# Usher (musician)
**Usher** (full name Usher Terry Raymond IV, born 1978) is an American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor whose four-decade run from teenage [LaFace Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/laface-records) signee to stadium headliner has produced eight [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards), a diamond-certified album, and a [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) halftime show.[1](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher) • [2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/) He is best known for his 2004 album *Confessions* and hit songs such as "Yeah!," "Burn," "Nice & Slow," "U Remind Me," and "Love In This Club."[1](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name, birth | Usher Terry Raymond IV, born 1978 in Dallas, Texas; raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee[1](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher) |
| Breakthrough | *My Way* (1997) reached multiplatinum sales and No. 4 on the Billboard 200, with his first No. 1 single, "Nice & Slow"[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/) |
| Commercial peak | *Confessions* (2004) sold over 1 million copies in its first week, reached diamond certification in 2008, and launched four No. 1 hits[1](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher) • [3](https://time.com/6691722/usher-music-legacy-super-bowl-halftime-show/) |
| Grammy record | 8 wins from 24 nominations; first win for "U Remind Me" (2001), eighth for "Climax" (Best R&B Performance)[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44890/charts-awards) |
| Studio albums | Ten solo and collaborative studio albums from *Usher* (1994) to *Coming Home* (2024)[5](https://thealbumorder.com/usher) |
| Residency | "My Way" Las Vegas residency at Park MGM launched July 2022 and ran about 100 shows[6](https://www.ticketmaster.com/usher-tickets/artist/766722?tt_scene=anchor_view) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44890/charts-awards) |
| Halftime show | Headlined the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show on February 11, 2024, the same day *Coming Home* was released[1](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher) |
| Current touring | The R&B Tour, a 33-date co-headlining stadium run with Chris Brown, began in Denver in June 2026[7](https://apnews.com/article/9cf294dd162d09e42443e2b666e2c48b) |
## Early life and signing
Usher began singing in church as a child. Raised in Chattanooga, he moved to Atlanta with his mother, [Jonnetta Patton](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonnetta-patton), in 1990 to pursue a record deal and performed in amateur singing competitions. In 1991 his performance at a talent show caught the attention of Antonio "L.A." Reid of LaFace Records, who signed the fourteen-year-old to a recording contract.[8](https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/usher-b-1978/) A performance on the television competition *Star Search* preceded the deal, and he recorded the single "Call Me a Mack" for the *Poetic Justice* soundtrack in 1993.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44890/charts-awards)
His debut album, *Usher* (1994), released when he was 15, was co-produced by Reid and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. The single "Think of You" pushed the album to gold status and established him as a rising R&B artist.[8](https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/usher-b-1978/)
## My Way and 8701
The 1997 album *My Way*, guided by Reid and the producers [Jermaine Dupri](https://www.edgepedia.org/jermaine-dupri) and Babyface, became a crossover success driven by "You Make Me Wanna" and "Nice & Slow." It reached multiplatinum sales, hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200, and gave Usher his first chart-topping single, along with the No. 2 hits "You Make Me Wanna…" and "My Way."[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/) • [8](https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/usher-b-1978/) The album's success also opened an acting career, including the film *Light It Up* (1999) and a 1999 live recording collection.[8](https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/usher-b-1978/)
The 2001 album *8701* answered critics who had questioned his longevity. Signed with Arista, he sold more than 8 million copies of the album, which included the No. 1 song "U Got It Bad."[8](https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/usher-b-1978/) Two of its singles won consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "U Remind Me" in 2001 and "U Don't Have to Call" in 2002.[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44890/charts-awards)
## Confessions and commercial peak
*Confessions* (2004) was the peak of Usher's commercial career. It became his first No. 1 album, sold more than 1 million copies in its first week, and accumulated to nearly 20 million copies worldwide.[1](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher) It launched four No. 1 hits: "Yeah!" with Ludacris and [Lil Jon](https://www.edgepedia.org/lil-jon), "Burn," "Confessions Part II," and "My Boo," a duet with [Alicia Keys](https://www.edgepedia.org/alicia-keys); "Yeah!" held the Billboard Hot 100 top spot for 12 weeks.[1](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher) Pitchfork notes that *Confessions* sits alongside [Boyz II Men](https://www.edgepedia.org/boyz-ii-men) and TLC as the only R&B albums certified diamond for 10 million units in the United States.[9](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/usher-confessions/) Time reports that the album reached diamond certification in 2008, making Usher the first R&B artist since Stevie Wonder to receive the distinction, and the last Black artist in any genre to do so as of that writing.[3](https://time.com/6691722/usher-music-legacy-super-bowl-halftime-show/) The album earned three Grammy Awards and topped the Billboard Year End Albums chart for 2004.[1](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher)
## Later albums
*Here I Stand* (2008), recorded after a four-year break, topped the Billboard 200 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts but sold far less than its predecessor; it scored 65 on Metacritic from 15 critic reviews.[10](https://www.metacritic.com/music/here-i-stand/usher/critic-reviews) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44890/charts-awards) *Raymond v Raymond* (2010) won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and "There Goes My Baby" won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/) *Looking 4 Myself* (2012), featuring production from Diplo, Max Martin, the Neptunes, and [Swedish House Mafia](https://www.edgepedia.org/swedish-house-mafia), became his fourth record to reach No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart, and its single "Climax" won Best R&B Performance, his eighth Grammy.[11](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/usher) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44890/charts-awards) *Hard II Love* (2016) followed, then the collaborative project *A* with producer Zaytoven in 2018.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44890/charts-awards)
