Brandy Norwood
Encyclopedia
Brandy Rayana Norwood known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter
, producer
, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu.
Born into a musical family in McComb, Mississippi
and raised in Carson, California
, Norwood first appeared in a supporting role on the short-lived ABC
sitcom Thea
in 1993. Her engagement led to her own star vehicle, successful UPN
sitcom Moesha
in 1996, and resulted in roles in the 1998 horror sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
, and the TV films Rodgers and Hammerstein
's Cinderella (1997) and Double Platinum
(1999), two of television's best rated special programs.
In 1993, she signed a recording contract with Atlantic
, releasing her self-titled debut album
a year after. Following a major success with Grammy Award
-winning "The Boy Is Mine
", a duet with singer Monica, and her second album Never Say Never in 1998, a series of successful records established her as one of the most successful of the new breed of urban R&B female vocalists to emerge during the mid-to late 1990s
. Her latest studio album, Human
(2008), was her first effort to be released on the Epic
label after a label change in 2005.
The RIAA ranks Norwood as one of the best-selling female artists in American music history, having sold over 8.5 million copies of her five studio albums in the United States and over 30 million records worldwide, to date. Additionally, she has won over 100 awards as a recording artist. In 1999, Billboard
ranked Norwood among the top 20 of the top pop artists of the 1990s
. Additionally, in 2010, Billboard
included Brandy in their top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists list of the past 25 years
, the daughter of Willie Norwood
, a former gospel
singer and choir director, and his wife Sonja Norwood (née
Bates), a former district manager for H&R Block
. She is the elder sister of entertainer Ray J
, as well as a first cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg
.
Raised in a Christian
home, Norwood started singing through her father's work as part of the local church choir, performing her first gospel
solo
at the age of two. In 1983, her parents relocated to Los Angeles, California
, where Brandy was schooled at the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center. Norwood's interest in music and performing increased after becoming a fan of singer Whitney Houston
at the age of seven, but at school, she experienced trouble with persuading teachers to send her on auditions as she found no support among the staff. Undaunted, Norwood began entering talent shows by the time she was eleven, and as part of a youth singing group, performed at several public functions. In 1990, her talent led to a binding oral contract with Teaspoon Productions, headed by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, who obtained her gigs as a backing vocalist
for their R&B boy band Immature
, and arranged the production of a demo tape
. In 1993, amid ongoing negotiations with East West Records
, Norwood's parents organized a recording contract with the Atlantic Recording Corporation after auditioning for the company's director of A&R, Darryl Williams. To manage her daughter, Norwood's mother soon resigned from her job, while Norwood herself dropped out of Hollywood High School
later and was tutored privately from tenth grade on.
During the early production stages of her debut album
, Norwood was selected for a role in the ABC
sitcom Thea
, portraying the 12-year-old daughter of a single mother played by Thea Vidale
. Broadcasted to mediocre ratings, the series ended only 8 months after its premiere, but garnered her a Young Artist Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Ensemble
alongside her co-stars. Norwood recalled that she appreciated the cancellation of the show as she was unenthusiastic about acting at the time and the taping caused scheduling conflicts with the recording of her album, stating: "I felt bad for everybody else but me. It was a good thing, because I could do what I had to do, because I wanted to sing."
to work with Norwood, and within eight months, the team crafted her debut album, Brandy
. A collection of street-oriented rhythm-and-blues with a hip-hop edge, whose lyrical content embraced her youthful and innocent image in public, Norwood later summed the songs on the album as young and vulnerable, stating: "I didn’t really know a lot — all I wanted to do was basically sing. You can just tell that it’s a person singing from a genuine place, and also a place of basically no experience. I was singing about being attracted to the opposite sex, but I had no experience behind it." Released in September 1994, the album peaked at number twenty on the U.S. Billboard 200
. Critical reaction to Brandy was generally positive, with Allmusic writer Eddie Huffman declaring Brandy "a lower-key Janet Jackson
or a more stripped-down Mary J. Blige
[...] with good songs and crisp production." Anderson Jones of Entertainment Weekly
asserted, "Teen actress Norwood acts her age. A premature effort at best, that seems based on the philosophy 'If Aaliyah
can do it, why can't I?'."
