Usher (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Usher
Usher at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Usher Raymond IV (1978-10-14) October 14, 1978 (age 46) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter dancer actor businessman
Years active	1990s–present
Organization	Usher's New Look
Works	Discography videography
Television	The Voice
Spouse(s)	Tameka Foster ​ ​ (m. 2007; div. 2009)​ Grace Miguel ​ ​ (m. 2015; div. 2018)​ Jennifer Goicoechea ​ (m. 2024)​
Partner(s)	Rozonda Thomas (2001–2004)
Children	4
Parent(s)	Jonnetta Patton (mother)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	R&B pop
Labels	LaFace Arista Jive RCA Legacy RBMG Mega Gamma

Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He is known for his big influence in contemporary R&B and pop music. Usher released his first album, Usher, when he was 15 years old in 1994. He became very famous in the late 1990s with his second album, My Way (1997). This album had his first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 called "Nice & Slow". It also featured two other popular songs: the title track and "You Make Me Wanna...".

His third album, 8701 (2001), was also very successful. It included two number-one songs, "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad". Another popular song from this album was "U Don't Have to Call". 8701 sold eight million copies around the world. Usher won his first two Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2002 and 2003 because of this album.

The album Confessions (2004) made Usher one of the top-selling music artists of the 2000s. It had four number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100: "Yeah!" (with Lil Jon and Ludacris), "Burn", "Confessions Part II", and "My Boo" (with Alicia Keys). Another song, "Caught Up", reached the top ten. Confessions sold over 20 million copies worldwide. It also received a special "diamond certification" from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

After this, he released the albums Here I Stand (2008) and Raymond v. Raymond (2010). Both albums reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. They featured number-one songs like "Love in This Club" (with Young Jeezy) and "OMG" (with will.i.am). "There Goes My Baby" from Raymond v. Raymond won him another Grammy Award.

In 2010, his first extended play (a shorter album), Versus, had the popular song "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" (with Pitbull). His seventh album, Looking 4 Myself (2012), also reached number one. It included songs like "Scream" and "Climax", which won a Grammy. His song "I Don't Mind" (with Juicy J) was a top-15 hit in 2014. His eighth album, Hard II Love (2016), reached number five. His ninth album, Coming Home (2024), was his first independent project. It featured the song "Good Good" (with Summer Walker and 21 Savage).

Some music critics call Usher the King of R&B. He has had nine number-one songs and sold over 100 million records worldwide. This makes him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. At the end of 2009, Billboard magazine called him the second most successful artist of the 2000s. They also named him the number-one Hot 100 artist of that decade. His album Confessions was ranked as the top solo album of the 2000s. Usher has won many awards. These include eight Grammy Awards, twelve Soul Train Music Awards, eight American Music Awards, three Guinness World Records, and eighteen Billboard Music Awards.

Usher also helped start the record label Raymond-Braun Media Group (RBMG) with talent manager Scooter Braun. This label was the first to sign Canadian singer Justin Bieber in 2008. Outside of music, Usher started a charity called Usher's New Look in 1999.

Early Life and Musical Start

Usher Raymond IV was born on October 14, 1978, in Dallas, Texas. His parents are Jonnetta Patton and Usher Raymond III. His father left the family when Usher was one year old. Usher grew up with his mother, his stepfather at the time, and his half-brother James Lackey.

When Usher was nine, his mother encouraged him to join the church youth choir in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His grandmother noticed his singing talent there. She thought he could sing professionally after he joined a singing group. Usher's family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, because they believed a bigger city would offer more chances for his talent. He attended North Springs High School in Atlanta.

Early Music Career: From NuBeginning to First Album

At age ten, Usher joined a local R&B group called NuBeginning. A local music promoter named Darryl Wheeler organized the group. Usher recorded ten songs with them in 1991. Their album, Nubeginning Featuring Usher Raymond IV, was sold only in their area and by mail. However, Usher's mother took him out of the group because she felt it was a "bad experience." The album was later released across the country in 2002.

When he was 13, Usher met A.J. Alexander at a talent show in Atlanta. Alexander, who was Bobby Brown's bodyguard, took Usher to perform in parking lots and other talent shows. Alexander invited Bryant Reid, an A&R (Artists and Repertoire) person from LaFace Records, to see Usher on the TV show Star Search. After the show, Usher auditioned for L.A. Reid, who co-founded LaFace. Reid signed Usher right away after hearing him sing Boyz II Men's song "End of the Road". Usher's mother left her job to manage his music career. He first appeared to the public on the song "Call Me a Mack" for the movie soundtrack Poetic Justice in 1993.

While getting ready for his first album, Usher had a challenge. He was going through puberty and found it hard to control his voice. L.A. Reid was unsure about Usher and paused his album. Usher asked the label to keep him, and they did. Reid then sent Usher to New York City in 1994 to live with music executive Sean Combs, also known as Puff Daddy. This was to help Usher develop his skills.

On August 30, 1994, LaFace released Usher's first album, Usher. Sean Combs helped produce it. The album reached number twenty-five on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It had three singles: "Can U Get wit It", "Think of You", and "The Many Ways". By December 2008, the album had sold over 500,000 copies. After this, Usher's mother took over managing his career. She helped him perform in more talent shows in 1995. This helped Usher gain more fans and gave L.A. Reid more confidence in him.

