Usher Net Worth: Early Years, Career& More!

By Jaslin Last updated Nov 19, 2022

Usher Raymond IV, better known as Usher, is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and actor who has had numerous chart toppers over the previous few decades. Usher’s singing career began at a young age, when he auditioned for LaFace Records at the age of 13 with Boyz II Men’s “End Of The Road.”

Usher released his debut album in 1994, at the age of 16, after being sent to live with Puff Daddy at a singing/coaching ‘camp’ to assist his voice adapts to puberty. Usher’s career took off from there, with his first certified gold and platinum hit in the US, ‘Nice and Slow,’ reaching No. 1 in January 1998. The album from which it was taken, ‘You Make Me Wanna…,’ has been certified six times platinum.

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Usher Early Years

On October 14, 1978, Usher Raymond IV was born. Usher’s mother Jonetta and father Usher Raymond II recognized his singing potential at a young age, despite the fact that he was born in Texas but raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

They pushed him to join the Chattanooga church choir when he was nine years old. Usher’s family relocated to Atlanta to assist promote his music career, where he began recording professionally and made guest vocal performances. He graduated from North Springs High School.

Usher Career

Following a performance on Star Search when Usher was 13, a representative from LaFace Records set up an audition with the label’s co-founder. They immediately signed Usher after he auditioned with Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road.”

Usher’s mother quit her job to handle his career. He was going through adolescence and having difficulty altering his singing voice as he was preparing his debut album. In 1994, Usher was brought to New York to reside with Puff Daddy as part of a singing/coaching “camp.” Usher’s self-titled debut album was released on August 30, 1994. He was only sixteen years old. On the Billboard charts, it peaked at No. 25.

My Way, Usher’s second album, was released in September 1997. The lead song, “You Make Me Wanna…”, peaked at No. 1 in the United Kingdom. It was his first gold and platinum-certified single in the United States. “Nice & Slow” reached number one in January 1998.

The album has received six platinum certifications. Usher’s third album, “8701,” was released in August 2001, with the lead songs “U Remind Me” and “U Got It Back” charting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Usher received a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “U Remind Me,” and the same award the following year for “U Don’t Have to Call.”

Usher’s fourth studio album, “Confessions,” was released in March 2004. It sold 1.1 million units in its first week, making it the best first-week sales total ever for a male R&B artist. For six weeks, the first single, “Yeah!” ruled at No. 1. Usher received numerous prizes and plaudits for Confessions, including three Grammys.

Usher went on to create five more albums, each of which received moderate-to-high popularity but none of which surpassed his first four: Here I Stand (2008), Raymond v. Raymond (2010), Looking 4 Myself), Hard II Love (2016), and A in 2019. He said in 2019 that he was working on Confessions II, which will be released in 2020.

Several of his albums debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart. The RIAA certified five of his albums platinum (My Way, 8701, Confessions, and Here I Stand), with Confessions selling over 10 million copies and earning a diamond certification in the United States.

His ten number-one songs include U Remind Me (8701), OMG (Raymond v. Raymond), and Yeah! (Confessions), which reached number one in nine countries and was the best-selling single in the United States in 2004.

His high-energy, inventive live performances continue to astound audiences. Many consider him to be an R&B legend, and he has been on numerous lists of the best R&B vocalists of all time. He has influenced and inspired a whole new generation of R&B performers. Usher has also had partnerships and endorsements with large brands like Samsung, Mastercard, and Pepsi over the years, which has helped him become a household figure.

Usher has been in several other songs and albums outside his own, including How Much (Mariah Carey, Rainbow), Same Girl (R. Kelly, Double Up), and First Dance (Justin Bieber, My World). His honors include four American Music Awards, five Grammy Awards, and nineteen Billboard Music Awards.

Usher Private Life

From 2001 to 2003, Usher dated TLC member Chilli Thomas. In 2007, he married stylist, Tameka Foster. He became a stepfather to her three sons from a previous relationship after their marriage. They also have two sons together.

Usher and Foster split in 2009, resulting in a highly publicized child custody battle. It wasn’t resolved until 2012 when Usher was granted primary custody of their two sons by a judge. In September 2015, Usher married his long-term girlfriend and manager Grace Miguel. Usher filed for divorce in December 2018.

Usher Net Worth

Usher has a net worth of $180 million as an American singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. Usher has been entertaining audiences since he was a child, first with a group of pre-teens and then on “Star Search” at the age of 13. His appearance on “Star Search” resulted in a meeting with L.A. Reid and LaFace Records, and the rest is history.