Given his status as one of the most commercially successful R&B artists of all time (with more than 100 million sales worldwide), it’s difficult to picture a scenario where Usher – full name Usher Raymond IV – isn’t doing the two-step dance on a massive stage or flashing that trademark baby-faced grin to an endless crowd of adoring female fans.
Essentially the Aristotle of baby-making music, Usher has been a dominant force on the charts for the best part of 30 years, with his angelic falsetto and ubiquitous hits (U Remind Me, My Way, Yeah) cementing the 44-year-old as both an archetype for the vulnerable contemporary male pop superstar and that rare Lothario who sounds endearing even when he’s singing syrupy harmonies (check 2023 single Boyfriend) about stealing your girlfriend. Yet things weren’t always so easy for this iconic singer and dancer.