After high school, Usher kept working on his stage performances. He also prepared for his second album. He sang on a song called "Let's Straighten It Out" with another young artist, Monica, in 1995. He also sang "Dreamin'" for the 1996 Olympic Games benefit album. He was also featured on "I Swear I'm In Love" from the movie soundtrack Kazaam in 1996.

Rise to Fame: My Way and 8701 Success

Usher became friends with music producer Jermaine Dupri. They worked together on many songs for his second album, My Way, released on September 16, 1997. The first song from the album, "You Make Me Wanna...", reached number one in the United Kingdom. This made Usher much more popular. It also became his first song to be certified gold and platinum in the United States. The album's second song, "Nice & Slow", became Usher's first number-one song in the US in January 1998. In February of that year, it was certified platinum. My Way has been certified seven-time platinum in the United States.

"You Make Me Wanna..." won the Best Male R&B/Soul Single at the 1999 Soul Train Music Awards. In late 1997, Usher went on several tours. He joined Puffy's No Way Out tour, performed with Mary J. Blige, and opened for Janet Jackson's The Velvet Rope Tour. Usher's first live concert album, Live, came out in 1999. It featured other artists like Lil' Kim and Jagged Edge. This album was certified gold in the United States.

Usher started acting in the UPN TV show Moesha. This led to him having a regular role on the show. He then got his first movie role in The Faculty in 1998. Usher's acting career grew over the next year. He was cast in the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. He also acted in two more movies, She's All That and his first main role in Light It Up. He also appeared in the Disney TV movie Geppetto.

Usher's third album, first called All About U, was planned for early 2001. The first song, "Pop Ya Collar", came out in late 2000. It was a number two hit in the UK but did not do as well in the United States. The album was then delayed and changed after some songs were leaked online. At the same time, LaFace Records became inactive. Most of its artists, including Usher, moved to its parent company, Arista Records. After being changed and renamed 8701, the album was released on August 7, 2001 (8.7.01). The first two songs, "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad", both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. 8701 has been certified five-time platinum in the United States.

Usher was in the 2001 movie Texas Rangers. In February 2002, he won a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "U Remind Me". The next year, he won the same award for "U Don't Have to Call". This made Usher one of the few artists to win this award two years in a row. In 2002, Usher sang on P. Diddy's song "I Need a Girl, Part I". He also appeared in several TV shows in November, including The Twilight Zone, 7th Heaven, Moesha, and American Dreams, where he played Marvin Gaye.

Global Stardom: Confessions and Here I Stand

Usher's fourth album, Confessions, was released on March 23, 2004. At that time, its first song, "Yeah!", was already number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album sold almost 1.1 million copies in its first week. This was the highest first-week sales for a male R&B artist ever. The album has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. It has sold over 14 million copies in the United States, earning a Diamond certification.

The album's second and third songs, "Burn" and "Confessions Part II", also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Usher became the first artist to have four number-one songs in a row on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. In September 2004, "My Boo", a song with Alicia Keys, also reached number one. This was the album's fourth number-one song. In December, the last song from the album, "Caught Up", reached number eight.

Confessions won Usher many awards. These included four American Music Awards, two MTV Europe Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and three World Music Awards. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, Usher won three awards. He won for "My Boo" (with Alicia Keys), "Yeah!", and for the album Confessions. At the 2004 Billboard Music Awards, Usher was named Artist of the Year and won 10 other awards.

Usher went on "The Truth Tour" to support Confessions. The stage had a smaller area for the band and a main stage for Usher and his dancers. There were stairs and a platform that moved down to the main stage. Kanye West and Christina Milian were the opening acts. Usher sometimes brought out special guests. During his Atlanta show, he brought out Rico Love and Monica. He also performed a remix of "Confessions Pt. II" with Kanye West. Lil Jon and Ludacris joined him to perform "Yeah" at the end of the show. This concert was filmed for the DVD Truth Tour: Behind the Truth "Live from Atlanta". It has sold over 7 million copies.

In 2005, Usher had a number three hit song, "Lovers & Friends", with Lil Jon. In 2007, Usher worked with R. Kelly on "Same Girl". He was also featured in a remix of Omarion's "Ice Box". Usher also appeared on "Shake Down" from Mary J. Blige's 2007 album Growing Pains. In November 2005, Usher starred as a DJ named Darrell in the movie In the Mix.

On August 22, 2006, Usher took on the role of Billy Flynn in the Broadway musical Chicago. His first night brought out stars like Penélope Cruz and Gabrielle Union. Usher played the role for two months.

Here I Stand was released on May 26, 2008, in the UK and May 27, 2008, in the US. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold over 433,000 copies in its first week. So far, Here I Stand has sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States and 5 million worldwide. It received good reviews from music critics. To promote the album, the song "Love In This Club" was released in February 2008. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for three weeks. This became Usher's eighth number-one song. It was also a big international success. The next song, "Love in This Club Part II", with Beyoncé and Lil Wayne, reached number 18. "Moving Mountains" reached number 18 and "Trading Places" reached number 4. In September 2008, Usher announced a tour called One Night ..., which was only for female audiences. On January 18, 2009, Usher performed with Stevie Wonder and Shakira at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. He also sang "Gone Too Soon" at the memorial for Michael Jackson in July 2009.

