Claire usher biography r&b
All About Usher's Parents, Jonnetta Patton and Usher Raymond III
Usher’s parents, Jonnetta Patton and Usher Raymond III, have been influential in his life and career.
The R&B singer’s mother was instrumental in his success throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s. Jonnetta not only aided in business decisions but encouraged her son to reach his potential.
“The type of ambition that was required for me to be the type of entertainer that I am, it was in the spirit of my mother, first and foremost,” Usher said in an interview with Grant Cardone in September 2023.
In February 2024, the "Yeah!" singer performed at the Super Bowl where the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers. Before the NFL teams went into overtime, though, Usher graced the field to sing his greatest hits and during the musical event, he took a moment to give Jonnetta a nod for their hard work.
"They said I wouldn't make it. They said I wouldn't be here today but I am. Hey Mama, we made it. Now this, this is for you!" he said.
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Usher’s father struggled with addiction and died in January 2008 due to health issues. The pair had a strained relationship but reconciled at the end of Raymond’s life.
“My father and I had a very short amount of time together throughout my entire life, but the most valuable time was during his final days,” he told Essence. “He asked me to forgive him for not being there.”
Here’s everything to know about Usher's parents, Jonnetta Patton and Usher Raymond III.
They were married in 1977 and Usher is their only child
Jonnetta and Raymond married in 1977 and welcomed Usher Raymond IV the following year.
After they divorced in 1979, Jonnetta wed Terry Patton two years later. During their almost decade-long union, Jonnetta and Terry celebrated the arrival of their son, James “J.Lack” Lackey, in 1984.
Jonnetta raised Usher and J. Lack in Chattan
Usher's 4 Kids: All About Usher V, Naviyd, Sovereign and Sire
Grammy-winning artist Usher has one of the most versatile careers — having acted in films, performed on Broadway and served as a coach on The Voice — but his most important role is dad.
The Super Bowl 2024 halftime performer is a proud father of four children. He shares sons Usher "Cinco" V and Naviyd Ely with his ex-wife, Tameka Foster, as well as daughter Sovereign Bo and son Sire Castrello with his wife, Jenn Goicoechea.
He told Essence in 2008 that he evaluated "what I feel like I missed from my own father — knowing that I was accepted. That I mattered. And hearing that he cared enough to put me before himself" and vowed to provide his children with the support and security he never had.
Usher's kids have also served as the inspiration behind some of his music. He revealed that his 2020 song "I Cry" was inspired by the first time his eldest sons saw him shed tears.
"There was a moment between a son and a father [in the movie] and it got to me — I started crying. So my kids, they look over at me and they're like, 'Are you crying?!' " Usher recalled. "I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm crying!' They're like, 'You cry?!' I'm like, 'Yeah, I cry, and it's okay to cry.' "
Both of Usher's children with Goicoechea were born during the COVID-19 pandemic. He opened up about the experience during a September 2020 appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
"I think everybody's had the opportunity to take a beat back and realize what really matters in this time — it's family," he said. "It is coming closer to your loved ones and appreciating the ones that you have while you have them."
Leading up to his major Super Bowl 2024 halftime performance, Usher shared that his kids often avoid attending events with him because of his star power. “My kids – sometimes, they don’t want me to come. They don’t
Usher (musician)
American singer (born 1978)
Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He is recognized as an influential figure in contemporary R&B and pop music. In 1994, Usher first released his self-titled debut album at the age of 15 and rose to fame in the late 1990s following the release of his second album, My Way (1997). It spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Nice & Slow", and the top-two singles: the title track and "You Make Me Wanna...". His third album, 8701 (2001), saw continued success and contained two number-one singles, "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad", as well as the top-three single, "U Don't Have to Call". It sold eight million copies worldwide and won his first two Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance consecutively in 2002 and 2003.
Confessions (2004) established Usher as one of the best-selling musical artists of the 2000s decade, supported by four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles—"Yeah!" (featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris), "Burn", "Confessions Part II", and "My Boo" (with Alicia Keys)—and the top-ten "Caught Up". The album sold over 20 million copies worldwide and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After splitting from his manager and mother Jonnetta Patton in 2007, he released the albums Here I Stand (2008) and Raymond v. Raymond (2010), both of which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and respectively spawned the number-one singles "Love in This Club" (featuring Young Jeezy) and "OMG" (featuring will.i.am). The latter also spawned the single "There Goes My Baby", which won his third Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
In 2010, his debut extended play, Versus produced the top-five single "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" (featuring Pitbull). His seventh album, Looking 4 Myself (2012) likewise debuted atop the chart and saw further ele
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