| Usher won 2 Awards & The Teen Choice Awards for:
Choice R&B/Hip-Hop/Rap Artist -Usher
Choice Love Song - "U Got It Bad" Usher
Congrats to USHER!!!!!!! :)
HERE are some other winners:
Teen Choice Awards winners:
Choice Female Artist - Britney Spears
Choice Male Artist - Ja Rule
Choice Single - "Girlfriend" ('NSYNC f/ Nelly)
R&B/Hip-Hop/Rap Single - "Ain't It Funny" (Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule)
Choice Hook Up - "Girlfriend" ('NSYNC f/ Nelly)
Choice Breakout Artist - Ashanti
Choice Song of the Summer - "Hot in Herre" (Nelly)
Choice Movie, Comedy - "American Pie 2"
Choice Movie of the Summer - "Mr. Deeds"
Choice Movie, Action Adventure - "Spider-Man"
Choice Movie Your Parents Didn't Want You To See - "American Pie 2"
Choice Movie Actor, Action Adventure - Tobey Maguire ("Spider-Man")
Choice Movie Actress, Comedy - Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Scooby-Doo")
Choice Movie Actor, Comedy - Chris Tucker ("Rush Hour 2")
Choice Breakout Performance, Actress - Mandy Moore ("A Walk to Remember")
Choice Movie Hissy Fit - Ben Stiller ("Zoolander")
Choice Chemistry - Mandy Moore and Shane West ("A Walk to Remember")
Choice Lip Lock - Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst ("Spider-Man")
Choice TV Comedy - "Friends"
Choice TV Reality Show - "The Osbournes"
Choice TV Breakout Show - "The Bernie Mac Show"
Choice TV Drama/Action Adventure - "7th Heaven"
Choice TV Actor, Comedy - Matt LeBlanc ("Friends")
Choice TV Actor, Drama - Barry Watson ("7th Heaven")
Choice TV Actress, Drama - Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer")
Choice Breakout TV Star, Female - Kelly Osbourne ("The Osbournes")
Choice Breakout TV Star, Male - Tom Welling ("Smallville")
Choice TV Sidekick - Alyson Hannigan ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer")
Choice Comedian - Adam Sandler
Choice Female Athlete - Michelle Kwan
Choice Male Athlete - Kobe Bryant
Extraordinary Achievement Award - Reese Witherspoon
Fox, which sponsors the Teen Choice Awards with Seventeen magazine, will air the ceremony August 19 at 8 p.m.
|
| Information on P. DIDDY & USHER NEW SINGLE!
It doesn't get any better than this! Two of the biggest names, and egos, in
pop are about to blow your mind with a cool collaboration.
P.Diddy and Usher are set to release a massive double a-side called 'I Need A
Girl'/'U Don't Have To Call'. The promising slice of raw R&B pleasure will be
comin' at ya on 22nd July.
And just to add to the glamour of the whole thing, the cast-list for the CD
also include luminaries such as Loon, Ludacris, Ginuwine, Mario Winans and Tammy Ruggeri. |
For Fellow Usher Fans A Casting Call! Terence Michael, a producer of the new show "DUETS" Wants YOU!!!...
We are producing a new show at MTV called "DUETS" and USHER is the star!!!
THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR A FAN TO MEET, AND SING A DUET WITH USHER.
COURTESY OF MTV QUESTIONS CAN BE DIRECTED TO duetsonmtv@aol.com
Here is the casting notice below:
ATTENTION ALL USHER FANS
WE NEED YOUR TAPES NOW!!
Send us the following:
ON PAPER
1) Written answers to the following questions
a) Name, Age, Home Town, Phone numbers (very important)
b) Tell us about yourself, and why you like Usher
c) Your performance background and experience, amateur or professional (singing, dancing, etc.)
d) Will you be available between August 1st and 17th??
ON TAPE
*****VHS FORMAT ONLY - No longer than 5 minutes!
2) Talk to USHER!!! Talk right to the camera-as if you are talking to him!
HE will be personally watching your tapes and will decide which one of you to sing a duet with!!
a) Tell Usher why he should believe you're his biggest fan
b) Tell Usher why he should pick you to sing a duet with him!
!
THEN SING!
a) any Usher song, acapella or sing along with his music (we want to HEAR yur voice, not his.
b) AND sing any song of your choice-acapella
ALSO INCLUDE: A photo that clearly shows how you look right now
** MATERIALS WILL NOT BE RETURNED
SEND TO:
MTV Networks
c/o Duets Casting
2600 Colorado Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404
HURRY and send YOUR TAPES NO LATER than July 31, GOOD LUCK!!
|
| This ia a interview Usher did with Jo Whiley - the day after the MOBO's:
The morning after he picked up Best R&B Act and Best Album at the MOBO awards, Usher joined Jo in the studio. He was still hyper from the night before, and as modest as ever, when he took on the might that is The Testimony. I'm very good thank you, although I'm not a winner, but obviously you did very well last night winning two awards...
