Usher

Usher, whose full name is Usher Raymond IV – is a rhythm and blues singer and actor.http://www.people.com/people/usher/biography Known to the younger generation as the King of R&B, he released his first album in 1997 called ‘’My Way’’, which went platinum.http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/5209619

Born in 1978 in Dallas, Texas, Usher’s hits include “You Make Me Wanna …”, “My Way”, “How Do I Say” and “Can U Help Me.”http://www.people.com/people/usher/biography He followed up his 1997 release with the 2001 album ‘’8701’’, which also went platinum. In fact, both albums sold more than 8 million copies worldwide.http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/5209619

Selling more than 10 million copies, Usher released the album ‘’Confessions’’ in 2004.http://www.usherworld.com/pages/bio This album was considered to have the highest first-week sales for any R&B album in history. This album went on to sell more than 20 million copies. It was one of the top selling R&B albums of the first decade of the 2000s.

Usher duplicated his success again in 2008 with the album ‘’Here I Stand’’, selling more than 5 million copies worldwide. He followed that up again that year by being named the top selling artist of his generation by ‘’Billboard’’ magazine.

In 2009, Usher performed with Stevie Wonder and Shakira at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial.http://famewatcher.com/obama-inauguration-usher-stevie-wonder.html That same year he also sang at the Michael Jackson memorial in Los Angeles.http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1615448/20090707/usher.jhtml

In 2010, he released his sixth studio album ‘’Raymond v. Raymond’’ which won an American Music Award.http://idolator.com/5696122/2010-american-music-awards-the-liveblog This album debuted at number one on the U.S. charts, remaining there for seven weeks, and sold more than 7 million tracks and ringtones combined.http://www.usherworld.com/pages/bio Just a few months after the release of Raymond v. Raymond, Usher released Versus, containing eight new singles, along with the Raymond v. Raymond single, "There Goes me Baby."http://www.usherworld.com/pages/bio

Usher has also won numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, eight Soul Train Music Awards, four BET Awards, two People’s Choice Awards and nine ASCAP Awards. In addition, he has had nine number one singles on the U.S. charts.http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6450R620100506

Usher performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards in September.http://gossiponthis.com/2010/09/07/usher-nicki-minaj-mtv-vma-performer-line-up/ The singer has been nominated for three VMAs for Best Male Video, Best Choreography, and Best Dance Video, all for his hit single, "OMG."http://gossiponthis.com/2010/09/07/usher-nicki-minaj-mtv-vma-performer-line-up/

Usher performed at the 2010 American Music Awards, singing "DJ Got Us Falling in Love" and also won awards for Best Soul R&B Favorite Male Artist and "Raymond v. Raymond” won for Soul and Rhythm & Blues Favorite Album.http://idolator.com/5696122/2010-american-music-awards-the-liveblog

"The girls want to see the rips on your stomach, they like that."http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/u/usher_raymond.html

"He's magic to me, he breaks me all the way down. I'm the goofiest dad ever; I'm doing backflips in front of him and spinning on my head and he's laughing at me."http://blackcelebkids.com/2008/06/04/daddy-quotesusher-on-being-there-for-his-childs-birth

• "You Make Me Wanna"
• "Nice and Slow"
• "My Way"
• "U Remind Me"
• "Usher U Got it Bad"
• "U Don't Have to Call"
• "Yeah!"
• "Burn"
• "Confessions Part II"
• "My Boo"
• "Caught Up"
• "Love in This Club
• '"OMG"

• 1999: Usher Live

• 1994: Usher
• 1997: My Way
• 2001: 8701
• 2004: Confessions
• 2008: Here I Stand
• 2010: Raymond v. Raymond
• 2010: Versus

In 2009, Usher signed a mostly unknown Justin Bieber to Island Def Jam Recordings after meeting with him in Los Angeles.http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/teen-pop-star-justin-bieber-discovered-youtube/story?id=9068403 Bieber had gained notoriety via YouTube videos of his singing.http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/teen-pop-star-justin-bieber-discovered-youtube/story?id=9068403 Usher became his protege,' beating out Justin Timberlake in a bidding war for a record deal for Bieber.http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/teen-pop-star-justin-bieber-discovered-youtube/story?id=9068403

Usher has said that he felt "destined to manage" the singer.http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/justin-bieber/news/236749-justin-bieber-arrest Referring to his own start on the TV show "Star Search" at a young age, Usher had said he felt God placed Bieber in his path because of the way he, himself, started.http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/justin-bieber/news/236749-justin-bieber-arrest