New Decade, New Sounds: Raymond v. Raymond and Versus

Raymond v. Raymond was released in March 2010. The song "Papers" was the first single. It was about divorce and reached number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" was the second single. It reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Lil Freak" was the official second single in the US. Usher and Nicki Minaj filmed the music video for it. It reached number 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

"OMG", with will.i.am, was the third US single and first international single. It reached number one in many countries, including the United States. This made it Usher's ninth number one in the US. He became the first artist in the 2010s to have number-one songs in three different decades. "There Goes My Baby" was the fourth single. It reached number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. On April 7, 2010, Raymond v. Raymond debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. It sold 329,107 copies in its first week. This made it his third number-one album in a row. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA after one month. In February 2024, it was certified three-times Platinum.

Raymond v. Raymond was also popular internationally. It reached the top 10 in Canada, the UK, and Australia. Usher announced an extended play called Versus on July 8, 2010. It was a follow-up to Raymond v. Raymond. He described Versus as the "last chapter" of Raymond v. Raymond. It explored being newly single and a father. The album had 9 songs, including 7 new ones. The first song from Versus, "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love", was released in July 2010. It quickly became popular. It reached the top 5 in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. It also reached the top 10 in Canada and Europe. The second song, "Hot Tottie", reached number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Usher performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and the 2010 American Music Awards. He won awards for Male Soul/R&B artist and Favorite Soul/R&B album. The OMG Tour started in November 2010 and ended in June 2011. On February 6, 2011, Usher performed "OMG" with The Black Eyed Peas' singer will.i.am at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show.

On September 8, 2011, Usher appeared on Romeo Santos' song "Promise". This song was his first number-one on the Billboard Latin Songs chart. In October 2011, Sony Music confirmed that Usher's previous labels, Jive and Arista, were combining with J Records. Usher then began releasing music for RCA Records.

New Directions: Looking 4 Myself and The Voice

In November 2011, Usher said his next album would have a new type of music called "revolutionary pop." This style would mix different music genres. His seventh album, Looking 4 Myself, was released on June 8, 2012. It received mostly good reviews. Record producer Rico Love said Usher wanted to try new things on this album. Usher told MTV News that Looking 4 Myself was his "most artistic album." He felt he was starting fresh and wanted to follow his own feelings.

"Climax" was the first song from the album. It was released to radio in February 2012. The second song was "Scream" and the third was "Lemme See" with Rick Ross. "Climax" stayed at number one on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for 11 weeks.

In 2013, Usher became a coach on the TV show The Voice for its fourth season. His last singer, Michelle Chamuel, did not win. He returned for the sixth season and his singer, Josh Kaufman, won.

On March 19, 2013, Usher announced his eighth album, UR, was being made. He described it as "everything you can imagine." Singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger said the album would be "more R&B, more urban" than Looking 4 Myself. Usher said his next album would show he is "still Usher." "Good Kisser" was the first song. It helped Usher get his 13th number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. He performed it on The Voice. Two more songs from the album were "She Came to Give It to You" (with Nicki Minaj) and "I Don't Mind" (with Juicy J). The latter made Usher the artist with the most number ones (13) on the Rhythmic charts.

On August 25, 2014, Usher announced his UR Experience Tour to support his album UR. The tour started in Montreal, Canada, on November 1 and ended in Tampa, Florida, on December 14. It visited 27 cities in North America. DJ Cassidy and August Alsina were opening acts. The European part of the tour visited 23 cities with Nico & Vinz. Usher said he wanted to give fans a live show full of surprises. He also released a new song called "Clueless" with Honey Nut Cheerios. Fans could download it for free with a code from cereal boxes.

Recent Years: Hard II Love and Super Bowl Halftime Show

On October 16, 2015, Usher released an interactive music video for "Chains" (with Nas and Bibi Bourelly) on Tidal. The video used a webcam to pause if the viewer looked away, making them face the issue of racial profiling. Usher performed the song live for the first time at the Tidal X:1020 concert. On January 14, 2016, Usher announced his eighth album title changed from UR to Flawed. It was planned for April 2016 but was delayed. On February 29, 2016, Yuna released "Crush" with Usher. On June 9, 2016, Usher released "No Limit" (with Young Thug) and "Crash" on Tidal.

On June 12, 2016, it was reported that Usher signed a management deal with Scooter Braun. Usher confirmed this at the Cannes Festival. Usher continued his acting career, playing boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in the 2016 movie Hands of Stone. He starred with Édgar Ramírez and Robert De Niro. Hands of Stone premiered on August 26, 2016. "Missin U" and "Champions" were also released. On August 30, "Rivals" (with Future) was released on Tidal.

The album Hard II Love was released on September 16, 2016. It received good reviews. It debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard 200. It sold 28,000 copies in its first week. This was his seventh top ten album in a row. The song "No Limit" reached number 1 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart. On December 16, 2016, Chris Brown released "Party" with Usher and Gucci Mane.

On October 12, 2018, Usher released a collaborative album called A. It had 8 songs with Future and Gunna. Zaytoven produced the entire album. From November 9–17, 2018, Usher was the main performer for the RNB Fridays Live concert series in Australia and New Zealand. Over 150,000 tickets were sold. On November 14, 2018, Billboard reported Usher signed a management deal with Luke Mitzman. He was also working on a new album for 2019. On December 2, 2018, Usher performed at the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He performed with DJ Black Coffee.