U:We all are winners deep inside. It feels good to work very, very hard for something and then, you know.
A lot of people around here have got either terrible hangovers or the T-shirts they obviously picked up on the way to the office in the morning because they didn't get back to bed last night...
U:I have all of the above. I just decided not to wear my T-shirt, but I still do have a bit of a hangover. I'm dealing with it.
So we'll be sending out for black coffee...
U:I have my tea right here!...I'm just taking it easy right now. I partied all night. I actually didn't get any rest, I partied all the way 'til the end of
the night...
Do you write an acceptance speech beforehand or do you make it all up off the top of your head?
U:I definitely had a few things I wanted to get off my chest, about the industry and the world we live in, so I jotted a few ideas down. How many awards have you won now?
U:Internationally? Two, officially. They will mean the most to me for the rest of time, because they were my first International awards ever. That's one thing I always said I wanted. You set goals for yourself. You want to win
awards, but I wanted to gain recognition internationally and win an award.
I'm sure this is just beginning...you're going to be sending out for mantelpiece after mantelpiece...
U:I built the room especially for it!...I don't plan on letting up. If you had
an awards ceremony of your own, usher, give me the winners of these...best
single category?
U:Usher. Judging from the response that we've got. Best album?
U:Usher. Best Live Act?
U:Usher!....You're setting me up aren't you?
How long are you staying in this
country for?
U:I'm leaving on Sunday, after attending my first football game this Saturday.
Who are you going to see? Bolton Wanderers, Northampton Town...Is it the
England match?
U:The one, the only, the hottest! I hear it's the hottest event of the
year...I've seen it on TV but now I have the chance to get in it. The Testimony
Have you ever searched on the Internet under your own name? What kinds of things are you looking for and what have you found?
U:I get a lot of fan-mail where the fans have done sites [to honour me] so I go
and check them out....when they write into Usherworld.com I always leave something for them.... You're given a movie script by a good friend. It's
absolute rubbish, do you tell them?
U:I keep it real. No doubt about it. If it's something that I'm going to invest my time into, of course...The first draught may be terrible, but the communication, it'll get better. Do you have anything that you have to have
in your room?
U:I always have to have fruit in my room...a bottle of champagne. Water, towels, and tea, I always have to have tea. You're due to a kissing scene
with your co-star, when you realise they have bad breath...
U:In that case, I'd just give them an Airwave... But they say No, I don't need one... I say, Please, I do insist, have three. In fact you take the whole thing, I'll take two.
What's the strangest thing you've been asked to sign?
U:Let me tell you something that's really weird...I signed someone's arm as an autograph, and the next time I saw them they'd gotten it tattooed in. You
phone a shop and the assistant is being really unhelpful and rude. Would you
tell them who you were?
U:I would tell them last. They'll be someone else that who works there and notices me. I'm very generous, I don't use my starpower to get what I want. If someone is addressing me with ignorance, then I'll try my best to resolve
the problem without violence. You're reading the newspapers and you find that one of your best friends has revealed a big secret about you.
U:I handle it man to man with him. You do a big dance routine with two other
dancers when you get the dance routine completely wrong. Do you carry on and
make it seem the other two got it wrong, or do you admit your mistake?
U:Well, it never happens! I'd take responsibility and say hey, I'm not tight.
You're an hour late for a meeting with a friend. Do you say sorry or do you pretend that's when you thought you were supposed to meet. I'm just trying to find out if there's a bad bone in your body...
U:I'm sorry but I caught a flat tyre, my Mom needed me, my alarm clock didn't wake me up on time.... A fellow artist has criticised in the newspaper and the next day you see them at a party, what do you do? Do you trip them over,
spike their drink, beat them up?
U:None of the above. Ignorance does not battle with ignorance well. That's all
I have to say. Not too taxing at all, was it...?
U:So do I have a bad bone in my body?...So am I good guy, right? |
| Coming home
A report from the tour bus
Hershey, Pa. -- Hours before the gates open at Hershey Park Pavillion, all nine tractor-trailers are in place, as are 16 of the 17 tour buses. The missing one, of course, is carrying Usher, in the midst of his first headlining tour.