Nine albums in, the pace slowed but the profile stayed high. *Coming Home* (2024), his ninth solo studio album and first in eight years, arrived on February 9, 2024, and was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 67th Grammy Awards; the twenty-song LP drew favorable reviews for leaning into his past sound without feeling stale.[1](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher) • [2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/) • [12](https://metacritic.com/music/coming-home/usher/critic-reviews)
## Las Vegas, the Super Bowl, and stadium touring
The "My Way" Las Vegas residency at [Park MGM](https://www.edgepedia.org/park-mgm), launched in July 2022, ran to about 100 shows and was extended twice on the strength of sales.[6](https://www.ticketmaster.com/usher-tickets/artist/766722?tt_scene=anchor_view) • [3](https://time.com/6691722/usher-music-legacy-super-bowl-halftime-show/) Usher has said the residency's consistency mattered to him as a father, and he has said he would like to win an Emmy, Oscar, and Tony to complete an EGOT.[13](https://apnews.com/article/e9e44708d47e67a9950f981eb4aa36d5)
The 2024 [Super Bowl LVIII halftime show](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-lviii-halftime-show) in Las Vegas followed; Jay-Z had personally recruited him for the slot. The performance, which ran about 15 minutes and drew on his Atlanta ties, became the most-watched halftime show in the game's history, according to Usher's own account at the [NAACP Image Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/naacp-image-awards), where he was honored in 2024.[14](https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/02/09/usher-super-bowl-moment) • [15](https://apnews.com/article/388036f8663d6485baf4c60f8d85d609) The 24-city "Past Present Future" tour followed from August through October 2024 and sold more than 1.1 million tickets across North America.[16](https://apnews.com/article/da117aefc0b67e3cb547f473f212fc92) • [7](https://apnews.com/article/9cf294dd162d09e42443e2b666e2c48b)
In 2026 Usher and [Chris Brown](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-brown) launched [The R&B Tour](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-r-and-b-tour), a 33-date co-headlining stadium run that opened in Denver with a nearly three-hour production, with a third show added at [MetLife Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/metlife-stadium). Usher framed the tour as a case for R&B's stadium-scale audience and a tribute to artists such as James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Prince, and Luther Vandross.[7](https://apnews.com/article/9cf294dd162d09e42443e2b666e2c48b) • [17](https://www.metlifestadium.com/news/detail/usher-raymond-chris-brown-add-third-metlife-stadium-show)
## Acting, mentorship, and philanthropy
Usher's screen work includes a film debut in *The Faculty* (1999), *She's All That* (1999), *Light It Up* (1999), and *In the Mix* (2005), plus later appearances in *Hustlers* and service as a coach on NBC's *The Voice*.[8](https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/usher-b-1978/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44890/charts-awards) • [18](https://apnews.com/article/05a21fe7663feff1368bba8e8ba7c47b)
His business reach has been wide. In 2008 he and manager Scooter Braun signed Justin Bieber to his first deal through their joint venture, Raymond Braun Media Group.[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/) In 1999 he founded the New Look Foundation, which works to develop underserved youth.[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/) In 2016 he joined a government cultural mission to Cuba as part of President Barack Obama's Presidential Committee for Arts and Humanities.[17](https://www.metlifestadium.com/news/detail/usher-raymond-chris-brown-add-third-metlife-stadium-show)
## References
1. [Usher: Biography, R&B and Pop Singer, Grammy Winning Musician, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/musicians/usher)
2. [Usher Grammy Awards and Nominations, Recording Academy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/usher/16167/)
3. [The Enduring Appeal of Usher](https://time.com/6691722/usher-music-legacy-super-bowl-halftime-show/)
4. [Usher Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44890/charts-awards)
5. [Usher Albums in Order, The Album Order](https://thealbumorder.com/usher)
6. [USHER Tickets, 2026-2027 Concert Tour Dates, Ticketmaster](https://www.ticketmaster.com/usher-tickets/artist/766722?tt_scene=anchor_view)
7. [Usher says tour with Chris Brown is about more than 2 stars, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/9cf294dd162d09e42443e2b666e2c48b)
8. [Usher, New Georgia Encyclopedia](https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/usher-b-1978/)
9. [Usher: Confessions Album Review, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/usher-confessions/)
10. [Critic Reviews for Here I Stand, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/here-i-stand/usher/critic-reviews)
11. [Usher Biography, EBSCO Research Starters](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/usher)
12. [Critic Reviews for Coming Home, Metacritic](https://metacritic.com/music/coming-home/usher/critic-reviews)
13. [Usher eyes EGOT, talks Vegas residency and Super Bowl debate, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/e9e44708d47e67a9950f981eb4aa36d5)
14. [Atlanta's Usher has his Super Bowl moment, Axios](https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/02/09/usher-super-bowl-moment)
15. [Usher, Fantasia Barrino, 'Color Purple' honored at 55th NAACP Image Awards, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/388036f8663d6485baf4c60f8d85d609)
16. [Usher announces post-Super Bowl North American tour, 'Past Present Future', Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/da117aefc0b67e3cb547f473f212fc92)
17. [Usher Raymond & Chris Brown Add Third MetLife Stadium Show, MetLife Stadium](https://www.metlifestadium.com/news/detail/usher-raymond-chris-brown-add-third-metlife-stadium-show)
18. [Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/05a21fe7663feff1368bba8e8ba7c47b)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › R&B singers, 1990s and 2000s › R&B singers of the 2000s › Surnames M to Y*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license