Fans who have listened to Usher’s music for years have heard him claim Atlanta in his songs.
Yes, the R&B singer and multiple-Grammy winner indeed has ties to, arguably, the mecca of the genre he helped popularize in the late 1990s to the present. The viewers tuning into his forthcoming Super Bowl 58 halftime show will more than likely hear some Atlanta references.
But believe it or not, Usher isn’t considered a native of Georgia’s largest city. Here’s a look at his past residences.
Where Is Usher Originally From? Does He Have Ties to the South?
The halftime entertainer for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs game is originally a Lone Star State native.
Usher, whose full name is Usher Raymond IV, was born in Dallas. He was born in the city on Oct. 14, 1978, to mother Jonnetta Patton and father Usher Raymond III.
However, Usher didn’t live in Dallas very long. The father left the family when Usher was a one-year-old. From there, the family moved Usher to Chattanooga, Tenn. — where he spent most of his childhood and adolescent years.
But Chattanooga was where Usher began his affinity for music.
His mother got him involved with a local youth choir at the church they attended. It didn’t take long for Usher to branch out of singing about God and religion.
At the age of 11, Usher helped form a group called Nu Beginning in Chattanooga. He also attended Dalewood Middle School in the city.
But he soon went the solo route and made a bold attempt to perform on “Star Search,” the former place where future musical acts were discovered.
Usher sang every lyric and the hooks to the famed Boyz II Men hit single “End of the Road,” which was a 1992 hit off the soundtrack to “Boomerang” starring Eddie Murphy. From there, Usher landed in the office of LaFace Records — co-owned by hit producers L.A. Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Along came a move for the family.
Usher’s Atlanta Ties Include Early Music Career and High School Years
Usher and the family packed up for the “ATL” after winning over Reid and Edmonds.
That was the place where Usher recorded his debut self-titled album in August 1994. That album went on to sell only 500,000 copies.
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Outside of the music studio, Usher spent his high school years in the Atlanta region. He attended North Springs High School in nearby Sandy Springs, Ga.; North Springs is considered a charter school that specializes in arts and sciences.
His music career really ascended in 1997 — the year the then 18-year-old dropped his second LP “My Way.” That album featured two No. 1 Billboard hits: “You Make Me Wanna…” and “Nice & Slow.” The 10-track album is still revered by Usher fans and fans of R&B to this day.
Usher then used his city to work with other prominent names in the hip-hop/R&B realm. He’s teamed with rap legend Ludacris, hitmaking producer Lil Jon and even briefly dated legendary R&B vocalist of TLC fame Chilli (real name Rozonda Thomas) — the latter appearing in two of his music videos in 2001.
Usher will be doing more than representing the ATL. He’ll have many from “The Scenic City” and “Big D” also tuning in to see him perform — along with the rest of the world once halftime arrives.
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