None of the 115 people that power this production seem particularly concerned, though, because while the tour manager and director of security aren't certain exactly where the multiplatinum R&B star is, they have a pretty good idea why he's missing.
Earlier this morning a certain Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas was spotted at Harrisburg International Airport some 12 miles away.
"Don't leave your girl 'round me," sang skycap Brian Mosley as the member of Atlanta act TLC leisurely trailed a dark-suited chauffeur.
Then, when Usher's romantic co-star in videos (and real life) got out of earshot, he excitedly completed the opening line of Usher's "U Don't Have to Call": "True player for real . . . I'd like to have that, for real!"
So, with the headliner MIA, 4 p.m. comes and goes without the scheduled sound check. At 6:06 p.m. the crowd's let in, and there's still no Usher. But at least road manager Terence Carter has appeared in the makeshift production office in a trailer backstage, meaning the artist he's managing can't be far behind.
Suddenly an urgent squawk comes over the walkie-talkie, imploring somebody to pick Usher and company up from the local mall.
Meanwhile Faith Evans, Usher's neighbor at Country Club of the South, has hit the stage. Headliner-worthy in her own right, this gospel-stoked R&B vocalist co-wrote some of Usher's early singles.
"I was kind of like his babysitter back in the day," a surprisingly collected Evans says after she roars through her too short, 30-minute set. "And look where we are now!"
Speaking of "we," who pops out of his light brown tour bus at 8:05 p.m., holding hands with Thomas and dancing to Khia's X-rated rap single "My Neck, My Back," but Usher?
And when is he due onstage? 9 p.m.
But sure enough, a scant few minutes after the hour, Usher emerges from under the stage, frozen and Michael Jackson-like, sending the multicolor, all-ages crowd of women into convulsions. And for the next 90 minutes or so, he and his seven dancers put on the best all-around R&B show since Jackson's sister was here.
It isn't the Cirque du Soleil onstage that Jackson's "All For You" and "Velvet Rope" tours have been. But in terms of entertainment, Usher is his own pyrotechnics. And where Janet Jackson stops at visuals, Usher still has one more attraction: his voice, a quality pleasantly revealed on "Bedtime," and his closer, a cover of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On."
It's a show like no other, part of the "Evolution 8701" tour that comes to an end in his hometown at HiFi Buys Amphitheatre on Sunday night.
"I want to be able to raise the bar a bit," says the star, "and usher in something new. No pun intended."
Usher ends tour in residence of Atl.
Setting his sights high
Back when it took both his first and last name to identify him, and he was performing on club stages a little bigger than the table in the corner, Usher imagined himself right here.
Actually, anyone who really knows the Chattanooga native born Usher Raymond III, now 23, knows the truth.
That is: Long before he inked a deal with Atlanta's LaFace Records, the Alpharetta resident was imagining himself performing in front of crowds that dwarf those on his current tour.
And Usher had the savvy in his preteens to know that to get to that point, he had to make an impression on everyone he got in front of. Game-board-size stage or not.
"I was like, 'Can you put a flashlight on me so it looks like a spotlight?' Usher says of his early performance days. He's relaxing on his tour bus after the show.
" 'Can somebody blow cigarette smoke at my feet?' "He's always thought "Bigger!" "Better!"
Even now, when both those adjectives could easily describe this point in his eight-year career as a recording artist.
With accused child pornographer R. Kelly temporarily out of the running, Usher is hands-down R&B's biggest male pop star. He's "mainstream enough" (whatever that means) to have snagged an invitation to the Bush White House to sing. He is on the cover ("Summer's Hot Guy!") of the August Teen People, bare-chested and ready to be pinned up on walls in the bedroom of Any Adolescent Girl, USA.
In short, in terms of crossover appeal, Usher is a regular Will Smith in the making, even down to the feature Smith often jokes makes him so amenable -- those ears.
But that's not to say Usher's achieved such status being as bland and inoffensive as possible.
Musically, he is just as impressive as his persona. There hasn't been a better male R&B album since the release of Usher's "8701" CD. (The title refers to the span of time between the year Usher says he became interested in music, 1987, to the year his third album of original work hit stores; but it also is the exact release date, Aug. 7, 2001.) The 3 million-selling "8701" has already produced three hit singles, "U Remind Me," "U Got It Bad" and "U Don't Have to Call." The first two hit No. 1; the current "U Don't Have to Call" got as high as No. 3. And U.S. radio programmers have yet to get their hands on "Can U Help Me," a classic ballad; "I Don't Know," a party single just as charged as "U Don't Have to Call"; and the steamy-sexy-cool "Twork It Out."
Besides that, Usher's warm, kneading alto is also featured on the hook of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs' comeback single, "I Need a Girl (Part One)," a recent No. 2 hit on Billboard's pop chart.
"Usher was like my not-so-secret weapon on that single," says Combs, who also produced much of Usher's 1994 self-titled debut. "Get him on your team and you're sure to win. That's the kind of impact my man's got right now. He's a heavyweight!"
All the more reason for the artist who's opened for Combs, Mary J. Blige and, most recently, Janet Jackson to be out on his first headlining tour.
'Only one of myself'
Reviewers have alternately tagged him "a PG-rated R. Kelly" or "a Michael Jackson for the new millennium." These labels the star politely dismisses as "cute."
"I take those kinds of things as compliments," begins Usher, relaxing post-concert on his plush, leather-heavy tour bus. He's relaxed in roomy jeans and Izod shirt.
"But at some point," he points out, "I've gotta become the only one of myself. I do look to R. Kelly for the sound, because he'll keep it real when it comes to the R&B records. I don't hear Michael Jackson do too many R&B records these days. I really think of Michael Jackson as a dancer, one of the best dancers ever. I'm taking those two things and meshing them together."
Usher puts on a videotape of "Oz" and continues: "Then I'm taking this theatrical thing, and meshing it in there. I take this acting thing, mesh it in there. I take this production and business, mesh it in there. I take the fact that I not only cater to adults but young kids and I factor all of that into my show.
"Unfortunately, there aren't many R&B artists doing it in front of a crowd night after night."
With 41 cities behind him, and 48 weeks of such heavy promoting of his latest CD, he's battled exhaustion and worse, like the shoulder surgery he recently had. You would think the man would have at least one vacation in mind when the tour ends Sunday.
Again, if you knew Usher, you'd know different. "I'm going to take a little moment, maybe a few days, to get myself together to relax," he says.
But Usher has a movie career to get going again. He starred in 1999's "Light It Up," a melodrama about a band of high school kids who rebel to right an injustice. His next project: video director Bille Woodruff's film debut, "Honey."
He also wants to get going on another album by the end of the year. And now that his Atlanta-based label, Us Records, has teamed up with J Records, run by industry legend Clive Davis, he's eager to get his first act, Melinda, to the masses.
Not to mention he's planning to become a part-time Atlantan, as he's looking for homes in New York and Los Angeles.
"I've made the best of Atlanta and I'm going to continue to make the best of it and bring a lot of great energy back to Atlanta," he says. "But I feel there's a lot I can pull from in New York and L.A. I just want to be around more business on a daily, consistent basis.
"I mean, I've been in this business a long time, but I'm still a young man, wrestling with young man things," he continues. "And I'm wrestling as a businessman. And I'm wrestling as an artist. I can't really explain it, but I was blessed with so many capabilities and desires. It's as much a part of me as waking up every day."
Fifteen minutes after the bus has finally pulled off, it's stopped again -- at a Waffle House. One of Usher's pre-performance rituals is, usually, not to eat anything.
Like this guy needed some help in the hunger department. |
| Congratulations to Usher for winning Best Male R&B Singer @ The BET Awards Show! |
| Here is an article where Usher Talks about Physical Fitness
NEW YORK- Usher has a sculpted physique, but he didn't get it from weightlifting.
"I do cardio but I don't touch weights. It's not good for your body," the 23-year-old R&B crooner told The Associated Press in a recent interview.
"It's better to lift your own weight; it makes you stronger and gives you that long endurance. That's why you see boxers punching the bag, you see them doing jump-rope," he said. "It makes you stronger, and gives you a better cut."
Usher's latest album, "8701," has sold more than 3.5 million copies. The singer is currently touring the country. Even though he admits he has a sweet tooth - he recently did a commercial for Twix candy bars - he says he's careful about what he eats.
"I balance my body more through what I eat and what I drink," he said. "And when I'm on the road, because I have such a high
metabolism, I sweat a lot so I stay slim." |
| Hey this news is from mtv on Usher's opening concert in seattle enjoy!
SEATTLE - "Let me take you to a place nice and quiet," Usher sang
on "Nice and Slow" halfway through an hour-and-a-half headlining set at Key Arena Wednesday night.
"Nice" was all taken care of — and "nasty" got equal time, with Usher playing the roles of both sweet lover and triple-X seducer — but the Key was the furthest thing from quiet. The screams of thousands of lust-crazed female fans surged at every hip thrust and low croon, shaking the arena's foundations in a way even last year's 6.8 magnitude quake couldn't touch. Boasting more outfit changes than Cher, the R&B star rocked it all, from a crystal-studded black tank with long leather shorts to flowy white pajamas and even denims with rhinestone-encrusted shoes that would make Michael Jackson's glove cry tears of jealousy. Glimpses of
Usher's birthday suit, though, were by far the most popular look of the night. Kicking off with "I Don't Know" and sprinkling the early part of his
set with slow-burn jams like "If I Want To" off his latest, 8701, Usher acted as the eye of a sexed-up storm, surrounded by dancers who gyrated and moved up and down a stripper's pole with skills not learned at Arthur Murray.
Backed by a live band as well as some helpful DAT tapes, the artist kept his voice strong and sweet even through the most aerobic dance moves. Standing in place as the last notes of the emotional "Can't Let U Go" played out, he ripped his already-shredded shirt off his sweat-beaded body with one swift movement, causing the collective temperature of the room to go up several degrees. Then he exited for yet another costume change as a video showed him
and one of his dancers engaging in a dance seduction, fading to black just in PG-13 time. Next, donning a white fedora and coat, Usher emerged for "Bedtime" and "Nice and Slow." The latter found him searching the crowd for "the perfect girl," finally selecting one lucky lady and leading her to a king-size bed on the stage for a little one-on-one serenade. After handing her a gift box thoughtfully filled with a pair of thong panties and tour T-shirt he ignited some figurative fireworks as the pair engaged in a little
horizontal dirty dancing. As she was sent off with a kiss and the stage darkened, real fireworks erupted overhead.
The bedroom antics were set aside for a tough-talking "My Way," though the loverman returned for "You Make Me Wanna ...," dropping trou at the end before changing into full denims for "U Remind Me." Leading the crowd in a "U Don't Have to Call" sing-along, Usher quickly grew more sober as he asked the audience to remember loved ones they had lost, flashing the names of the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac
Shakur, Aaliyah and the recently deceased Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes on an overhead screen as he segued into Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On." After introducing his band and dancers, he got the crowd to flash peace and love signs.
Though there were also shout-outs to fallen comrades Tupac and Biggie, there was far less peace in the air for Nas' set, which preceded the headliner. He asked audience members to make very different gestures with their hands, from pointed guns to middle fingers, even the "black power" fist.
The King of Queensbridge proved he was Stillmatic, performing new
material like the emphatic "One Mic," I Am's saucy "KI-SS-ING" and passionate "Hate Me Now," It Was Written's "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" with a sampled Lauryn Hill, and Illmatic's "The World Is Yours" before bringing out the "battle sh--" and showing the stuff
that took down Jay-Z earlier this year. Greed Decade classics like Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" all got their time on the DJ's rotation, but the crowd
seemed to know Nas' lyrics nearly as well as they knew the '80s oldies. The rapper rarely sang alone.
Biggie widow Faith Evans opened, looking ready for prime time in a denim corset and spiky auburn updo, though her artfully stitched jeans looked like they'd had a bad run-in with some Silly String. With her gospel-caliber voice and full Motown-style backup vocals, the first lady of Bad Boy filled up the arena, though she comes off
much stronger laying the smackdown on a dishonest man, as on her hit "You Gets No Love," than mouthing the stock lyrics of her slower numbers, either pining for or praising yet another lover. Best to leave the praising to Usher,who's made a multiplatinum career out of knowing just what the ladies like to hear. |
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Thu May 9, 8:23 PM ET By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer NEW YORK - Usher had just established himself as a young prince of R&B with his best-selling sophomore disc, "My Way," when at 20 years old — he decided to take a break from music to try his hand at acting.
There was pressure from his record company to put out a follow-up quickly, he says. But Usher was trying to do more than stay hot for the moment. "This is a career, in my opinion, that has gradual steps. You can't have it all at once," he says. "You see a lot of artists that come in, sell major records, tour and they burn out. ... I've been taught from the school of Michael Jackson that you give them a hot album, take a step back two years, let them miss you."
Now 23, Usher is enjoying Jacksonesque success with his third disc, "8701."
It has sold more than 3.5 million copies in less than a year, producing the No. 1 singles "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad," and his latest hit, "U Don't Have to Call." He won his first Grammy earlier this year: best male R&B performance for "U Remind Me." The star's first headlining tour begins this month.
"You'll see me standing on my hands, doing frontflips, backflips, singing, dancing entertainment, ultimate entertainment," says the Chattanooga, Tennessee, native, whose full name is Usher Raymond.
"Like the greats do it. You see Michael — at his best, he's always on stage. I feel like I'm at my best when I'm on stage. I'm most comfortable in front of an audience, performing and entertaining."
The comparison to Jackson isn't that far-fetched. Usher was a child star, making his recording debut at 15. He also borrows liberally from Jackson's signature dance moves and performs high-energy extravaganzas.
But Usher is far from a Jackson knockoff. He has his own smooth but street-wise style that has won fans of new and old-school R&B. He hasn't been hurt by sharp good looks and sex appeal; in his videos, he's often photographed shirtless.
That charisma helped him make the transition from music to Hollywood, where he has done TV acting and appeared in four films, from teen comedy "She's All That" to the urban high school drama "The Faculty." His most recent movie was last year's Western flop "Texas Rangers."
The move to Hollywood paid off better than music ever did, Usher says, even though he had sold millions of records.
"I was straight for once in my life," he says. "I went out to Hollywood, did some movies, bought a house. I bought my mother a house, I bought some cars, I invested in a lot of stock. I really got myself financially stable so I could get right back to what I love doing the most."
Besides being lucrative, he says, acting gave him emotional release during a trying time.
"I had a few deaths in my family. My grandmother had passed, a best friend of mine died from cancer, my dog died ... It was just a lot of drama in my life," he says.
"When I got into acting, it was like now I can actually take these emotions and pour them out into each one of these characters ... This was my first opportunity to cry and really open up, because that's what really was going on inside of me."
Usher also was dealing with his first heartbreak; he had fallen in love and had a painful breakup. "I always said it would never happen to me. And the next thing I know, I was like sprung over love," he says. "I don't think I'll ever go that far again. It was weird, because I sort of fell into love, and now I think I'm in a better position where I can walk into love."
The heartache was the basis for much of what's on his latest disc. "I wrote songs about it. I meant it. I mean, 'U Got It Bad' was a real experience," says Usher, who is now dating Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas from the group TLC. "That was like one of the worst periods of my life so far," he adds with a laugh.
Usher not only helped write the songs on the disc, he picked the producers and had the most creative input he has ever had. He says the disc represents his maturation as an artist and as a man.
"I started at a very young age, so everybody that worked with me looked at me as a kid, the little baby Usher," he says. "Now all of a sudden, Usher's getting older and he's making decisions for himself, and he's standing up and he's fighting hard to get that respect."
Jimmy "Jam" Harris, who with partner Terry Lewis worked on the disc and has known Usher for years, said he was impressed by Usher's tenacity.
"He just has a million ideas. He's just going to keep throwing ideas at you," says Harris. "He's a hardworking guy."
Another producer on "8701" was Usher's old mentor Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Usher's mother (and manager) had let her son stay with Combs when the 15-year-old needed to move to New York City to record.
Combs and Usher are still close — Usher croons on P. Diddy's latest hit, "I Need A Girl" — but Usher said living with Combs opened his eyes to the seedier side of the business.
"(It was) sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, that's what it was. It was a good eye-opener," he says. "It taught me a lot about business, it taught me a lot about hustle. It taught me a lot about determination and being aggressive ... but just how cutthroat and nasty of a business it is."
Usher said that uncensored view of the industry made him vow to avoid drugs and treat people with respect.
"I've said I will never be like that. I will never sell myself to the devil like that."
He says with a laugh that he never did share the sordid stories with his mother. There's still a lot of kid in Usher Raymond.
"Hopefully I'll never be a grown man," he says. "I want to stay a kid forever." |
| Usher won a Grammy for "BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE" for "U REMIND ME"!! Congratulations Usher you deserve it! He was not there to accept his award due to him touring but he did 2-way this message from Germany: Well I'm trying to make the best of it, being that I'm not there to accept my award. I'm going forward with the best attitude. I hate that I'm not able to be there. I got the home team that's gonna keep me abreast of what's going on. I'm probably gonna have someone call me
when the winner [is announced] so I can hear. I hate that I can't see Thandie Newton on the red carpet. I had a nice little gangsta outfit I was gonna wear. The wildest thing about it is that I had a gun holster on my outfit, but there's no gun in it. It was sick. It's time for y'all cats to beware. Y'all better beware because it's going down. From Usher himself!
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| Usher's video for his 2nd single off of his "8701" album "U don't have to call" is out! You can vote for it on 106 and park & trl. Also Usher & P.Diddy have done another caliboration together on the song off of P.Diddy's album called "I need a girl (remix)". You can vote for that video on trl & 106 and park too. |
| Here is some news from Mtv on Usher & his upcoming tour: After being forced to cancel the initial 8701 Evolution Tour in December because of a shoulder injury, Usher has finally announced new dates for the outing, an ambitious trek that will see the R&B star hit more than 40 North American cities.
Kicking off April 25 in Denver, the tour will stop in nearly every major city in the United States and Canada before ending July 7 in New Orleans, according to Usher's Arista Records spokesperson.
In a statement issued along with the itinerary, Usher said, "I'm really looking forward to getting out and performing live onstage. Now that my arm is healed, I'm ready to get out there and interact with my fans. Nothing compares to that excitement and energy."
While rehearsing choreography for the tour late last year, Usher dislocated his shoulder and had to have rotator cuff surgery (see "Usher Tour On Hold After Singer Dislocates Shoulder"). He has recovered and will launch a monthlong European tour next week (see "On The Mend, Usher Can't Wait To Get On The Road").
Usher is supporting the 8701 Evolution Tour's namesake triple-platinum album, 8701. The record's Neptunes-produced third single, "U Don't Have to Call," the follow-up to the hits "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad," just hit radio and video outlets.
"U Remind Me" earned Usher a Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
Opening acts for Usher's tour will be announced at a later date, his spokesperson said. |
| USHER’S “U GOT IT BAD” SETS ALL-TIME 1-WEEK AUDIENCE CHART RECORD WITH 149.85 MILLION LISTENERS,
AND RETURNS TO #1
8701 album is certified triple-platinum today by RIAA, following R&B Grammy award nomination announcement last week for “U Remind Me” 16-city, 8-country European tour scheduled for February 21st through March 13th
(New York, N.Y. - Jan. 9, 2002)
Arista recording artist Usher, who performs his current #1 pop/#1 R&B smash “U Got It Bad” for the first time ever on national television on tonight’s “American Music Awards,” set a new standard for success in the ultra-competitive current music scene as his 8701 album was certified triple-platinum today by the RIAA, it was announced by Antonio “L.A.” Reid, President and CEO, Arista Records. Topping this is the breaking news that “U Got It Bad” has set a new all-time record on the Billboard Hot 100 Audience chart with 149,858,700 listeners for the week ending January 8th (as published in the Jan. 19th issue). This comes after an awe-inspiring Audience Chart number of 22.8829 million listeners logged yesterday (Tuesday), the final day of the weekly cycle. As it breaks the Hot 100 Audience record previously held by Alicia Keyes, “U Got It Bad” also bullets back to the #1 spot on the Hot 100 this week - a remarkable chart achievement, even more impressive considering that there was no commercial single released! “U Got It Bad” first hit the #1 pop/#1 R&B landmark in early December, following up the earlier #1 pop/#1 R&B crossover success of the Grammy-nominated “U Remind Me,” the first single from 8701. Usher’s stellar drive and unstoppable energy makes its way to Europe next month for his second major career tour of the Continent. Opening in Amsterdam on February 21st and concluding in England on March 13th, the 16-city tour will also include shows in France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium (complete itinerary to be announced soon).Usher is experiencing a level of artistic recognition reserved for the very few mega-stars of the industry. At last week’s Grammy Awards press conference, it was announced that “U Remind Me” has been nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 44th annual awards, scheduled to be broadcast around the globe, live from Los Angeles on February 27th. As a world-class recording artist, songwriter and producer, concert headliner, and television and motion picture leading man, Usher continues to present himself as a formidable and electrifying role model. |
| USHER CAPTURES #1 SPOT ON HOT 100 WITH U GOT IT BAD, ALREADY #1 R&B;FOLLOWS UP #1 POP & #1 R&B U REMIND ME
Back-to-back hits from RIAA platinum 4th album, 8701, 17 weeks on the chart Texas Rangers movie opens; Christmas In Washington airs Dec. 16th on TNT (Dec. 6, 2001 - New York, N.Y.) Arista recording artist Usher sets a new career chart record for himself as U Got It Bad becomes his second consecutive hit to take over the #1 spot on the Hot 100 in Billboard, while also moving into its 7th straight week at #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
The success of U Got It Bad - from Ushers 4th album 8701 - follows the previous single, U Remind Me, whose 4-week stand at #1 on both pop and R&B charts began simultaneously the week of July 7th. That date was nothing less than a cosmic occurrence, a prelude by one month to the albums in-store date of 8/7/01!
The RIAA platinum album is now in its 17th week on the pop and R&B lists.
In taking U Got It Bad and U Remind Me to #1 pop and R&B, Usher surpasses his own achievements of four years ago when You Make Me Wanna
peaked at #1 R&B (for 11 weeks) but only #2 pop (for 7 fateful weeks that autumn, behind Elton Johns Candle in the Wind at #1). Nice & Slow followed and successfully hit #1 R&B (8 weeks) and #1 pop (2 weeks). The pair of 97-98 hits helped amass 6-times platinum sales for Ushers second album, My Way (whose title tune was released as a third single and rose to #4 R&B and #2 pop).
U Got It Bad, co-written by Usher and the songs So So Def producer Jermaine Dupri, is also the subject of one of the years hottest videos.
Currently in its third week of A rotation on MTV, it is also #1 on BET where it stayed in A rotation on the 106th & Park program for more than a week.
The clip was directed by Little X whose credits include Lets Get It (G-Dep featuring P. Diddy & Black Rob); Fiesta (Remix)
(R Kelly featuring Jay Z); Shake Ya Ass (Mystikal); and Where I Wanna Be (Donell Jones).
Ushers fans follow his music career as avidly as his career on-screen, from his early days on tvs Moesha and The Bold & The Beautiful, to starring movie roles in The Faculty,
Shes All That and Light It Up. Texas Rangers, his latest film (with James Van Der Beek, Rachael Leigh Cook and Dylan McDermott), opened to uniformly positive reviews
this week. On December 16th, the TNT cable channel will broadcast Christmas In Washington, a special concert at the historic National Building Museum in which
Usher joins Tony Bennett, Charlotte Church, Mandy Moore, and host Reba McEntire to benefit the Childrens National Medical Center.
Tune in to...
USHER
Sunday, December 16 on
TNT's Christmas In Washington
TNT, 8PM-9PM & 11PM-12AM
and re-airing Wednesday, December 18 at 9PM!!!
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| A dislocated shoulder has forced Usher to take a three-month rest, delaying the start of his North American tour. The R&B singer suffered the injury last week while rehearsing a dance number for the tour, according to his publicist. He underwent surgery Monday and has been hospitalized in Los Angeles.
The North American tour was scheduled to kick off Nov. 29 in Toronto with Ray J and Fabolous in tow, and last through a New Year's Day performance in Vancouver. However, because of Usher's injury, the trek is now likely to begin in April.
It is unknown whether or not Usher will still make a planned appearance in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, or if a European tour tentatively scheduled for February and March will be affected.
Usher's latest single, "U Got It Bad," is on top of Billboard's Hot R&B Singles & Tracks chart in its 11th week on the tally. The cut comes from the artist's Arista album "8701," which debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 in August. |
| Usher is going to be touring so check out the dates at www.usherworld.com for when he will be in your city. |
| Usher will be celebrating his 23rd Birthday October 14,2001! Happy Birthday Usher! :) |
| Usher takes home 2 MOBO AWARDS! 1 for Best R&B Act in association with Choice FM the 2 for
MasterCard Best Album. Usher performed "U Got It Bad". |
Usher with 2 Mobo Awards
| "U GOT IT BAD" video is out so you can request it on bet & mtv. The video is tight! He did his thing once again! Let's make Usher #1 on both. |
| "U GOT IT BAD" is playing on radio stations so request the song on the radio to make it #1! |
| Usher's CD "8701" debuted at #4 on the Billboard Album Charts. People let's go & get the album to make Usher #1 :) |
| Usher's next single from "8701" is going to be "U GOT IT BAD". He's also working on the video to this HOT TRACK SO LOOK OUT FOR IT. |
| USHER'S ALBUM "8701" IN STORES NOW!!!! GO & GET IT! The album is BLAZIN!!!!!!! All of the tracks are hot!! 8-7-0-1 |
| Usher's "8701" is currently #1 in the Uk! :) I hope he has the same turn out in the US! So don't forget to buy the album 8/7/01. |
| "U Remind Me" is blowin up everywhere! This song has made Usher have #1 THE SOUNDSCAN SINGLE,#1 SOUNDSCAN R&B SINGLE,#1 ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100 CHART,#1 AT 83 RADIO STATIONS! |
| "Usher's single for "U REMIND ME" is NOW IN STORES.It has snippets of 5 songs from his album. It's great go out and buy it!! |
| "Here is the track listing for "8701"
01. Intro-lude
02. U Remind Me
03. I Don't Know - (featuring P. Diddy)
04. Twork It Out
05. U Got It Bad
06. If I Want To
07. I Can't Let U Go
08. U Don't Have To Call
09. Without U - (interlude)
10. Can U Help Me
11. How Do I Say
12. Hottest Thing
13. Good Ol' Ghetto
14. U-Turn
15. U R The One |
| Usher will start his promotional tour in July. Check out the @ www.usherworld.com. |
| Usher's CD "8701" is going to be released August 7,2001! So check out the album August 7th. |
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