Usher had a small role in the 2019 crime film Hustlers. The film starred Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B. Director Lorene Scafaria said Usher's role was written into the script in 2016. Usher's song "Love in This Club" was featured on the film's soundtrack. In March 2019, Usher hinted at a new album called "Confessions 2." Producer Jermaine Dupri also previewed new music. On June 15, 2019, Usher and Erykah Badu were the main performers at the Smoking Grooves Festival in California.

On September 6, 2019, Usher returned to NBC's The Voice as a battle advisor for John Legend's team. On September 10, 2019, DJ Black Coffee released his song "LaLaLa" with Usher. It reached number one on the South Africa airplay charts. Usher appeared on Summer Walker's album Over It in October 2019. They sang "Come Thru", which used a sample from Usher's hit song "You Make Me Wanna...".

On December 13, 2019, Usher released "Don't Waste My Time" (with Ella Mai) as the first song for his upcoming ninth album. It was produced by Bryan-Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri. Usher, Ella Mai, and Jermaine Dupri performed the song on BET's Saving Our Selves to help African American communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It reached number one on the Adult R&B Chart.

Usher performed at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2020. He and Shelia E. performed a tribute to Prince. On January 31, Usher sang "Amazing Grace" at the Staples Center to honor Kobe Bryant after his death. Usher was set to host the 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards, but it was postponed due to COVID-19.

Usher was an executive producer and judge on a dance show called The Sauce. It premiered on April 6, 2020, on Quibi. On April 10, 2020, Usher released "SexBeat" with Lil Jon and Ludacris. He appeared on NBC's Songland and released "California" (with Tyga) on June 15, 2020. On June 26, 2020, Usher released "I Cry".

Residencies, Coming Home, and Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show

On September 4, 2020, Usher announced he would have a 12-show residency at the Colosseum at Caesars' Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was scheduled from July 2021 to January 2022. Live Nation Las Vegas and Caesars Entertainment donated $1 from each ticket to Usher's New Look foundation. In December 2021, Bruno Mars announced Usher was moving his residency to Dolby Live at Park MGM. On February 17, 2022, Usher officially announced his move to Park MGM for 23 shows. Usher released "Bad Habits" on September 10, 2020. It reached number one on the Adult R&B Chart.

On March 8, 2022, Usher left RCA Records after ten years. He then signed a deal with Larry Jackson's Gamma music company. Usher and L.A. Reid also started Mega, an independent record label. Usher's eighth album will be released through this partnership. On June 30, 2022, Usher performed on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. A video clip of him whispering "watch this" became a popular meme. On March 17, 2023, Usher released "Glu", his first solo song in over two years. It reached number one on the Adult R&B Chart. On April 14, 2023, Usher announced an 8-night residency in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, called "Rendez-Vous À Paris." It started on September 24 and ran until October 5. On August 4, 2023, Usher released "Good Good" with Summer Walker and 21 Savage. This was the main song for his upcoming ninth album. It reached number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. He then released "Boyfriend." On September 14, 2023, he appeared on J Balvin's song "Dientes," which reached number one on the Latin Airplay chart.

On September 24, 2023, Usher announced he would be the main performer for the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show in Las Vegas. He called it "an honour of a lifetime." He also announced his ninth album, Coming Home, would be released on February 11, 2024, the same day as the Super Bowl. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200. The album's second song, "Ruin" (with Pheelz), was released on February 2, 2024. On February 6, Usher announced the Usher: Past Present Future tour. It started with 24 stops and grew to 58 due to high demand. On June 30, 2024, Usher received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th BET Awards. In October 2024, Billboard named Usher the 11th "greatest pop star of the century."

Artistry

Musical Style and Influences

Usher's music is mainly R&B. However, it also includes pop and other music styles.

Usher has often said that Michael Jackson is his biggest influence.

The boy band New Edition and its solo member Bobby Brown also influenced him when he was a child.

Vocal Style

Usher has a vocal range of 3 octaves and 4 notes. His voice is considered "one of the most soothing in R&B." When he was 13, he held a note for 12 seconds on Star Search, setting a record for a child. Usher's vocal coach, Jan Smith, has called him "the single most gifted singer I've ever worked with in 26 years." In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine listed Usher at number 97 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of all time.

Legacy and Achievements

Billboard named Usher the Hot 100 Artist of the 2000s. Writers from VH1 and The Guardian have called him the best dancer in pop since Michael Jackson. In 2012, Jody Rosen said Usher was "the biggest male pop singer in the world." He has had 9 number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100, tying with the Bee Gees, Elton John, and Paul McCartney. Justin Charity of Complex called him "the greatest male pop singer of the past couple decades" in 2015.

Usher is often called the "King of R&B" and "Mr. Entertainment." The BET Honors gave him a Musical Arts award in 2015 for his music contributions.

Awards and Records

Usher has won many awards. His album Confessions is 14 times platinum. He has four multi-platinum albums: My Way, 8701, Raymond v. Raymond, and Here I Stand. He also has one platinum album, Looking 4 Myself. Together, his albums have sold over 33 million copies in the US and 53 million worldwide. He has won 8 Grammy Awards, 18 Billboard Music Awards, 12 Soul Train Music Awards, and 8 American Music Awards. In 2004, Usher won 11 Billboard awards. In 2013, he received the Golden Note Award at the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. Yahoo Music called him the best R&B artist of the decade after Michael Jackson based on album sales. He has sold over 100 million records in total.

