Grammy Awards: one for Best R&B Album and another for Best R&B Performance for her song "Best Part" with Daniel Caesar. Her second album, I Used to Know Her (2019), was also a big hit and received five Grammy nominations.

In 2021, H.E.R. won her third Grammy Award for Song of the Year with her powerful song "I Can't Breathe", which spoke about important social issues. That same year, her song "Fight for You" from the film Judas and the Black Messiah won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and another Grammy. This made her the first Academy Award winner born in Generation Z! Her first full studio album, Back of My Mind (2021), was highly praised and reached number six on the Billboard 200. In 2022, she won a Children's and Family Emmy Award for her work on Barack and Michelle Obama's animated children's series, We the People.

Discovering H.E.R.: A Music Star
See also

Discovering H.E.R.: A Music Star

Early Life and Musical Roots

Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson was born on June 27, 1997. She grew up in Vallejo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her mother is Filipino, and her father is African-American.

H.E.R. shared in an interview that her father was a musician. He played in a cover band and often practiced in their living room. She even performed with her father at the 2023 Crossroads Guitar Festival. Many members of her mother's family also played instruments and sang. They often performed at karaoke events. H.E.R. says these family musical moments were some of her earliest inspirations.

Starting Her Music Journey

Early Performances and TV Appearances

H.E.R. started performing at a very young age as Gabi Wilson. When she was ten, she played an Alicia Keys song on the piano for the Today Show. She also sang at the famous Apollo Theater in New York City, covering Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love".

At age nine, she made her acting debut in the Nickelodeon TV movie School Gyrls. She also appeared on TV shows like Maury (2007), Good Morning America, and The View (both in 2008). Will Smith's company, Overbrook Entertainment, managed her during this time. At 12, she performed at the 2010 BET Awards. She sang a tribute to Alicia Keys at the ASCAP Awards. She also competed on Radio Disney's The Next BIG Thing with her song "My Music."

Signing a Record Deal

In 2011, when she was 14, Wilson signed a record deal with RCA Records. This important step was arranged by her manager, Jeff Robinson. In 2014, she released her first song, "Something to Prove," under her real name.

Becoming H.E.R.: Breakthrough Success

First EPs and Growing Fame

H.E.R. performing in 2018

In 2016, Gabriella Wilson became H.E.R. She released her first EP, H.E.R. Vol. 1, on September 9, 2016. Many famous artists supported her, including Usher, Tyrese, Pusha T, and Wyclef Jean. Her labelmates Alicia Keys and Bryson Tiller also helped spread the word about her music.

In April 2017, singer Rihanna shared an Instagram video featuring H.E.R.'s song "Focus." This video was viewed millions of times. Other celebrities like Issa Rae, Taraji P. Henson, Kylie Jenner, and Kendall Jenner also showed their support.

NPR praised H.E.R. Vol. 1 as an "Essential R&B Album." Rolling Stone magazine included H.E.R. in its "10 Artists You Need To Know" list in March 2017. Forbes magazine also named her one of "5 Alternative R&B Artists to Look Out for in 2017." They noted that her stage name, H.E.R., is an acronym for "Having Everything Revealed," which was interesting because her identity was a mystery at first.

Grammy Wins and Album Releases

Her next EP, H.E.R. Vol. 2, came out on June 16, 2017. It included the song "Say It Again." She then went on tour with Bryson Tiller and finished her own "Lights On Tour." She released H.E.R. Vol. 2, The B Sides in October 2017.

The compilation album H.E.R. was released on October 20, 2017. It combined songs from her first three EPs. This album won Best R&B Album and received four other nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards. These included Album of the Year and Best New Artist.

In September 2018, H.E.R. announced the "I Used to Know H.E.R. Tour." This tour supported her EPs I Used to Know Her: The Prelude and I Used to Know Her: Part 2. Her second compilation album, I Used to Know Her, was released on August 30, 2019. She performed at the 2019 Global Citizen Festival in New York. She also participated in the 2019 Rock in Rio festival in Brazil, alongside artists like Drake and Foo Fighters.

Recent Achievements and Acting Roles

Major Performances and Awards

H.E.R performing as opening act for Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour in 2022.

On September 20, 2020, H.E.R. sang Prince's song "Nothing Compares 2 U" at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards. In February 2021, she performed "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl LV, singing and playing guitar. Her song "Damage" topped the US R&B radio chart in June 2021. This song is from her first full-length album, Back of My Mind, released on June 18, 2021. The album received two Grammy nominations.

In 2021, she also sang a duet with Tauren Wells called "Hold Us Together." In July 2021, she performed a song about citizenship for the Netflix TV series We the People. This earned her a Children's and Family Emmy Award.

H.E.R. joined Usher's performance at Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024. She played electric guitar during his songs "U Got It Bad" and "Bad Girl." On February 13, 2024, H.E.R. announced she had changed her management team, moving to Lighthouse Management + Media.

Stepping into Acting

H.E.R. made her acting debut as Belle in the Disney musical TV special Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. She also starred as Mary "Squeak" Agnes in the 2023 film The Color Purple. For this role, she and the cast were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Awards and won a NAACP Image Awards.

The Hollywood Reporter announced on October 29, 2025, that H.E.R. will voice Jo. Jo is one of the main characters in the DreamWorks animated film Forgotten Island, which is set to be released on September 25, 2026.

H.E.R.'s Unique Musical Style

H.E.R.'s songs are mostly R&B ballads. They often explore feelings and relationships in a thoughtful way. She shared that she grew up listening to Filipino ballad singers like Sharon Cuneta and Jay R. H.E.R. has also said that Prince is one of her biggest influences. Other artists who inspire her include Lenny Kravitz, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, and B.B. King.

When asked about keeping her identity a secret at the start of her career, she explained: "The mystery is a metaphor for who I am... I feel like oftentimes we don't like to be open as people about our emotions. At the time [of recording], I was very closed off except for when I was writing or in the studio."

She added, "I am a voice for women who feel like they're alone in these situations. This project came from emotion... not what I look like or who I'm with, but the raw emotion and support for women." She told NPR, "I feel like this is the era of the anti-star. I really just wanted it to be about the music."

On Screen and Stage Appearances

H.E.R. appeared as herself in the movie Yes Day (2021). She performed her song "Change" on the "Active Citizenship" episode of the 2021 Netflix animated series We the People. On July 20, 2022, it was announced that H.E.R. would sing the role of Belle for ABC's Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, which aired on December 15, 2022.

She sang the National Anthem at Game 1 of the 2023 World Series. On October 28, 2023, she made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, performing with Foo Fighters. She made her big-screen acting debut in The Color Purple, released on December 25, 2023. On August 11, 2024, she sang the national anthem of the United States, "The Star-Spangled Banner", during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Music Albums

Back of My Mind (2021)

Film and Television Roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2017	Erma	Erma	Short film
2021	Yes Day	Herself	Film debut
2023	The Color Purple	Mary "Squeak" Agnes
2026	Forgotten Island	Jo	Voice role

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2009	School Gyrls	Gabi	Television film
2020	Saturday Night Live	Herself	Episode: "Adele/H.E.R."
2021	We the People	Performer	Episode: "Active Citizenship"
2022	Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration	Belle	Special
	Blue's Clues & You!	T.Rex (voice)	Episode: "Blue's Dino Clues"
	Bob's Burgers	Aliah (voice)	Episode: "The Plight Before Christmas"