Brandy went on to sell over six million units worldwide, and produced three top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "I Wanna Be Down
" and "Baby," both of which reached the top of the Hot R&B Singles chart and were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
. "Brokenhearted
", a duet with Wanya Morris
of Boyz II Men
, became a number-two hit on the charts. The album earned Norwood two Grammy Award
nominations for Best New Artist
and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
the following year and won her four Soul Train Music Awards
, two Billboard Awards, and the New York Children's Choice Award. In 1995, she finished a two-month stint as the opening act
on Boyz II Men's national tour, and contributed songs to the soundtracks of the films Batman Forever
and Waiting to Exhale
, with single "Sittin' Up in My Room
" becoming another top two success. In 1996, Norwood also collaborated with Tamia
, Chaka Khan
, and Gladys Knight
on the single "Missing You
," released from the Set It Off
soundtrack. The single won her a third Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.
In 1996, her short-lived engagement on Thea led to Norwood's own star vehicle: UPN
-produced sitcom Moesha
. Appearing alongside Sheryl Lee Ralph
and Countess Vaughn
, she played the title role of Moesha Mitchell
, a Los Angeles girl coping with a new stepmother as well as the pressures and demands of becoming an adult. Originally bought by CBS
, the program was first broadcast on UPN during January 1996, and soon became the most watched show broadcast on the television network. While the sitcom managed to increase its audience every new season and spawned a spin-off
named The Parkers
, the network decided to cancel the show after six seasons on the air, leaving it ending with a cliffhanger
for a scrapped seventh season. Norwood was awarded a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress
for her performance.
to play the title character in Rodgers and Hammerstein
’s television version of Cinderella
featuring a multi-cultural cast that also included Jason Alexander
, Whoopi Goldberg
, and Houston. The two-hour Wonderful World of Disney special garnered an estimated 60 million viewers, giving the network its highest ratings in the time period in 16 years, and won an Emmy Award
the following year.
Beginning producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins was consulted to contribute to Norwood's second album Never Say Never, which was released in June 1998. Brandy co-wrote and produced six songs on the album which yielded her first number-one rated song on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, "The Boy Is Mine
", a duet with singer Monica that has become the most successful song by a female duo in music history. Exploiting the media's presumption of a rivalry between the two young singers, the song was one of the most successful records in United States of all time, spending record-breaking thirteen weeks on top of the Billboard charts, and eventually garnered the pair a Grammy Award
for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". The album's success was equally widespread, and after extensive radio play of the single overseas, the label released it globally during the summer. Never Say Never eventually became Brandy’s biggest-selling album, selling over sixteen million copies worldwide; and critics rated the album highly, with Allmusic`s Stephen Thomas Erlewine praising Brandy and her team for wisely finding "a middle ground between Mariah Carey
and Mary J. Blige
— it's adult contemporary with a slight streetwise edge". Altogether the album spawned seven airplay and CD single
s respectively, including Norwood's second number-one song, the Diane Warren
-penned "Have You Ever?".
After backing out of a role in F. Gary Gray
's 1996 drama Set It Off
, Norwood made her big screen debut after winning the supporting role of sassy Karla Wilson in the franchise-flick I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
. The movie outperformed the original
with a total of $16.5 million at its opening weekend but critical reaction towards the film was largely disappointing, with film review site Rotten Tomatoes
calculating a poor rating of 7% based on 46 reviews. Norwood, however, earned positive reviews for her "bouncy" performance, which garnered her both a Blockbuster Entertainment Award and an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Female Performance
respectively. In 1999, she co-starred with Diana Ross
in the telefilm drama
Double Platinum
about an intense, strained relationship between a mother and daughter. Shot in only twenty days in New York City
, both Norwood and Ross served as executive producers of the movie which features original songs from their respective albums Never Say Never (1998) and Every Day Is a New Day
(1999) as well as previously unreleased duets.
sitcom, and a flurry of tabloid headlines discussing her long-term battle with dehydration
, Norwood returned to music in 2001 when she and brother Ray-J were asked to record a cover version
of Phil Collins
' 1980s hit "Another Day in Paradise
" for the tribute album
Urban Renewal: A Tribute to Phil Collins. Released as the album first single in Europe and Oceania, the song became an instant international success overseas, scoring top ten entries on the majority of all charts it appeared on.
Full Moon, Norwood's third studio album, was released in February 2002. It once again comprised a row of R&B and pop-oriented songs with adult contemporary, many of them co-created with Jerkins, Warryn Campbell and Mike City
. While its lead single "What About Us?" became a worldwide top ten hit, the album's title track failed to chart or sell noticeably outside the United States and the United Kingdom, where it managed to enter the Top 20 of charts. Media reception was generally lukewarm, with Rolling Stone
describing the album as "frantic, faceless, fake-sexy R&B." Within the coming year, Norwood and Robert "Big Bert" Smith began writing and producing for other artists such as Toni Braxton
, Kelly Rowland
, and Kiley Dean
. Norwood's foray in reality television started in 2002 with the MTV
series Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery; the show documented the final months of Norwood's pregnancy with her daughter Sy'rai.