Usher was added to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2007. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016. In 2021, Usher was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. His songs "Love in This Club" and "OMG" are among the best-selling digital singles worldwide.

Usher has had nine number-one songs and eighteen top-ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100. He spent 47 weeks at number one, more than any other male solo artist at the time. In 2004 alone, Usher spent 28 weeks at number one. "OMG" made him the first artist in the 2010s to have number-one songs in three decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s). He is the fifth artist ever to do this. He is also the third male solo artist to have at least one number-one song from five albums in a row. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, Usher has 13 number-one songs, tying with Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye. He had the most number-one songs in the 2000s with 8. Usher also has 14 number-one songs on the Rhythmic chart, 17 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and 16 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. His songs "You Make Me Wanna" (12 weeks) and "Climax" (11 weeks) had some of the longest stays at number one on the Airplay chart. Usher topped many Billboard Year-End charts, including seven in 1998 and seventeen in 2004. In 2004, "Yeah!" was the number one song of the year, and "Burn" was number two. This made him the first act since The Beatles in 1964 to have two songs in the top two spots. On the 2000s Billboard Decade-End chart, "Yeah!" was second only to Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together".

Billboard ranked Usher as the 2nd most successful artist of the 2000s. They also placed him at number 6 on their "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list. He was number 14 on their "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists" list, 6 on their "Top 60 Male Artists of All-Time" list, and 31 on their "35 Greatest R&B Artists of All Time" list. Confessions is number 16 on their "Greatest of All Time 200 Albums" list. "Yeah!" is number 14 on their "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs" list.

Business and Other Ventures

Music Business

Usher started his own record label, US Records, in 2002. It was part of Clive Davis's J Records. The only album released by US Records was the soundtrack to In the Mix in 2005. This album introduced artists like Rico Love and Justin Bieber. Usher helped write and produce songs for this project. The Raymond Braun Media Group, which Justin Bieber is signed to, is a company Usher started with Bieber's manager Scooter Braun. In 2023, Usher and his friend L.A. Reid started Mega, an independent record label. They partnered with Larry Jackson's Gamma music company.

Usher was a mentor for the Top 10 Week of Season 9 of American Idol. He appeared on the ITV1 show Britain's Got Talent in June 2010. Usher became a new coach on the NBC reality talent show The Voice. He joined Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Shakira in season 4, which started on March 25, 2013. Usher's contestant, Michelle Chamuel, reached the finale. Usher returned with Shakira in season 6, which started on February 24, 2014. Usher's contestant, Josh Kaufman, won that season.

Acting Career

Usher first acted on TV in the American sitcom Moesha in 1997. He played Jeremy Davis, a love interest for Moesha. He then acted in movies, starting with The Faculty in 1998. In 1999, Usher appeared as a DJ in the movie She's All That. That same year, he had his first main role in the movie Light It Up with Rosario Dawson and Forest Whitaker. The next year, he was in Gepetto and Texas Rangers. He played a police officer in a 2002 episode of The Twilight Zone. Usher continued to appear in TV shows, including American Dreams (2002), where he played Marvin Gaye. He also appeared in Sabrina the Teenage Witch as the Love Doctor. In 2005, he starred in the film In The Mix with Chazz Palminteri and Kevin Hart.

He has also acted on stage. He made his Broadway debut in 2006 in Chicago as lawyer Billy Flynn. In 2012, he joined the cast of the Off-Broadway play Fuerzabruta. In 2013, he began filming his role as boxer Sugar Ray Leonard for the 2016 movie Hands of Stone. This film is about the life of Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán. Usher starred alongside Édgar Ramírez and Robert De Niro. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France on May 16, 2016. It was released in the United States on August 26, 2016.

Products and Services

Usher is involved in other businesses besides music, including restaurants. In 2007, Usher worked on the fragrances Usher He and Usher She. He promoted them with Martha Stewart in a Macy's commercial. In September 2008, Usher released UR for Men and UR for Women fragrances. His fifth fragrance, VIP, was launched in 2009.

On March 30, 2015, it was announced that Usher is a co-owner of the music streaming service Tidal. This service offers high-quality audio and music videos. Jay Z bought Tidal's parent company in 2015. Usher and sixteen other artists, including Alicia Keys and Beyonce, co-own Tidal. Most of them own a small part of the company. The idea was to create an artist-owned streaming service to compete with others like Spotify. Jay-Z said the goal was to make people value music again.

On June 28, 2015, Usher partnered with Yoobi, a school supplies company. Yoobi donates part of its products to schools. Usher's line of supplies with Yoobi features designs by artist Jonni Cheatwood. The slogan is "Mixing street smarts with school smarts." For every purchase, school supplies are given to children in need. Usher said he partnered with Yoobi to help young people get the tools they need to succeed.

Investments

Usher is a part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers professional basketball team. He joined a group that bought the team for $375 million in 2005. He became the third pop artist to own a large part of an NBA team. While he has been an owner, the Cleveland Cavaliers have won five Central Division Championships and the 2016 NBA championship.

