Both Usher Raymond IV and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter have managed to maintain an A-list-level entertainment career through four different decades. Apparently, the two megastars have a very long history together.
Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp caught up with Usher for an interview. That edition of the United Kingdom-based radio show included the Atlanta-bred R&B singer reflecting on a time when he and Beyoncé were still starting off in the industry.
“Fun fact, I knew Beyoncé when she was 12 years old, 11 years old. She used to be in a group by the name of The Dolls,” recalled Usher. “I don’t know if I could consider myself their babysitter, but I had a time where I had to watch The Dolls.”
Usher continued, “I was at [music producer/songwriter] Daryl Simmons’ house. He was working with them at the time, and I just happened to be over there and they were working on a session. I kind of found my way into being their like, I don’t know, chaperone, nanny, or something like that, the oldest person in the room.”
Of course, Beyoncé went on to become one of the most successful music acts of all time. During her tenure as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child, the Houston native secured four No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart.
As a soloist, Beyoncé racked up eight more Hot 100 chart-toppers and seven more Billboard 200 chart-toppers. In addition, She sits atop the all-time list of winningest acts in the history of the Grammy Awards with 32 golden gramophones.
Usher also has impressive Billboard chart accolades. The 8-time Grammy winner has nine No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits in his catalog. That puts him just one chart-topper behind legends like Stevie Wonder and Janet Jackson.
Plus, Usher has a Diamond-certified album with 2004’s Confessions. That project spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. He also led the weekly album rankings with 2008’s Here I Stand, 2010’s Raymond v. Raymond, and 2012’s Looking 4 Myself.
Usher’s Here I Stand hosts “Love in This Club Part II” with Beyoncé and Lil Wayne. The original “Love in This Club” features Young Jeezy. That version of the Polow da Don-produced track peaked at No.1 on the Hot 100.