Returning from yet another hiatus, Brandy's fourth album Afrodisiac
was released on June 29, 2004 in North America, amidst the well-publicized termination of her short-lived business relationship with entertainment manager Benny Medina
. Norwood ended her contract with his Los Angeles-based Handprint Entertainment after less than a year of representation following controversies surrounding Medina's handling of the lead single "Talk About Our Love
", and failed negotiations of a purported co-headlining tour with R&B singer Usher. Upon parting Norwood admitted her switch to Medina made her appreciate what she had with her mother, stating that "it was such a drastic change that it didn't work for me. Nobody out there can match her passion for me." Despite the negative publicity, Afrodisiac became Brandy's most critically acclaimed album to date, with some highlighting the "more consistently mature and challenging" effect of Timbaland on Brandy's music, and others calling it "listenable and emotionally resonant," comparing it to "Janet Jackson
at her best". Norwood described the CD as her most mature and versatile effort by then: "I just wanted to sing my heart out and connect with people. I wasn’t old enough or mature enough before to get into people’s hearts. Now I am." Nevertheless Afrodisiac became a moderate seller: While the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling only 416,000 copies to date, it generally failed to chart or sell noticeably outside the United States. "Talk About Our Love" reached number six in the United Kingdom
but later singles failed to score successfully on the popular music charts.
, was released in March 2005. Released without any promotional single, it reached the top 30 in Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S., where the collection was appreciated by contemporary critics who noted the creativity of Norwood's back-catalogue. Andy Kellman of Allmusic expressed: "This set, unlike so many other anthologies from her contemporaries, hardly confirms dwindling creativity or popularity." Thereupon she reportedly started shopping for a new record deal under Knockout Entertainment
, her brother's vanity label
.
In June 2006, Norwood was cast as one of three talent judges on the first season of America's Got Talent
, an amateur talent contest on NBC
with executive producer Simon Cowell
and host Regis Philbin
. The broadcast was one of the most-watched programs of the summer, and concluded on August 17, 2006 with the win of 11-year-old singer Bianca Ryan
. Norwood was originally scheduled to return for a second season of the America's Got Talent in summer 2007, but decided eventually not to do so, feeling that "she couldn't give the new season the attention and commitment it deserved," following the fatal 2006 car accident, in which she was involved. She was eventually replaced by reality TV star Sharon Osbourne
.
Norwood's fifth studio album Human was released in December 2008, involving production by Toby Gad
, Brian Kennedy
, and RedOne
. Distributed by Koch Records
and Sony Music, the album marked Brandy's debut on the Epic Records
label, and her reunion with long-time contributor and mentor Rodney Jerkins, who wrote and executive produced most of the album. Generally well-received by critics, Human debuted at number fifteen on the U.S. Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 73,000 copies. With a domestic sales total of 196,000 copies, it widely failed to revive the success of its predecessors and became the singer's lowest-selling effort to date. While leading single "Right Here (Departed)
" scored Brandy her biggest chart success since 2002's "Full Moon", the album failed to impact elsewhere, resulting into lackluster sales in general and the end of her contract with the label, following the appointment of Amanda Ghost
at Epic Records and her split with rapper Jay-Z
's Roc Nation
management. In December 2009, she officially introduced her rapping alter-ego Bran'Nu with two credits on Timbaland's album Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2, and was cast in the pilot episode for the ABC
series This Little Piggy, also starring Jeff Davis, Rebecca Cheskoff and Kevin Rahm
, which was recast the following year.
reality series Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business
along with their parents. The show debuted in April 2010 and chronicled the backstage happenings of both siblings, while taking a bigger role in their family's management and production company, R&B Productions. The show concluded after eleven episodes and was renewed for a second season, which began broadcasting in fall 2010. A compilation album with previously unreleased content from the entire cast, entitled A Family Business
, was released on the Time–Life imprint Saguaro Road Records on June 21, 2011, its first single being "Talk To Me."
Norwood appeared as a contestant on season 11
of Dancing with the Stars and was partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy
. She ultimately placed only fourth in the competition, which was a shock to the judges, viewers, studio audience, and other contestants that considered her one of the show's frontrunners throughout her entire competition.
