Top 10 Interesting Facts About Usher   

Usher Raymond. Photo By U.S. Department of State – Wikimedia

Top 10 Interesting Facts About Usher   

Usher Raymond IV is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, and businessman. His tenor voice with a vocal range of 3 octaves and 4 notes, is one of the most soothing.

His music is generally R&B, but he also does other genres. Usher has produced some of the best R & B songs of all time, thus becoming a majority’s favorite. Some of his most popular tracks are U Remind Me, You Make Me Wanna, and My Way. 

He is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in American music history, having sold over 23 million copies in the United States alone. To date, he has sold over 65 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Usher has won numerous awards including eight Grammy Awards, Billboard placed him at number six on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years, he has attained nine Hot 100 number-one hits (all as a lead artist) and he has attained eighteen Hot 100 top-ten hits.

Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Usher. 

1. He Was Born In Texas But Was Raised In Tennessee 

Usher Raymond was born on 14th October 1978 in Dallas, Texas, but he grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His parents were Jonetta O’Neal and Usher Raymond III. His father left the family when Usher was a year old. He has a younger half-brother whose name is James Lackey. 

To honor the Tennessee native, the town of Chattanooga named a street after the singer. Usher Raymond Parkway is the name of the road. It’s safe to say Usher is proud of his roots. 

Check out these famous singers from Dallas, Texas.

2. Usher Started Singing In Church 

Usher. Photo By Ames Friedman – Wikimedia

Usher joined the local church youth choir in Chattanooga when he was nine years old. There, his grandmother discovered his ability to sing, although it was not until Usher joined a singing group that his granny considered he could sing professionally.   

He at one time lost his voice when he was a teenager and he experienced slight issues adjusting his voice after puberty.

It was at a music competition, Star Search, that he was spotted by a talent scout from LaFace Records, who arranged for an audition for Usher with L.A. Reid, the co-founder of LaFace. Reid signed Usher to a contract with the record company. Usher won the competition.

3. His Family Moved States To Help His Music Career 

Believing that a bigger city would provide greater opportunities for showcasing his talent, Usher’s family moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He attended North Springs High School and true to their belief, there were more opportunities in the big city.

Usher joined an R&B local quintet called the NuBeginnings, which was organized by local music promoter Darryl Wheeler when he was 10 years old. Usher recorded ten songs with the group in 1991. The album, Nubeginning Featuring Usher Raymond IV, was only made available regionally and by mail order. 

4. Usher Lived With P. Diddy At Some Point

When Usher found himself struggling to make it big as a teenager, Sean “Puffy” Combs of Bad Boy Records, better known as P. Diddy, took him in. He offered Usher a place to stay after the Star Search win and Usher accepted the offer.

P. Diddy took him under his wing as his “little brother” and mentored him. Barely into his teens, Usher would move to New York City to record a debut project, staying in Combs’s house and working with names like DeVante Swing of R&B act Jodeci and Dave “Jam!” Hall.

For usher, it was a culture shock but he adjusted to Comb’s lavish home and lifestyle and it also inspired him to make it big. 

Apart from P. Diddy, other musical influences for Usher include Michael and Janet Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Luther Vandross among others.

5. His Mum Is His Manager 

Usher performing on Stage. Photo By D.roller – Wikimedia

Usher’s mom, Jonetta O’Neal, used to be a medical technician before she left her job and became his manager dubbed as ‘momager’. She managed his career for many years before breaking up their relationship as manager-client in May 2007.

Jonetta managed Usher’s career from the start, and it’s safe to say she did a good job. 

6. Usher Owns A Record Lable 

This award-winning star founded the vanity record label US Records, in 2002. The label is a subsidiary of Clive Davis’ J Records, which is distributed by Sony BMG. The first album released by US Records was the soundtrack to In the Mix in late 2005, which was used to introduce the label’s acts. 

Usher also owns the record label Raymond-Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture with talent manager Scooter Braun that includes Canadian singer Justin Bieber.

Apart from being a record label owner, Usher has achieved a lot as a musician. He has been named the number one Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade, plus Billboard named him the second most successful artist of the 2000s decade, with his 2004 album Confessions being ranked as the top solo album of the 2000s decade.

7. Usher Also Owns A Basketball Team 

Aside from music, this guy is involved in other businesses. Usher’s love for basketball led him to become part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He bought a part of the team with other people for a total of $375 million.

In June 2016, his stake as a minority owner of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers was fruitful because the LeBron James-led team won the 2016 NBA championship.   

8. He Is An Actor Too 

Usher. Photo By Georges Biard – Wikimedia

Usher has acted in several feature films. The first one was in 1998’s “The Faculty” and he was also among the stars in “Light It Up” and “In the Mix”. The singer also had a role in the 2002 Twilight Zone Revival episode To Protect and Serve as a police officer.

He has also acted on stage, making his debut on Broadway in 2006 in “Chicago” as lawyer Billy Flynn and joining the cast of the Off-Broadway play “Fuerzabruta” in 2012.

Rachel McAdams is another actor you can read about here.

9. He Is A Philanthropist 

Usher founded New Look, a non-profit charity organization that focuses on providing young people with a new look at life through education and real-world experiences. 

In 2006, the charity started an initiative called Our Block, for which it helped rebuild and revitalize city blocks in New Orleans. Usher is dedicated to helping improve young people’s lives so he dedicates a great amount of time to philanthropy.

The singer is giving back by being what P. Diddy was to him to Justin Bieber. Usher and Bieber have a mentor-mentee relationship and friendship. 

Read some interesting facts about Justin Bieber here.

10. Usher Was Vegan For A While 

Usher Raymond. Photo By U.S. Department of State – Wikimedia

Usher is a vegan. He adopted a vegetarian diet shortly after the death of his father, Usher Raymond III, in early 2008. The old man died of a heart attack.

After several years, Usher dropped all egg and dairy products, embracing an entirely vegan diet for health reasons. Eventually, he became 100 percent vegan and leads a healthier lifestyle. 

Here’s our most talented RnB singers list.