Usher

Vocation

Lifestyle

Notable

Traits

Family

American singer, actor, songwriter, dancer and model who, at the age of 14, released his first album. He was a first place winner on the TV show "Star Search." His father left the family when Usher was still a baby, leaving his mother Jonnetta Patton to act as both mother and father to him and his younger brother James. As a young child, he showed his natural ability for singing and entertaining, so his mother, choir director for the local church, encouraged her son to join the choir when he was only six years old. When he was 12, the family moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and later moved again, this time to Atlanta, Georgia. His mother guided his career as his manager, a position she now holds full-time, and it wasn’t long until he was appearing in local talent shows. During one such show in 1992, Bryant Reid of LaFace Records saw him perform and arranged an audition with his brother Antonio Reid, a music producer. Impressed with the teen’s talent, the company reportedly offered Usher a contract immediately. Puberty caused problems throughout the recording process as Usher’s voice was undergoing changes, but eventually his debut album was released, resulting in a minor hit, "Think of You," 1994. After completing high school, he began another album, "My Way," released in October 1997. This resulted in his first hit single, "You Make Me Wanna," a passionate love song that went to number two on the pop singles chart. In 1997, Usher won the Soul Train Award for Best R&B Single by a male performer and earned a Grammy nomination. In 2001, Usher began dating TLC member Chilli. Their relationship lasted for two years: they broke up in December 2003. In November 2005, Usher began dating stylist Tameka Foster, who had worked as his personal stylist for several years. Their engagement was announced in February 2007. After the sudden cancellation of a planned July wedding in the Hamptons, the two were wed on August 3, 2007, in a civil ceremony in Atlanta. 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 in Atlanta. The divorce was legally finalized in Fulton County Court on November 4, 2009. This preceded a highly publicized child custody dispute spanning three years, which ultimately culminated on August 24, 2012, with a judge awarding Usher primary custody of his two sons with Foster. Usher quietly married his long time girlfriend and manager Grace Miguel in September 2015 while vacationing in Cuba. Link to Wikipedia biography