Usher's Biography

Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978),[1] known simply by his first name Usher, is an American R&B and pop singer and actor who rose to fame in the mid-late 1990s. To date, he has sold approximately 30 million albums worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards.[2] Usher is also a part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers National Basketball Association franchise. He also has his own record label, US Records.

 

 

 

Early life

 

Usher was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the son of Jonetta Patton (née O\\\\\\\'Neal) and Usher Terry Raymond III.[3] He spent the majority of his young life in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a child, he joined his local church choir where he discovered his ability to sing. As early as junior high school, Usher successfully entered local talent shows.[4] Usher\\\\\\\'s family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in the belief that the city would provide greater opportunities for showcasing his talent. While in Atlanta, Usher attended the North Springs Charter School of Arts and Sciences.[5]

 

Music career

 

At age thirteen, Raymond competed on Star Search, where he was spotted by an A&R representative from LaFace Records, who arranged an audition for him with L.A. Reid. A contract with the company soon followed. Usher was introduced on \\\"Call Me A Mack,\\\" a song he recorded for the soundtrack album to the John Singleton film, Poetic Justice.

 

1994-1995: Usher (Debut album)

 

On August 30, 1994, LaFace released Usher’s self-titled debut album. Sean “P Diddy” Combs produced several of the tracks and co-executive produced the album.[4] Usher peaked at number twenty-five on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart[6] and was accompanied by three singles: “Can U Get Wit It,” “Think Of You,” and “The Many Ways.”[7]

 

After graduating from high school, Usher continued to hone his skills as a stage performer and laid the groundwork for his second album. He also appeared on \\\"Let\\\\\\\'s Straighten It Out\\\", a 1995 duet with fellow Atlanta teen recording artist Monica[8]; and on \\\"Dreamin’\\\", from Rhythm of the Games, LaFace\\\\\\\'s 1996 Olympic Games benefit album.[9] He was also featured on the Kazaam soundtrack with \\\"I swear I\\\\\\\'m in love\\\"

 

1997-1998: My Way

 

Usher developed a friendship with Jermaine Dupri, with whom he co-wrote and produced several tracks for his second album, My Way, released on September 16, 1997. The lead-off single, “You Make Me Wanna” was serviced to radio that summer and hit number one in its second week out—the same week that the album was released. “You Make Me Wanna” stayed on top of the R&B/Hip-Hop track charts for a total of 11 weeks (the longest-charting R&B hit in more than 3 years) and at #2 on the Pop charts for 7 weeks (second only to Elton John’s “Candle In the Wind.”) The single remained on the R&B chart for an unprecedented 71 weeks and became Usher\\\\\\\'s first platinum single. The albums second single, “Nice & Slow,” was released in November, and in January 1998 peaked at #1 on the Hot 100 Singles Chart for two weeks, as well as #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart for eight weeks. The following summer, the album\\\\\\\'s eponymous single title track peaked #2 pop/#4 R&B.

 

In the closing months of 1997, Usher embarked on a series of tour engagements including a spot on Puffy\\\\\\\'s No Way Out tour, dates with Mary J. Blige, and the opening spot on Janet Jackson’s The Velvet Rope tour. My Way was certified 6x platinum in the United States. Usher received his first Grammy Award nomination as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for \\\"You Make Me Wanna,\\\" which was also nominated for a Soul Train Music Award as ‘Best Male R&B/Soul Single.’

 

Usher made his acting debut on the UPN television series Moesha, which resulted in a recurring role on the series and subsequently his first film role in 1998\\\\\\\'s The Faculty. Usher’s extracurricular activities outside of the recording studio gathered momentum over the following year as he was cast in the daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful and was seen in the family series Promised Land. He completed two more films, She\\\\\\\'s All That, and his first starring role in Light It Up. He also appeared in the Disney TV movie \\\"Geppetto\\\" with Drew Carey. Usher also became involved community activities: he served as national spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation\\\\\\\'s “Get Big On Safety” campaign, and appeared on NBC’s NBA Inside Stuff. He also participated in the NBA\\\\\\\'s \\\"Stay In School\\\" program, and performed at several of the franchise\\\\\\\'s jamborees.

 

Raymond’s first concert album, Live was released in 1999—which featured appearances by Lil\\\\\\\' Kim, Jagged Edge, Trey Lorenz, Shanice, Twista and Manuel Seal, and was RIAA-certified Gold.

