Usher

Usher is an R&B singer and actor born in Dallas in 1978. As a 16 year old he had a gold-selling debut single, and that golden touch has stayed with him throughout his career. He is now one of the biggest pop stars in America, with eight Hot 100 chart-topping singles and 30 million album sales under his belt.

His family was behind his career from the start and they moved to Atlanta for the greater opportunities that the city could provide for the young Usher. Their determination paid off and, having been discovered at a talent show, he recorded his first song aged 13. The song was used on the soundtrack to the film Poetic Justice which featured Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur.

His debut album was recorded when he was 16. Usher was produced by Sean 'Puffy' Coombs and strong singles, including the gold-selling "Think of You", took the album to the Top 30 in the R&B charts. The album heralded the start of a hugely successful singing career and his subsequent releases would achieve platinum sales and be nominated for a host of awards both within R&B circles and by the wider music media. The single "You Make Me Wanna" from the Usher album was Top 5 on both sides of the Atlantic and was his first platinum single. It also received a Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. His follow-up albums My Way and 8701 made multi-platinum sales, and the single "U Remind Me" from the 8701 album earned him the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. His fourth album, 2004's Confessions, sold over one million copies in its first week of release. Here I Stand was released in May 2008.

Usher has also had a successful acting career, beginning with parts in the TV series Moesha, which lead to a role in the horror film Faculty alongside Elijah Wood. With a few more TV and film parts behind him, he had his first starring role in the 1999 film Light It Up, and also starred in 2006's In the Mix.