After artistic experimentation with rap
via Timbaland, critical praise toward her 2010 string of a cappella
performances of soul music
classics, and venturing into reality television with her family, Norwood revealed her intentions to begin working heavily on her sixth studio album. According to Norwood, the album will see a return to her authentic R&B sound, but with a "progressive" edge. Hip-Hop producer Bangladesh
has been commissioned to helm the bulk of the album, while Norwood has expressed her intent to connect with a variety of musicians, including producer Danja, production duo Kadis & Sean, Jim Beanz
, WyldCard
, newcomers Kevin McCall
, D.C. native Rich Harrison
, Rico Love
, production collectives The Woodworks and The Runners
, singers Sean Garrett
, Chris Brown and Frank Ocean
, and songwriters Ester Dean
and Stacey Barthee. In August 2011, it was confirmed that Norwood signed a joint record deal with RCA Records
and producer Breyon Prescott's Chameleon Records and will release her sixth studio album in early 2012. In addition, it was announced that Norwood is planning to record of a joint album with brother Ray J, tentatively titled R&B.
In November 2011, it was announced, that Norwood has joined the cast of Tyler Perry
's The Marriage Counselor
, expected to be released in 2012.
, Janet Jackson
, and Mariah Carey
, as her biggest musical inspirations. Her current musical influences are Sade
, Kim Burrell
, Boyz II Men
, The Clark Sisters
, Enya
, and her father Willie Norwood
.
Norwood’s initial sound was contemporary R&B
, heavily rooted in gospel
and soul music
. Her lyrics described various types of love, from casual and friendly love, to romantic and spiritual affairs. Influenced by Houston and Carey, she incorporated a ballad-heavy style and an adult contemporary
feel into her urban-pop sound, for her second studio album, Never Say Never. Her third studio album, Full Moon, saw Norwood abandon her teenage appeal for a more adult and sensual edginess. Along with her image, her voice had gone through a major change, losing the "girly-rasp" that she once had, for a now deeper and warmer voice, that had acquired a scratchy, evocative edge. The music also reflected the change, as songs like "When You Touch Me" and "Like This" explored more adult, sexual topics, and a sound that blended her previous urban-pop sound with heavy influences of UK garage
, funktronica
, and progressively futuristic tones. In 2004, her recent motherhood, life experiences, and growing affinity toward English rock
band Coldplay
, caused her to shift toward a more matured outlook and raw nature with her fourth studio album Afrodisiac
, a venture into the organic sounds of soul blues
and the nostalgic street-wise sound of 90’s
hip-hop. A four year hiatus, and a few life-changing occurrences caused Brandy to return to the music scene, in late 2008, with Human
, her fifth studio album, which lyrically discussed topics of spiritual love, genuine heartache, and universal honesty, and musically explored combining her urban pop sound with elements of country
and inspirational pop
.
vocal range that spans three octaves. Often referred to as “B-Rocka”, her distinctive voice has been commended for its smoky, slightly worn timbre
and for the caliber of its colorful tone quality. Josh Love of Stylus Magazine
calls her voice “gorgeous” and “un-histrionic”, while Nicolas Paul Godkin of Designer Magazine comments, saying “…her husky, dulcet tones impresses the most.” Andy Kallman of Allmusic mentions that her voice is a treat to her, and she wears a slightly worn scratchy-ness surprisingly well. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
calls her voice "down-pillow soft," and Keya Modessa of The Situation describes her voice as “deep, sultry, and different.” While her vocal melisma
s and ad-libs have been noted for their developed sense of harmony, Norwood is most known and praised for her consistent use of multitrack recording
toward her own lead and backing vocals, creating various extended chords and elaborate textures of counterpoint
and polyphony
, a technique that has become her signature. Terry Sawyer of Pop Matters Online
comments, saying “While it's been said that Brandy's voice isn't exactly a barn burner, it's not mentioned enough that she does more than enough with what she's got. She never leaves her voice hanging in spotlit scarcity, folding it variegated terracing, whispering out the lead track, shouting in the back-up, and piling each song with enough interlocking sounds to create the tightly packed illusion of vocal massiveness.”