On March 6, 2017, it was announced that Universal Music Group, Usher, and others invested $6 million in Mass Appeal. Mass Appeal is a media company based in New York City. It started as a graffiti magazine in 1996. In 2014, Mass Appeal relaunched after its CEO partnered with rapper Nas.

On April 2, 2019, Usher, Jay-Z, and others invested $8 million in a catering startup called Hungry. Hungry connects local chefs with companies needing catering. The company partnered with J's Kitchen Culinary Incubator, which is owned by Usher's mother, Jonetta Patton.

On July 23, 2019, it was announced that Usher, Kevin Hart, Justin Bieber, and others invested $5 million in Liquid I.V. This company focuses on health and nutrition. It was founded in 2012 to help children in developing countries with dehydration.

Endorsements

Usher has worked with MasterCard since 2004. They launched the Usher Debit MasterCard. In 2009, he partnered with Belvedere Vodka for a Product (Red) campaign. Half of the profits from a special bottle went to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. MasterCard again teamed up with Usher in 2015 for their Priceless Surprises campaign. Usher dressed as a street performer to surprise a fan.

In 2012, Usher partnered with the dance game Microsoft Dance Central 3 for Xbox 360. He shared his dance moves for his songs "Scream" and "OMG." Usher also provided voice instructions for players.

In 2013, Usher partnered with Samsung for a short film. It featured his song "Looking 4 Myself." The video showed two Ushers in a face-off. It also showed him using a Samsung smart TV with motion control. The commercial received 22 million views.

In 2015, Usher teamed up with Pepsi for The New Pepsi Challenge. Celebrities like Serena Williams and Usain Bolt also joined. Each month, Pepsi "ambassadors" gave challenges on social media. Usher's challenge asked fans to take a photo that inspires others to see the world in a new way. The winning photo would be used in a Pepsi film.

In 2022, Usher partnered with Rémy Martin. The company launched its first NFTs and collectible bottles. Usher starred in TV commercials to promote Rémy Martin Cognac.

Philanthropy and Activism

Usher founded New Look, a non-profit organization. Its goal is to "provide young people with a new look on life through education and real-world experience." Its main project, Camp New Look, ran in July 2005. In 2006, the charity started "Our Block" to help rebuild city blocks in New Orleans. Funding came partly from Usher's partnership with Armani Exchange for "Love 4 Life" dog tags. Since then, New Look has started chapters in cities like Baltimore and Los Angeles. The New Look program helps students from 8th grade through college. All students in the program graduate and go on to higher education or jobs.

In 1999, Usher played in "Challenge for the Children," a basketball game hosted by NSYNC. The event raised about $50,000 for local charities. In 2005, Usher was one of the artists who performed at a concert to help after Hurricane Katrina. He also made a public service announcement for Do Something's campaign for community involvement.

After Hurricane Katrina, Usher started Project Restart. It helped over 700 families with housing and utilities. Usher also met with students in New Orleans to help clean up the city. He said, "I'm here to physically do something and hopefully motivate other people to do the same." Because of his efforts, Usher received the key to the city of New Orleans in 2008. They also declared "Usher Day" in his honor.

In 2011, Usher received the Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. This award honors people who work for justice and human rights. Usher received it for his charity work with the New Look Foundation.

On February 12, 2015, Usher visited his former hometown of Chattanooga. He made surprise visits to schools and centers. He spoke to students about the importance of education. He also made a donation to the Center for the Creative Arts for new dance studio floors and lighting. Usher's second stop was the Orange Grove Center, which helps people with intellectual disabilities. He helped break ground for a new track there, which would be named after his grandmother.

In 2015, Usher teamed up with Anthony Anderson, Kevin Hart, and others. They donated over $500,000 in scholarships to 20 students attending historically black colleges and universities. This followed his partnership with the UNCF in 2014, where he gave a student $100,000 to attend Tuskegee University.

In 2016, Usher, Tyrese, Future, Ludacris, and Jeezy each donated $25,000 to the UNCF at the Atlanta Mayors Ball.

On February 18, 2017, Morehouse College honored Usher with the Candle Award for his charity work and music contributions. This award honors excellence in various fields. Past winners include Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.

On January 31, 2018, Usher helped former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick complete his pledge to donate $1 million. Kaepernick launched a campaign where 10 celebrities matched his donations. Usher chose the H.O.M.E. charity in Lithonia, Georgia to receive a combined donation of $20,000.

Politics and Activism

In 2007, Usher started his "Change in the South" campaign in Atlanta, Georgia, to support Barack Obama for president. Obama asked Usher to help lead his voter registration campaign, "Vote for Change." The next year, Usher and Kerry Washington led a rally for Obama in South Carolina. In 2008, Usher supported the Service Nation campaign, helping young people get involved in their communities. Usher also released a song called "Hush" about social issues and voting. He performed "Higher Ground" with Stevie Wonder and Shakira at Obama's presidential inauguration in 2009. He continued to support Obama in his 2012 reelection campaign.

On September 13, 2014, Usher and Bill Clinton held a campaign event for Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Nunn. Usher's New Look Foundation also gave Clinton an award in 2010.

In October 2015, Usher partnered with Sankofa, an organization that focuses on social justice. On October 23, 2015, Usher and Sankofa's founder, Harry Belafonte, led a discussion about popular culture and activism. At this event, he introduced his music video "Chains."

