Who is Usher?
Usher Terry Raymond IV is an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actor, producer, businessman, and philanthropist. His smooth vocals and erotic ballads helped him establish himself as an R&B superstar in the late 1990s. He was born on 14 October 1978 in Dallas, Texas, US, and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee by his mother.
Usher started singing at an early age and used to sing in church choirs. When his mother spotted his vocal abilities, she wanted to provide him with more opportunities, so she moved him and his brother to Atlanta, Georgia.
He sought entry into the music industry by participating in various talent shows. Usher competed in the “Star Search”, a TV show where he caught sight of an A&R from LaFace Records. Then he came into a recording contract with the label and in 1994 released his debut studio album with the name ‘Usher’.
Personal Details
- Celebrity Name: Usher
- Full Name: Usher Terry Raymond IV
- Gender: Male
- Birth Date: October 14, 1978
- Birth Place: Dallas, Texas, U.S.
- Age: 42
- Height:76 m
- Weight: 75 kg
- Nationality: American
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Status: In a relationship
- Wife: Tameka Foster (2007 to 2009), Grace Miguel (2015 to 2018)
- Children: 3
- Profession: Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Producer, Dancer, Businessman
- Net Worth: $180 million
Early Life
Born to Jonetta Patton and Usher Raymond III, he spent most of his young life in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was only one year old when his father left the family. So, he grew up with his mother, then step-father, and his half-brother. He joined the local church youth choir at the direction of his mother at the age of 9.
With the belief a bigger city could offer greater opportunities, Usher’s family move to Atlanta, Georgia to provide him with a more conducive environment. He attended North Springs High School in Atlanta.
Personal Life
In 2001, Usher started dating Chilli Thomas, a TLC Member and their relationship lasted for two years. They broke up in December of 2003. In 2005, Usher began dating his stylist, Tameka foster for several years. They announced their engagement in February 2007 and got married on August 3, 2007, in Atlanta in a civil ceremony.
Usher became a stepfather upon marriage to Foster’s three sons from previous relationships. Usher fathered two sons of his own with Tameka Foster namely Usher “Cinco” Raymond V, and the second one, Naviyd Ely Raymond, born in November 2007 and December 2008 respectively.
In June 2009, Usher filed for divorce from Foster in Atlanta which was legally finalized on November 2009 in Fulton County Court. It was followed by a publicized child custody dispute, which took three years to settle. Usher was awarded primary custody of his two sons with Foster in August 2012.
While vacationing in Cuba, Usher secretly married his manager and long-time girlfriend, Grace Miguel, in September 2015. He confirmed the marriage on The Ellen DeGeneres Show during an interview. He got separated from Miguel in Georgia and filed for divorce on December 28, 2018.
It was confirmed in September 2020 that Usher was expecting his third child with Jenn Goicoechea. On September 24, 2020, their daughter was born.
Career
Moving beyond his choirboy background, Usher’s self-titled debut album was not a commercial success and he spent the next few years working on My Way (197) which made him a major R&B star. His singles became major R&B hits including “You Make Me Wanna” and “Nice & Slow”.
Through appearances on television shows, Usher reached an even greater audience and showed finesse as a dancer during onstage performances which were quite notable.
His third studio album, 8701 came in the year 2001 which further secured his reputation as a smooth and bankable artist. Usher got his two number-1 pop hits from 8701, “U Got It Bad” and “U Remind Me.”
Usher expanded his range beyond ballads with his fourth album, Confessions (2004), and collaborated with most famous Atlanta rappers, Lil Jon and Ludacris. This album sold more than 10 million copies in the United States itself and earned him three Grammy Awards as well for best R&B performance by a duo or group, best contemporary R&B album, and best rap/sung collaboration.
Meanwhile, he continued to appear in television shows such as American Dreams, a periodic drama in the role of Marvin Gaye. He starred in ‘In the Mix’ as a disc jockey who protects a gangster’s daughter in 2005. In 2006, he did Broadway musical Chicago and portrayed Billy Flynn.
He returned to recording after a 4-year break with Here I Stand in 2008. Then in 2010, Raymond v. Raymond, his follow-up album serves as a window into Usher’s private life. He won a Grammy for the same as best contemporary R&B album. His eighth album, Hard II Love was released in 2016 and in general, received positive reviews while his “A” (2018) gained mixed reviews.
On September 10, 2020, Usher released ‘Bad Habits” as the second single from his upcoming studio album.
Awards and Achievements
Throughout his career, Usher has received numerous awards from having Diamond certified album in ‘Confessions’, two platinum in ‘Here I Stand’ and ‘Raymond v. Raymond’, two multi-platinum in ‘8701’ and ‘My Way’, selling over 43 million albums worldwide collectively.
Usher’s awards are mainly in R&B, hip-hop, and pop genre categories. He has won:
- Grammy Awards – 8
- ASCAP Awards – 34
- Billboard Music Awards – 18
- BMI Awards – 14
- American Music Awards – 8
- Soul Train Music Awards – 9
Usher’s Total Net Worth
Source: www.cnn.com
At this moment, Usher’s total net worth is $180 million.
To date, Usher has sold more than 75 million records at the global level and gained worldwide recognition and fame. These figures are enough to mark him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has collaborated with some of the greatest artists in the course of his career, such as Justin Bieber, Lil Jon, and Ludacris.
Besides his successful music career, he has a bunch of other talents as well. Usher is also a Broadway actor and runs his business. He is also the co-founder of Justin Bieber’s record company, RBMG Records along with Scooter Braun. He is known as one of the top best-selling artists of the 21st century.