Usher was born in Dallas, Texas on October 14, 1978, to Jonetta Patton and Usher Raymond III. Usher and his mother moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee a short time after and this is where his incredible love for music evolved.  When Usher was 6 years old his mother encouraged him to join the church youth choir and thus a star was born.  

In  1991,Before the family moved to Atlanta, Georgia 12 year old Usher, begin recording with the  group "Nu Beginning" in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The group spawned a few hits with Usher on lead vocals. There was no denying his ornate and capitivating ability to charm audiences with his smooth vocals and debonair dance moves. Even at such a young age, Usher developed the unspoken moniker of "ladies man" when it came to his female fans.

 For more than 15 years, Usher has been a dominant player in the music industry. He's moved across several different musical genres, including R&B, blues and pop. Following Usher (1994), he released his second album, My Way, in 1997. The album—including singles "Nice & Slow" and "You Make Me Wanna?"—skyrocketed the young artist to fame, selling more than 7 million copies. Usher was quickly lauded for his fluid vocals and addictive melodies. He also became known for incorporating sexual undertones into his songs, performances and music videos.

Usher released Usher Live in 1999, followed by 2001's incredibly successful 8701, which included the No. 1 song "U Got It Bad," as well as two Grammy Award–winning singles, "U Remind Me" and "U Don't Have to Call." More than 4 million copies of 8701 were sold in the United States alone.

Nearly a decade after making his first album, Usher released Confessions (2004), which was extremely well-received. More than 1 million copies of the album were sold in its first week, and sales accumulated to nearly 20 million copies worldwide. The album included the songs "Burn," "Confessions Part II" and "Yeah!," a collaboration with with Ludacris and Lil Jon. By this time, Usher had an incredibly impressive track record: He had achieved 13 Top 20 hits—seven of which were No. 1 singles. In 2004, he was named "Artist of the Year" at the Billboard Music Awards. A year later, he received two People's Choice Awards and three Grammy Awards (best contemporary R&B album, best R&B performance by a duo or group and best rap/sung collaboration).

Following the release of Raymond v. Raymond (2010), Usher won two more Grammys, for best contemporary R&B album (Raymond v. Raymond) and best male R&B performance ("There Goes My Baby"). In all, the singer has won 17 Billboard Music Awards; eight Soul Train Music Awards; five Grammys; and nine awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, among other honors.

Usher hasn't missed a beat over his more than 15-year career, and it doesn't look like he'll be slowing down any time soon. In June 2012, he produced the album Looking 4 Myself, which found a No. 1 spot on Billboard's albums chart.***

(***information was obtained from biography.com)

Usher released his first solo single, Call Me a Mack" in 1993 for Epic Records .When Usher was 14, he was discovered  and signed by LA Reid of LaFace Records. He released Usher (1994), he released his second album, My Way, in 1997. The album—including singles "Nice & Slow" and "You Make Me Wanna?"—skyrocketed the young artist to fame, selling more than 7 million copies. Usher was quickly lauded for his fluid vocals and addictive melodies. He also became known for incorporating sexual undertones into his songs, performances and music videos.

 First and foremost, there's Jonetta Patton. The woman and mother responsible for bringing one of the world's most amazing and successful entertainers into existence. Had it not been for her courageous and dutiful pregnancy(as far as I'm concerned, any woman that can maintain her sanity after suffering an unsurmontable  occurrence of pregnancy blues and subsequent body changes deserves to be respected and admired...period .) Usher would not be the reknown artist we love today had it not been for the encouragement and determination of his mother at the start of his music career. During Usher's courtship with his now ex-wife, Tameka Foster, it is suggested that the two became instant rivals and remained so during the entirety of Usher and Tameka's short-lived marriage. According to the tabloids, Jonetta Patton was livid about Usher's engagement to Ms. Foster and refused to attend his wedding. It is said, that she repeatedly advised Usher not to marry Ms. Foster, but as we all know...he didn't heed her advice. (I'm guessing that he NOW wishes he'd listened and taken her advice.) Before the  nuptials, Jonetta's dislike for Tameka begin to affect her working relationship with her son and just a week before Mother's Day, she was released from her duties as Usher's manager. Now, some say that Tameka was the sole reason for her dismisal and some believe her relationship with a much younger man is what caused the rift between the two. No matter the reason, I am elated that they have repaired their relationship.

 James Lackey aka (J Lack) is Usher's younger brother. Following in his famous sibling's footsteps, James also became a part of the music industry. He produced songs for several artists like BOB, Lloyd and Usher. Sometime in 2011, he was arrested on charges of domestic abuse against his girlfriend and child. Lackey was also involved in a child custody battle with his ex-girlfriend. He claims that the money he pays for support is beyond his means while ex implies that he can and should pay more.

To the right... Usher and James during those early days of Usher's career.

 As I am sure, most Usher fans believed that Rozanda Thomas, aka "Chili", was the his perfect match. Usher was smitten with her long before she ever recognized him as a potential mate. According to Usher's VH1 interview, he begged her to play the role of his love interest in his video and the rest is history. Their world wind romance ended after just 2 years, but I have no doubts that the love and admiration still exists between the both of them. It is said that end of the kismet pair ocurred after Usher admitted to an affair.

***a little tidbit that some people weren't aware of...below is a picture of the 3 together. Very few people knew initially, that Tameka was actually Usher's hair and wardrobe stylist! hmmm...can anyone smell karma in the air?***

In 2007, Usher married Tameka Foster. She was actually his makeup artist while he was dating Chili. Their marriage was doomed from the beginning. Tameka gave an interview advising that Usher called off the wedding the night before...(who does that?...someone who's not ready to be married, that's who.)They were married a week later. To further complicate an already complex situation, they add 2 children to their grief stricken equation, Usher Raymond V (born in 2007) and Naviyd Ely Raymond (2008).  Usher and Tameka initially separated a year after saying "I do", but with the impending birth of their second child, Usher returns home and they both try to work on the marriage. Unfortunately, their marriage didn't survive and Tameka seemed hell bent on ruining Usher's career in the same fashion. After many months in a brutal child custody case, Usher was awarded sole custody of the couples 2 biological sons, as well as, Tameka's children from a previous marriage. I'm sure that was a difficult pill for Tameka to swallow...especially after losing her son, Kile Glover (pictured to the right) in a skiing accident,  a few months prior. I hope Tameka gets herself together...its foolish to award someone who no longer wants you, that much control over your life.

 Okay, here we go again...Usher, babe, sweetheart...haven't you learned that you shouldn't mix business with pleasure, yet? This "new" love interest is Grace Miquel, a former Def Jam executive and no doubt a very influential part in Usher's career. The pair begin dating right after Usher and Tameka's separated. Now according to the tabloids, Grace has claimed the role of manipulator in Usher's life. Because of her background in the business, it is understandable that he would value and even follow her advice. It is my contention, that it is unwise to allow a love interest so much input in your business affairs. If the relationship doesn't last and the breakup becomes bitter, their knowledge and involvement may become your cross. Nevertheless, Usher has chosen to ignore the thoughts of many and follow his heart. I only pray that this time, his heart made the right choice. A great deal of people believe that the 7 year difference in age is the most disturbing aspect of their relationship. As that age ole saying goes, "Age, IS just a number..." and love should not be decided based on its appropriation. Obviously, Usher prefers "older" ladies...& there's definitely nothing wrong with that.