Dallas-born, Chattanooga-raised, R&B legend Usher honed his talents in Atlanta, Georgia. Since his teenage years he’s been captivating audiences around the world with his smooth vocals and impressive dance moves. Now after three decades of success in the music industry he will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards on June 30. The network made the announcement expressing their excitement for creating an amazing lineup to pay tribute to the global icon.
Taraji P. Henson will be hosting the BET Awards for the third time. The BET Awards are an American award show established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports, and philanthropy. The event is broadcast live on BET annually.
The BET Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a veteran artist or group who has made notable contributions to the music industry. The honoree is paid tribute to by current popular singers who perform the honoree’s most recognized songs. The honoree usually performs after the tribute. This prestigious award has been given to gifted and talented individuals like Whitney Houston, Earth, Wind & Fire, Patti LaBelle, Mary J. Blige, and Prince.
Let’s dive into this: Does Usher deserve the BET Lifetime Achievement Award? This Usher doesn’t show people to their seats; he keeps us out of our seats with hit after hit! He is an eight-time Grammy-winning R&B singer and pop artist, known for his best-selling album “Confessions” and songs like “Yeah!,” “Nice & Slow,” “U Remind Me,” and “My Boo” (a duet with Alicia Keys). He entered the fame game at 14 after LaFace Records discovered him on “Star Search.” Usher released his first album at 15 in 1994 and began dominating the airwaves. In 2004, “Confessions” brought even more success: his first No. 1 album sold more than 1 million copies in its first week and earned him three Grammy Awards.
Usher started singing at six years old in his church choir. He is known for his polished broad vocal range, sexy dance moves, and sensual ballads. His second album in 1997, which included “You Make Me Wanna,” skyrocketed the young artist to fame, selling more than 7 million copies to date. In 2001, his album “8701” included the No. 1 song “U Got It Bad,” as well as “U Remind Me” and “U Don’t Have to Call.” This album also sold millions of copies in the United States alone. A decade after his first album, Usher released “Confessions,” which was extremely well-received. Again, more than 1 million copies were sold in the first week. This album included the hits “Let It Burn,” “Confessions Part II,” and “Yeah!” (a collaboration with Ludacris and Lil Jon).
Usher has had an impressive track record: over 13 Top 20 hits, seven of which were No. 1 singles. Billboard named him Artist of the Year in 2004. He received more Grammys and numerous awards over the years, including two People’s Choice Awards. In 2008, he released “Here I Stand,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with hits like “Love in This Club” featuring Young Jeezy. Then came the album “Raymond v. Raymond” in 2010, which included “There Goes My Baby” and earned him two more Grammys. In 2012, he released “Looking 4 Myself,” which also reached No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart. In 2016, Usher released his eighth studio album, “Hard II Love,” with singles like “No Limit” and “Missin U.”
Not only has he succeeded as a recording artist, but Usher has also had acting roles in film, television, and on Broadway. He was a judge on “The Voice” and stays busy with his charity, the New Look Foundation. He has a cologne line, co-founded The Raymond Braun Media Group, and is a minority owner of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. Usher also had a very successful residency in Las Vegas for over two years.
So, does Usher deserve the BET Lifetime Achievement Award? My answer is yes, absolutely. What do you think?