 

2001-2002: 8701

 

Usher’s third studio album, originally titled All About U, was slated to be released in early 2001. The first single, “Pop Ya Collar” (co-written and produced by Kevin \\\"She\\\\\\\'kspere\\\" Briggs), was released in late 2000 and became a #2 hit in the UK—but underperformed in America. The album was subsequently pushed back and retooled after select tracks were later leaked to the radio and Internet, and garnered a largely cold public response.

 

After having revised the album, it was renamed 8701 (named for the years of his career at that point [1987-2001], and for its release date of August 7, 2001, or 8/7/01). The first two singles \\\"U Remind Me\\\" and \\\"U Got It Bad\\\" each topped the U.S. Hot 100 singles chart for four and six weeks respectively in the summer and fall. In early 2002, \\\"U Don\\\\\\\'t Have to Call,\\\" also went top five pop. The albums final single, \\\"U-Turn\\\" was released outside of America, and became a top twenty hit in Australia and the U.K.. 8701 was certified 4x platinum, selling more than seven million copies worldwide.

 

In February 2002, Usher won a Grammy for ‘Best Male R&B Vocal Performance’ for “U Remind Me.” The next year, he won the same award for \\\"U Don\\\\\\\'t Have to Call,\\\" making Usher the only artist aside from Luther Vandross, more than a decade before, and Stevie Wonder (in the 1970s) to win this award consecutively.

 

In summer 2002, Usher contributed vocals to P. Diddy\\\\\\\'s \\\"I Need a Girl, Part I.\\\" The year closed out with a trio of TV series appearances, all in November, on The Twilight Zone, 7th Heaven, Moesha , and American Dreams (in which Usher portrayed Marvin Gaye).

 

2004-2005: Confessions

 

Usher’s fourth studio album, Confessions, was released on March 23, 2004—just as its first single, \\\"Yeah!\\\" was in its sixth week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and fifth week on top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.[10] The album\\\\\\\'s 1.1 million unit first week sales was the highest first week numbers ever scanned by a male R&B artist in Soundscan’s 13-year history (breaking R. Kelly\\\\\\\'s record of 540k for TP-2.com back in 2000).

 

The album’s second and third singles: \\\"Burn\\\" and \\\"Confessions Part II\\\" also topped Billboard\\\\\\\'s Hot 100 singles charts, the former for eight weeks. Usher became the third lead artist in pop music history (but the first solo artist) to have three singles inside the Hot 100\\\\\\\'s top 10 since The Beatles in 1964, and the Bee Gees in 1978. In September 2004, \\\"My Boo,\\\" a duet with singer Alicia Keys (which was included on a Special Edition, released a half year after the original version), also peaked at number one and gave him a total of twenty-eight weeks on top of the U.S. charts that year.[11] In December, the album\\\\\\\'s final single \\\"Caught Up\\\" peaked at number eight on the Hot 100. Confessions became the most successful album of the year; certified diamond in America, topping the world charts for several weeks and as of 2008 it sold more than 19 million copies all over the globe.[12] After \\\"Caught Up\\\", Usher released another single \\\"Redlight\\\" which is also shown on the Special Edition album.

 

Usher was recognized with numerous awards, including two MTV Video Music Awards for \\\"Best Male Video and \\\"Best Dance Video\\\", three World Music Awards (“Best Male Artist,” “Best Male Pop Artist” and “Best R&B Artist“), two Source Hip-Hop Music Awards (“Male R&B Artist of the Year” and “R&B/Rap Collaboration of the Year,” a Nordic Music Award, three Radio Music Awards, four American Music Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards and two more MTV Europe Music Awards. At the 47th annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2005, Usher won three awards, including: “R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals” (for “My Boo” with Alicia Keys), “Rap/Sung Collaboration” (for “Yeah!”) and “Contemporary R&B Album” (for Confessions).[10]

 

In spring of 2005, Usher scored a #3 Hot 100 hit as a featured vocalist on Lil\\\\\\\' Jon\\\\\\\'s \\\"Lovers and Friends.\\\" In November 2005, Usher starred as a disc jockey named Darrell in the Lions Gate film, In the Mix.