In August 2015, he attended a celebrity fundraiser for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were also there.

Usher was chosen to be part of a 33-member group for the Presidential Committee for Arts and Humanities. This group visited Cuba in April 2016 to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.

Personal Life

In 2001, Usher began dating TLC member Chilli Thomas. Their relationship lasted for three years. In 2003, Usher started working on his album Confessions, which had songs inspired by his personal life. They broke up in December 2004.

In 2004, Usher briefly dated British supermodel Naomi Campbell. They attended the MTV Europe Music Awards together. The next year, he was linked to model Eishia Brightwell.

In November 2005, Usher began dating stylist Tameka Foster. They announced their engagement in February 2007. They married on August 3, 2007, in Atlanta, followed by a larger ceremony on September 1, 2007.

Usher's father, Usher Raymond III, passed away on January 21, 2008.

When he married Foster, Usher became a stepfather to her three sons from previous relationships. Usher and Foster also have two sons together: Usher "Cinco" Raymond V, born in November 2007, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, born in December 2008.

Usher filed for divorce from Foster in June 2009. The divorce was finalized in November 2009. After a legal process, Usher was given primary custody of his two sons with Foster in August 2012.

In 2011, Forbes magazine listed Usher at number 32 on its Celebrity 100 list. They reported his earnings after the OMG Tour were $46 million.

On March 6, 2018, Usher and his wife Grace Miguel announced their separation. They said they would remain friends and support each other. On December 28, 2018, Usher filed for divorce from Miguel.

In September 2020, it was confirmed that Usher was expecting his third child with music executive Jenn Goicoechea. Their daughter was born on September 24, 2020. Usher and Goicoechea welcomed their second child together on September 29, 2021. Usher and Goicoechea married in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 11, 2024, right after Usher's Super Bowl performance.

Discography

Solo studio albums

• Usher (1994)
• My Way (1997)
• 8701 (2001)
• Confessions (2004)
• Here I Stand (2008)
• Raymond v. Raymond (2010)
• Looking 4 Myself (2012)
• Hard II Love (2016)
• Coming Home (2024)

Collaborative albums

• A (with Zaytoven) (2018)

Concert Tours and Residencies

Headlining Tours

• Evolution 8701 Tour (2002)
• Truth Tour (2004)
• One Night ... Tour (2008)
• OMG Tour (2010–2011)
• The UR Experience Tour (2014–2015)
• RNB Fridays Live (2018)
• Usher: Past Present Future (2024)

Concert Residencies

• Usher: The Las Vegas Residency (2021)
• My Way: The Vegas Residency (2022)
• Rendez-Vous À Paris (2023)

Opening Act

• Share My World Tour (1997–1998)
• The Velvet Rope Tour (1998–1999)
• No Way Out Tour (1998)

Filmography

Film Roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	The Faculty	Gabe Santora
1999	She's All That	Campus D.J.
	Light It Up	Lester Dewitt
2000	Geppetto	Pleasure Island Ringmaster
2001	Texas Rangers	Randolph Douglas Scipio
2005	In The Mix	Darrell Williams
2010	Killers	Kevin the Manager
2013	Scary Movie 5	Ira the Janitor
2014	Muppets Most Wanted	Himself
2015	Black Knight Decoded	The Black Knight (voice)	Short
2016	Hands of Stone	Sugar Ray Leonard
	Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping	Himself
2017	People You May Know	Himself
2018	Burden	Clarence Brooks
2019	Hustlers	Himself
2020	Bad Hair	Germane D.

