Usher

Usher dated TLC member Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas between 2001 and 2003. Their separation occurred as he developed Confessions, though Thomas later confirmed the album's infidelity themes did not stem from their relationship. In November 2005, he began dating stylist Tameka Foster. The couple wed in a civil ceremony in Atlanta on August 3, 2007, followed by a larger celebration at Chateau Elan Winery the next month.

They had two sons together, Usher "Cinco" Raymond V in November 2007 and Naviyd Ely Raymond in December 2008. Usher filed for divorce in June 2009, and Fulton County Court finalized the split that November. Following an extended custody dispute, a judge awarded him primary custody of both sons in August 2012. An emergency custody challenge by Foster in August 2013, filed after Usher V suffered a swimming pool accident, was dismissed.

In September 2015, Usher married his longtime manager Grace Miguel in Cuba. They separated in March 2018, and he filed for divorce in Georgia later that year. He began dating music executive Jenn Goicoechea in 2019. The couple welcomed a daughter, Sovereign Bo, in September 2020, and a son, Sire Castrello, in September 2021. They married in Las Vegas on February 11, 2024, immediately following his Super Bowl performance.

Usher Terry Raymond IV was born on October 14, 1978, in Dallas, Texas, to Jonnetta Patton and Usher Raymond III. His father left the family when Usher was a year old. He spent most of his youth in Chattanooga, Tennessee, growing up alongside his younger half-brother, James Lackey. He joined a local church choir at age nine under his mother's direction. His grandmother quickly recognized his singing talent.

Believing a larger music market offered better opportunities, Patton relocated the family to Atlanta, Georgia, where Usher attended North Springs High School. At age 12, he joined the local R&B vocal group NuBeginning, recording ten tracks before his mother removed him to pursue solo work. Patton quit her job as a medical technician to manage his career full-time.

Talent scout A.J. Alexander spotted him at a local Atlanta competition and arranged an introduction to Bryant Reid of LaFace Records. Reid arranged an audition with label co-founder L.A. Reid, who signed the 14-year-old on the spot after hearing him sing Boyz II Men's 'End of the Road'. During preparations for his debut, Usher experienced vocal difficulties related to puberty. Reid sent him to New York City in 1994 to live and train with Sean Combs. His self-titled debut album arrived in August 1994, co-executive-produced by Combs, and yielded the single 'Think of You'.

Usher established his commercial breakthrough with his second album, My Way, released in September 1997. He co-wrote five tracks alongside producer Jermaine Dupri, staying at Dupri's residence during recording. The lead single, 'You Make Me Wanna...', topped the UK charts and earned an American platinum certification. The follow-up, 'Nice & Slow', gave Usher his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single in January 1998. He supported the release by joining tour dates with Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, and Sean Combs.

His third studio album, 8701, arrived in August 2001 after radio leaks forced a delay and title change from All About U. The album generated two consecutive Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers in 'U Remind Me' and 'U Got It Bad'. The singles earned him consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2002 and 2003, joining Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder as the only artists to win the category back-to-back.

In March 2004, Usher released Confessions. The album opened with nearly 1.1 million copies sold in its first week, setting a record for a male R&B artist. It achieved Diamond certification from the RIAA and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Four consecutive singles reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100: 'Yeah!', 'Burn', 'Confessions Part II', and the Alicia Keys duet 'My Boo'. In 2004, Usher spent 28 cumulative weeks atop the Hot 100.

Usher returned to number one on the Billboard 200 with Here I Stand in May 2008, supported by the chart-topping single 'Love in This Club'. His 2010 follow-up, Raymond v. Raymond, explored the aftermath of his divorce through singles such as 'Papers' and 'There Goes My Baby'. The will.i.am collaboration 'OMG' reached number one on the Hot 100, making Usher the first artist of the 2010s to achieve top hits across three consecutive decades. He released the companion EP Versus later that year, which featured 'DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love'.

His seventh studio album, Looking 4 Myself (2012), blended electronic dance production with R&B ballads and spawned the Grammy-winning single 'Climax'. He released Hard II Love in 2016 and followed it with the trap-centric collaborative album A, produced entirely by Zaytoven, in 2018. In July 2021, he launched a residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, later moving the show to Dolby Live at Park MGM for expanded dates. In 2023, he took his live show to Boulogne-Billancourt for a series of Paris concerts at La Seine Musicale.

On February 11, 2024, Usher headlined the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, attracting 123 million domestic television viewers. On the same day, he released his ninth solo album, Coming Home, which featured collaborations with Summer Walker, 21 Savage, H.E.R., and Jungkook. He supported the project by launching the Past Present Future arena tour.

Usher branched into acting early in his career, debuting on television in 1997 with a recurring role on Moesha. He made his film debut in 1998's The Faculty, followed by roles in She's All That, Light It Up, and the 2005 film In the Mix. In 2006, he starred on Broadway as lawyer Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago. He returned to feature films in 2016 to portray boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard in the biographical drama Hands of Stone. On television, he served as a coach on seasons four and six of NBC's The Voice, guiding Josh Kaufman to victory in 2014.

In 2005, Usher purchased a minority ownership stake in the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the NBA Championship in 2016. He partnered with Scooter Braun in 2008 to establish the Raymond-Braun Media Group, which signed Justin Bieber. In 2023, he teamed with L.A. Reid to form the independent record company Mega in partnership with Gamma.

His philanthropic efforts started in 1999 with the founding of Usher's New Look, a non-profit organization dedicated to leadership development and educational support for youth. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he launched Project Restart to provide housing assistance to more than 700 displaced families in New Orleans. In 2011, the National Civil Rights Museum recognized his humanitarian work by presenting him with the Freedom Award.