Super Bowl performer Usher says faith keeps him ‘centered’

1
4885

By Milo Haskour –

Usher at Cannes in 2016 (wikipedia)

From humble beginnings in his church choir to giant concert venues, Usher has made a name for himself over the past 20 years.

The world-renowned musician Usher Raymond IV is now preparing for his appearance at Super Bowl 58, but he hasn’t forgotten his Savior.

“My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has kept me grounded,” he said on JITA TV. “Luckily, I was blessed with a family and people around me as child who made me go to church to make me understand about having a relationship with God. That has always kept me centered.”

At nine years old, Usher joined St. Elmo’s Missionary Baptist Church choir, offering the first exposure to his vocal talent.

“In life, you have to go through something to get to something. From that, the inspiration comes having something of substance to talk about; otherwise you’re just considered to be fluff,” says Usher.

Usher’s grandmother noticed his talent and pushed him to continue, causing him to seek entry into the mainstream music industry.

“The only way you know what it is to be a boxer is to be one,” he observed.

At 14, Usher moved to Atlanta with his mother. On August 30, 1994, LaFace released Usher’s self-titled debut album with the assistance of Sean “P Diddy” Combs. Usher peaked at number twenty-five on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album has sold over 500,000 copies, according to People magazine.

“I couldn’t have been in a better place,” he said. “Strivers achieve what dreamers believe.”

Usher has sold 23.8 million albums and 38.2 million digital songs in the United States. Internationally, he has sold 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time, according to Wikipedia.

He admits that it’s not important to believe all the hype and Usher is not afraid to speak on what has kept him centered amidst a turbulent and sometimes tragic personal life.

Remarkably, he includes appreciation of God in the liner notes of every album, gives thanks to God during performances, and generally praises God on social media by posting Scripture.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! —Psalm 46:10,” Usher quoted on a Facebook post.

Critics may wonder if his declarations of faith will be lived out in his private life, a challenge for many who reach superstar status.

(photo:wikipedia)

Usher is slated to perform at the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII Halftime show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He told ABC News it is the “honor of a lifetime” that he will finally be able to check off his bucket list.

 

If you want to know more about a personal relationship with God, go here

About the writer of this article: Milo Haskour studies at Lighthouse Christian Academy near Venice, CA.

1 COMMENT

Comments are closed.