Born on October 14, 1978, in Dallas and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Usher Terry Raymond IV began singing in his church choir when he was 6 years old. Two years after moving with his mother and brother to Atlanta, Usher performed on the hit talent competition show Star Search and landed a recording contract with LaFace Records soon after. He released his self-titled first album in 1994, at age 15. Usher soon became known for his polished vocals, broad vocal range, chic style, sexy dance moves, and sensual ballads. Since the late 1990s, Usher has been a dominant player in the music industry. He’s moved across several different musical genres, including R&B, blues, and pop, with his eight solo studio albums.
Outside of music, Usher has worked as a movie and stage actor. One of his earliest roles was in the teen horror film The Faculty (1998). He went on to make guest appearances on several television shows, including a role as Marvin Gaye on the program American Dreams (2002). In 2005, Usher played a disc jockey in the movie In the Mix, and a year later, he landed the lead role of Billy Flynn in the Broadway play Chicago (2006). In March 2013, Usher returned to reality TV, this time as a judge and coach. He and Latin singer Shakira joined NBC’s popular singing competition show The Voice for Season 4. Replacing Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera, Usher and Shakira starred on the show alongside returning judges/coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. Usher soon won over TV viewers with his offbeat coaching style. Despite this success, he sat out the next season before returning for Season 6, which his protégé Josh Kaufman won.  Usher also stays busy with his charity, New Look Foundation, which was founded in 1999. The organization provides funding for children in foster care and service programs, holds conferences and camps for at-risk youth, and works to promote leadership skills for kids in impoverished communities. For his work with the nonprofit, Usher has received honors from such groups as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Trumpet Foundation, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Additionally, Usher has invested in several entrepreneurial endeavors. He owns the record label US Records and a men’s cologne line. He also is a part-owner in the music streaming service Tidal and is a co-owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team

         Recently, Usher plans to release his ninth studio album, Coming Home, on February 11, 2024. That the same day, he will headline the halftime show for Super Bowl LVIII, which will be held in Las Vegas. “It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list,” Usher said. “I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before.”