GENRE : RNB RELEASE.DATE.: 03/31/05 Album: Confessions Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978), who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American recording artist and actor. He rose to fame in the 1990s, releasing the multi-platinum album My Way (1997) and 8701 (2001). His success continued with Confessions (2004), which has sold over ten million copies in the United States, and been certified diamond by the RIAA. To date, he has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards. In 2008, Usher was ranked as the 21st most successful Hot 100 Singles Artist of all-time by Billboard magazine. He ranked higher than any other artist of his generation. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Usher has sold over 21.5 million albums in the United States. Billboard Magazine ranked Usher the #1 Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade. He was also ranked as the 2nd greatest artist of the decade behind only American rapper Eminem. His 2004 album Confessions was ranked as the best solo album and second best overall album of the last decade. All ranked by Billboard Magazine.