 

2006-present: Acting, collaborations and Here I Stand

 

On August 22, 2006, Usher took over the role of Billy Flynn in the long-running Broadway musical Chicago. Critical response to his overall performance were mixed. Usher is currently recording his fifth studio album. The album was due for release in November 2007 but was delayed to March 4, 2008. In June, an album was leaked onto the internet, claiming to be the singer\\\\\\\'s new album; it is however just a bootleg compilation of his previously unreleased material. In 2007, Usher also collaborated with R. Kelly on the track \\\"Same Girl,\\\" for Kelly’s album, Double Up.[13] He was also featured in a remix version of Omarion\\\\\\\'s Ice Box.Usher also appeared on the track \\\" Shakedown \\\" on Mary J.Blige \\\\\\\'s new album Growing Pains.[14] Usher is putting the finishing touches on his fifth studio album titled Here I Stand, scheduled to be released on May 27, 2008 according to his myspace page.[15]

 

Personal life

 

Usher is the godson of performer Ben Vereen.

 

In June 2007, Usher announced that he and his fiancée Tameka Foster were expecting a baby boy in the fall of 2007.[16] The coupled planned to be wed on July 28, 2007, at record executive LA Reid\\\\\\\'s home in the Hamptons, but the wedding was abruptly canceled.[17] On August 3, 2007, Usher married Foster in a quiet ceremony in his lawyer\\\\\\\'s office in Atlanta.[18] Usher and Foster welcomed a baby boy, Usher Raymond V, born on November 26, 2007.[19] He and his family now live in the lavish Alpharetta section of Fulton County, Georgia, just on the outskirts of Atlanta. His mother, Jonetta Patton, also lives in Alpharetta, Georgia.

 

In September 2007, Usher placed his Atlanta home in Country Club of the South on the market for an asking price of $1.95 million.

 

Usher is a supporter of Presidential candidate, Barack Obama. Usher made a speech at Obama\\\\\\\'s political rally on September 20, 2007 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

 

Usher\\\\\\\'s father, Usher Raymond III, passed away on January 18, 2008.[20]

 

 

Usher详细介绍

　　Usher Raymond 四世（生于1978年10月14日），而人们仅是知道他的名字Usher。作为美国的R&B流行歌手和演员，他成名于90年代中后期。时至今日，他的专辑在全球已经销售了近35,000,000张并且得到过五项Grammy大奖。Usher同时也是克里夫兰骑士队的股东之一。他也有自己的唱片公司，US唱片公司。

早期生活
　　Usher出生于德克萨斯的达拉斯，是Jonetta Patton(本姓O’Neal)和Usher Raymeond三世的儿子。他儿时的大部分时间都生活在田纳西州的查塔努加。还是个孩子的时候，他就当如了当地的唱诗班，在那里，他发觉了自己的唱歌才能。在初中的时候，Usher成功地参加了当地的才艺秀。Usher一家搬到了乔治亚州的亚特兰大，因为他们相信在那个城市Usher可以崭露他的才华。在亚特兰大的时候，Usher进入了North Spring Charter of Arets and Sciences学习。

音乐生涯
　　13岁的时候，Raymond在“Star Search”节目比赛，在比赛的时候，他被LaFace唱片公司的星探发现， 并且他安排Usher在L.A.Reid面前进行试唱，一纸合约随即到来。Usher被安排演唱了“Call Me A Mack”，这首歌收录于John Singleton的电影《Poetic Justice》。
1994－1995：《Usher》（首张专辑）
　　1994年，8月30日，LaFace发行了Usher的首张同名专辑《Usher》，并由Sean Combs“——P Doddy”担任大部分歌曲制作人以及唱片执行人共同发表专辑。这张专辑当时在Top R&B/HIPHOP Album榜上排名25以及他的三首单曲“Can U Get Wit It”，“Think Of You”以及“The Many Ways”也都榜上有名。
　　高中毕业后，Usher继续磨炼着他的舞台演出技巧并为他的第二张专辑打基础。他也和同样来西亚特兰大的少年歌手Monica在1995年的时候，合唱了“Let’s Straighten It Out”；在1996年LaFace出品的奥运歌曲专辑《Rhythm of the Game中演唱了“Dreamin’”。他还在电影《Kazaam》中配唱了歌曲“I swear I’m in love”。

1997－1998年：《My Way》
　　Usher结交了Jermaine Dupri这个朋友，此人与他共同在他的第二张专辑《My Way》中，创作和制作了几首歌曲，这张专辑发表于1997年9月16日。主打单曲“You Make Me Wanna”在那年夏天播放于通过电台播放并在第二周就成为了大热门，专辑也同期发售。“You Make Me Wanna”共计11周夺得R&B/Hip-Hop榜的榜首（三年来的最久记录）并且连续7周在Pop榜单上排名第二（仅次于Elton John的“Candle In the Wind”）。这首单曲更是空前地在排行榜上停留了71周，同时也成为了Usher的第一支白金单曲。专辑的第二主打单曲“Nice & Slow”，发表于同年11月在1998年1月份的时候连续两周在Hot 100 Single榜单上位居第一，同样也在R&B/Hip-Hop Singles上连续八周的第一。之后的夏天里，专辑中与之齐名的单曲“title track”也夺得了POP方面的第二和R&B方面的第四。
　　1997年底，Usher开始参加一系列的巡演包括在Puffy的“No Way Out”演唱会，Mary J.Blige的演唱会演唱以及在Janet Jackson的“The Velet Rope”里进行开场表演。《My Way》在美国夺得了六项白金歌曲。Usher也以“You Make Me Wanna”被Grammy提名为“最佳R&B男歌手”，也因为这首歌，他被Soul Train音乐奖提名为“最佳男歌手R&B/Soul单曲“奖。
　　Usher的荧屏处女作是UPN的电视连续剧《Moesha》，之后他在电视剧中扮演相同角色并在1998年的时候在电影《The Faculty》里得到了他的第一个电影角色。Usher活跃于唱片之外的演艺事业，他主演了日间剧《The Bold and the Beautiful》以及家庭电视剧《Promised Land》。同时，他也拍了两部电影，《She’s All That》还有他的第一部担任主演的电影《Light It Up》。他和Drew Carey共同参加的Disney的电视电影《Geppetto》。Usher也参加了许多社区活动：他担任了U.S. Department of Transportation的“Get Big on Safety”运动的发言人， 以及NBC的节目“NBA Inside Stuff”。他同时参加了NBA的“Stay in School”节目并在少年团体大会上进行表演。
　　Raymond的第一张演唱会专辑《Live》，发行于1999年，这张专辑中包括了和Lil’ Kim, Jagged Edge, Trey Lorenz, Shanice, Twista以及Manuel Seal的合作，同时也被美国唱片工业协会认作为黄金唱片。

2001－2002年：《8701》
　　Usher的第三张录音室专辑，原名为《All About U》，原本计划在2001年年初发行，第一支单曲“Pop Ya Collar”（由Kevin Briggs——“She’kspere”共同创作和制作），在2000年年末发表并且在UK榜上位居第二，但是在美国却表现不佳。专辑因此被推迟发行，专辑中的几首歌曲也由于电台和网络的泄漏而不得不进行重新选取，这张专辑因此没有得到热烈的公众反响。
　　重新修改了专辑之后，专辑取名为《8701》（以Usher从事这行的年份[1987－2001]，同时也是它的发行日期：2001年8月7日——8/7/01）。两支单曲“U Remind Me”以及“U Got It Bad”各自都在夏季以及秋季的Hot 100 singles 上连续四周及六周位居榜首。2002年初，歌曲“U Don’t Have to Call”也上升到了前五的位置。专辑中的最后一首单曲，“U－Turn”，在美国之外的地区发行，同样也在英国以及澳大利亚夺得前二十热门歌曲。《8701》得到了4项白金荣号，并且在全球销售超过7,000,000张唱片。
　　2002年2月，Usher以“U Remind Me”赢得了格莱美最佳R&B男歌手奖。第二年，他以“U Don’t Have to Call”赢得了相同奖项。在近10年之前，像这样连续获得两次奖项的歌手只有Luther Vandross以及Stevie Wonder（70年代）。
　　2002年夏天，Usher为P. Diddy的“I Need a Girl, Part I”献声。同年11月，Usher也以出演一系列的电视剧收尾，分别是《The Twilight Zone》，《7th Heaven》，《Moesha》以及《American Dreams》（Usher在其中扮演了Marvin Gaye）。