Television Appearances

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Soul Train	Himself	Episode: "Me'Shell NdegeOchello/James 'J.T.' Taylor/Usher"
1995	All That	Himself	Episode: "Usher"
1997	Soul Train	Himself	Episode: "Brownstone/Usher/Queen Pen Feat. Teddy Riley"
1997–98	Showtime at the Apollo	Himself	Episode: "Episode #11.2" & "#12.4"
1997–99	Moesha	Jeremy Davis	Recurring Cast: Season 3, Guest: Season 4
1998	Mad TV	Himself	Episode: "Vivica A. Fox"
	The Parent 'Hood	Himself	Episode: "Flaked Out" & "Color Him Father"
	The Bold and the Beautiful	Raymond	Regular Cast
	Cousin Skeeter	Himself	Episode: "Miracle on 32nd Skeet"
1998–04	Top of the Pops	Himself	Recurring Guest
1999	Promised Land	Winston	Episode: "Baby Steps"
2000	The Wonderful World of Disney	Ringleader	Episode: "Geppetto"
	The Famous Jett Jackson	Zander 'Z-Ride' Hall	Episode: "Step Up"
2001	E! True Hollywood Story	Himself	Episode: "Joan Rivers" & "Aaliyah"
2001–02	The Saturday Show	Himself	Episode: "Episode #1.4" & "#1.29"
2002	Mad TV	Himself	Episode: "Episode #7.12"
	The Nick Cannon Show	Himself	Episode: "Nick Takes Over Music"
	Total Access 24/7	Himself	Episode: "Usher"
	Making the Video	Himself	Episode: "U Don't Have To Call" & "I Need A Girl Pt. 2"
	Becoming	Himself	Episode: "Becoming P. Diddy & Usher"
	Sabrina the Teenage Witch	The Love Doctor	Episode: "I Think I Love You"
	The Twilight Zone	Eric Boggs	Episode: "To Protect and Serve"
	American Dreams	Marvin Gaye	Episode: "Cold Snap"
	7th Heaven	Will	Episode: "A Cry for Help"
2003	Star Search	Himself/Guest Judge	Episode: "The One with Singer Usher Raymond"
	The Greatest	Himself	Episode: "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons"
	How I'm Living	Himself	Episode: "Usher Raymond"
	Banzai	Himself	Episode: "Episode #1.6"
	Punk'd	Himself	Episode: "Episode #2.1"
	Soul Food	Cameron Marks	Recurring Cast: Season 4
2004–12	Saturday Night Live	Himself	Recurring Guest
2005	VH1 News Presents	Himself	Episode: "Plastic Surgery Obsession"
	B InTune TV	Himself	Episode: "Episode #1.4"
2008	Dancing with the Stars	Himself	Episode: "Round 9: Results"
2009	Check It Out! Video	Himself	Episode: "Usher"
	Extreme Makeover: Home Edition	Himself	Episode: "Scott Family"
2010	American Idol	Himself/Mentor	Episode: "Top 10 Performance"
	Britain's Got Talent	Himself	Episode: "2010: Live Final"
	So You Think You Can Dance	Himself	Episode: "1 of 11 Voted Off"
	The Xtra Factor	Himself	Episode: "Episode #7.2"
	The X Factor	Himself	Episode: "Results 1"
	X Factor	Himself	Episode: "4. Live Show"
	Sesame Street	Elmo Slide Dancer	Episode: "Music Magic"
2010-12	The X Factor Australia	Himself	Recurring Guest
2012	12 Again	Himself	Episode: "Episode #2.5"
2013	West Wing Week	Himself	Episode: "Behind the Scenes: Inauguration 2013"
2013–14	The Voice	Himself/Coach	Main Coach: Season 4 & 6
2014	Sesame Street	Himself	Episode: "The Enthusiastic Penelope Penguin"
2015	Coffee Break Promiflash	Himself	Episode: "Dschungelcamp, Prince Mario-Max, Tokio Hotel, Kim Kardashian, Usher"
	Repeat After Me	Himself	Episode: "Episode #1.3"
	I Went to	Himself	Episode: "Jimmy Kimmel Live in Brooklyn & Jay Z's Tidal X Concert"
2016	In Performance at the White House	Himself	Episode: "A Celebration of American Creativity"
	Hello World!	Himself/Narrator	Episode: "Stronger"
2017	Pyramid	Himself/Celebrity Player	Episode: "Usher vs. Von Miller and Justin Hartley vs. Chrissy Metz"
	Oprah's Master Class	Himself	Episode: "Usher Raymond"
	Drop the Mic	Himself	Episode: "Halle Berry vs. James Corden & Usher vs. Anthony Anderson"
	Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party	Himself	Episode: "Keepin' It Crunk"
	Do or Dare	Himself	Episode: "Usher vs. Jermaine Dupri"
	Animals	Miles (voice)	Episode: "Pigeons"
2019	Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta	Himself	Episode: "So So Triggered"
	Activate: The Global Citizen Movement	Himself	Recurring Guest
2020	Justin Bieber: Seasons	Himself	Episode: "The Finale"
	The Sauce	Himself/Judge	Main Judge
	Ellen's Game of Games	Himself	Episode: "Sweet Foam Alabama"
	Songland	Himself	Episode: "Usher"
	America's Got Talent	Himself	Episode: "Live Finale Results"
	Behind Every Man	Himself	Episode: "Jonnetta Patton"
2023	Soul of a Nation	Himself	Episode: "Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas"
	Dave	Himself	Episode: "Hearsay"

Documentaries Featuring Usher

Year	Title
2004	Fade to Black
2011	Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
2012	Bad 25
	Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
2013	Justin Bieber's Believe
2014	ATL: The Untold Story of Atlanta's Rise in the Rap Game
2017	Through the Fire: The Legacy of Barack Obama
	Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story
	Welcome to My Life
	What We Started
	Louder Together
2018	Guilty Until Proven Guilty
2020	David Blaine: The Magic Way
2021	Justin Bieber: The New Me
2023	Thriller 40

Stage Productions

• Chicago as Billy Flynn (2006) (Broadway)

Images for kids

• 

  Usher at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival

• 

  Usher arriving in Miami, Florida, to attend the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards

• 

  Usher performing at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in 2009

• 

  Usher on the OMG Tour in 2010

• 

  Usher in August 2011

• 

  Usher on the URX Tour in 2014

• 

  Usher at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival

• 

  Usher at the Kennedy Center in 2019

• 

  Michael Jackson on the Dangerous World Tour in 1992

• 

  Boyz II Men performing at Las Vegas in 2008

• 

  Usher on his 2008 One Night ...: Ladies Only Tour, at the Warfield Theatre

• 

  Usher at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors

• 

  Usher at Rico Love's Division 1 launch in 2010

• 

  Usher at his 2007 launch of fragrances Usher He and Usher She

• 

  Usher giving a speech at the Service Nation Summit in 2008

• 

  Chilli on stage

See Also

In Spanish: Usher para niños

• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• List of best-selling singles
• List of bestselling albums
• List of bestselling music artists
• List of bestselling music artists in the United States
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones