Usher
USA, 1991–now
American singer (b. 1978, Usher Raymond IV). Raised on gospel in Chattanooga and signed to LaFace as a teenager, he defined turn-of-the-century R&B with My Way (1997), 8701 (2001) and the eight-times-platinum Confessions (2004), pairing a Michael Jackson-schooled dancer's stagecraft with confessional slow jams.
MusicRoots documents 10 artists who influenced Usher and 1 artist Usher influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.
Who influenced Usher?
- Michael Jackson — Usher's dance-driven stagecraft and vocal phrasing follow the Michael Jackson model; Jackson heads the list of artists he names as formative.
- Prince — Prince's showmanship and sexualised funk-soul are among the templates Usher has named for his own performing persona.
- Marvin Gaye — Marvin Gaye's confessional soul is one of the older catalogues Usher studied when learning to sing, and its intimacy shapes his ballad writing.
- Al Green — Al Green's light, pleading Southern-soul tenor is a model for Usher's softer register.
- Janet Jackson — Janet Jackson's fusion of tightly drilled choreography with rhythm-driven pop-R&B is a direct precedent for Usher's stage shows.
- James Brown — James Brown's footwork and command of a live band feed Usher's dancing and his sense of a show as a routine rather than a recital.
- The Jackson 5 — The Jackson 5 were part of the run of groups Usher worked through as a young singer, learning how a child voice could front adult material.
- Jackie Wilson — Jackie Wilson is one of the earlier soul performers Usher worked back to, and his athletic showmanship is a precedent for Usher's own.
- Ray Charles — Ray Charles's gospel-rooted soul singing is among the older styles Usher went back to study.
- Jodeci — Jodeci's roughened, hip-hop-clothed R&B is the immediate template for the singers who followed, Usher among them.
Which artists did Usher influence?
- Justin Bieber — Usher signed Bieber to RBMG and mentored him, and Bieber named him alongside Michael Jackson as the model for the R&B direction he wanted.