2004－2005：《Confessions》
　　《Confessions》，Usher的第四张录音室专辑，发行于2004年3月23日，单曲“Yeah！”连续六周在Billboard Hot 100 single上第一，连续五周在Hot R&B/Hip-hop Single上第一。专辑发售的第一周就创造了1,100,000的记录，打破了13年来R&B男歌手的销售记录（打破了R. Kelly的专辑《TP-2.com》所销售的540，000张的记录）
　　专辑的第二和第三首单曲“Burn”和“Confessions Part II”同样也在Billboard Hot 100 singles上位居第一，前者更是停留了8周。Usher，作为一名独唱歌手，成为了继The Beatles在1964年、Bee Gees在1978年后第三个有这样的成绩的艺人。2004年9月，“My Boo”，一首与Alicia Keys合唱的作品（这首歌还有一个特别版本，发行于原始版本之后半年），同样，在那一年，这首歌也有着共计28周在美国排行榜上第一的记录。12月，专辑的最后一支单曲“Caught Up”在Hot 100上排行第八。《Confessions》成为了当年大获成功的专辑。在美国得到了钻石唱片，在全球榜单上也连续好几周排行第一，并且到2008年时，这张专辑在全球销售了超过19,000,000张。继“Caught Up”后，Usher又发行了另一首单曲“Redlight”，这首歌也收录于他的特别版专辑中。
　　Usher得过无数得奖项，包括两个MTV Video Music Awards，分别是“Best Male Video”以及“Best Dance Video”,三个World Music Awards(“Best Male Artist,” “Best Male Pop Artist” 以及 “Best R&B Artist“)，两个Source Hip-Hop Music Awards (“Male R&B Artist of the Year” 以及“R&B/Rap Collaboration of the Year,”一个 Nordic Music Award,三个 Radio Music Awards, 四个 American Music Awards, 11个Billboard Music Awards 以及两个 MTV Europe Music Awards。2005年，第47届格莱美奖颁奖典礼上，Usher赢得了三个奖项，包括R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals（和Alicia Keys合作的“My Boo”），“Rap/Sung Collaboration””歌曲 “Yeah!”) 以及 “Contemporary R&B Album” (专辑《Confessions》)。
　　2005年春季，Usher与Lil’ Jon’s合唱的歌曲“Lovers and Friends”在Hot 100上排行第三，2005年11月，Usher在Lions Gate的电影《In the Mix》中扮演了名叫Darrell的DJ。

2006年至今：拍戏，合作以及《Here I stand》
　　2006年8月22日，Usher接下了百老汇音乐剧《Chicago》中的Billy Flynn一角。但评论界却褒贬不一，认为他表演得有些过头。现在Usher正在录制他的第五张录音室专辑。专辑原本计划在2007年11月发行，但之后又推迟到2008年4月。去年6月，网上有泄漏版专辑，声称是Usher的新专辑，但实际上只是个人编辑的Usher早期未公开的一些歌曲。2007年时，Usher在R. Kelly的专辑《Double Up》里与其合作了歌曲“Same Girl”他也在Omarion的“Ice Box”一曲中合唱了混音版本。Usher也为Mary J. Blige的新专辑《Growing Pains》献声，演唱了“Shakedown”。现在Usher正在对他的第五张录音室专辑《Here I Stand》做最后的收尾工作，按照他在他的myspace网页上说，专辑将在2008年6月8日发行。

个人生活
　　Usher是艺人Ben Vereen的教子。2007年6月，Usher宣布他和他的未婚妻Tameka Foster将在2007年秋天时有一子。这对于Usher来说是他的第一个孩子，但对于刚离婚的妻子Foster来说是第四个孩子。这对夫妻原本打算在2007年7月28日，在唱片公司执行LA Reid在汉普顿的家中结婚，但是婚礼却突然取消。2007年8月3日，Usher和Foster在他的律师，位于亚特兰大的办公室中结婚。2007年九月，Usher以1,950,000美元买下了他在亚特兰大，位于County Club of the South的住所。
　　他和他的家人现在住在乔治亚州Alpharetta的豪宅中，位于亚特兰大的郊区。他的母亲Jonetta Patton也住在当地。Usher是总统候选人Barack Obama的支持者。2007年9月20日，乔治亚州全球会议中心，他在Obama的政治集会上发表演说。2007年11月26日，Tameka生下一子，Usher Raymond五世。
　　Usher的父亲，Usher Raymond三世，于2008年1月18日去世。

译文原载：http://www.ukoo.net/bbs/thread-131968-1-2.html

译者：jamiewt