Norwood's vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry, most notably with contemporary R&B
and gospel
genres. Many of Norwood’s peers laud her as a vocal inspiration and influence, including Kanye West
, Chris Brown, Tank
, Keyshia Cole
, John Legend
, Tyrese
, Ciara
, Jazmine Sullivan
, and Kelly Rowland
among others. Barbadian singer Rihanna
revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that her 2007 multi-platinum album, Good Girl Gone Bad
, was primarily influenced by Brandy. In the interview she stated, “[Brandy] really helped inspire that album, I listened to [Afrodisiac] everyday [while in the studio]. Rock
musician John Frusciante
, former guitarist of legendary rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers
praises Brandy, calling her voice “multi-dimensional” and “inspiring”. In describing her voice and signature sound he said, “You can't hear [the elaborate harmonies] with your conscious: you have to hear her voice with your subconscious.” He also mentioned that Norwood was the “main inspiration” behind the guitar work on the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s 2006 Grammy winning album, Stadium Arcadium
.
However, on many occasions, Norwood has been thought of as merely a talented muse, that music producers and songwriters have used to exercise their own artistic and creative energies. This theory has been most notably linked with Norwood’s most frequent collaborator, producer Rodney Jerkins
, and his own Darkchild imprint, on which many of their collaborations do not include songwriting or production from Norwood herself. Her work with Timbaland and other producer/songwriters outside of her usual circle has also often seen Brandy responsible for only vocal arrangements and delivery, rather than actual writing or producing. However, throughout her musical career, Norwood has received numerous awards and accolades for her vocal abilities, and remains one of the most influential artists of her time.
in Malibu, California.
In 1996, she shared a short "chaste" relationship with Los Angeles Lakers
player Kobe Bryant
, whom she accompanied to his prom at Lower Merion High School
in Ardmore, Pennsylvania
. Between February 1997 and February 1998, she dated Boyz II Men
lead singer Wanya Morris
, who she cited as her "first love." Five year elder Morris reportedly ended their relationship a month before her nineteenth birthday. Also during their work on the Never Say Never album, she briefly dated rapper Ma$e.
During the ensuing production of the Full Moon
album, Norwood became involved romantically with producer Robert "Big Bert" Smith. The couple quietly began a regular relationship during the summer of 2001, but their union did not become known until February 2002—the same month Norwood revealed that she was expecting her first child. However, a year after the birth of their daughter Sy'rai Iman Smith on June 16, 2002—an event tracked by the four-part MTV
reality series Brandy: Special Delivery
—Norwood and Smith officially announced their separation. It was not until 2004 that Smith revealed that the pair had never been legally wed but they just had portrayed the notion of nuptials to preserve Norwood's public image. Norwood later stated that she regarded her relationship with Smith as a "spiritual union and true commitment to each other."
By the following year, Norwood had entered a relationship with NBA guard Quentin Richardson
, then playing for the Los Angeles Clippers
. The couple soon got engaged in July 2004 but Brandy eventually ended their 15-month engagement in October 2005. It was reported that Norwood had to get a tattoo of Richardson's face on her back transformed into a cat. In 2010, she briefly dated rapper Flo-Rida, though their mild flirtation did not lead to a romance.
freeway. The accident claimed the life of 38-year-old Awatef Aboudihaj—the driver of the Toyota that was struck by Norwood's Range Rover
—who succumbed to her injuries at the L.A. Holy Cross Hospital
the next day. Norwood was neither arrested, nor charged with vehicular manslaughter, due to "insufficient evidence." Unauthorized law enforcement reported that Norwood was driving her car at 65 mph and did not notice that cars in front of her had slowed considerably. Her vehicle then slammed into the back of Aboudihaj's, causing the Toyota to strike another vehicle before sliding sideways and impacting the center divider. As the Toyota came to a stop, it was hit by another vehicle. A well-placed source in the California Highway Patrol, however, later reported that Aboudihaj actually struck the car in front of her and then slammed on her brakes before Brandy made contact. The sudden stop caused Norwood to hit Aboudihaj's car. As confirmed, toxicology
reports showed that Aboudihaj had "slight traces" of marijuana in her system at the time of the crash.
In December 2007, Brandy's attorney, Blair Berk, stated "that after a more thorough and extensive investigation by authorities, the Los Angeles City Attorney has determined that Brandy Norwood should not be charged with any crime whatsoever relating to the accident back in 2006." She continued, "These past 12 months have posed an extraordinary hardship for Brandy and her family, who have been unfairly forced to live under a cloud of suspicion initially caused by the ill-advised and premature press release sent out by the California Highway Patrol accusing Brandy of wrongdoing before the police investigation was even finished. However, Brandy continues to be mindful that she was so fortunate to be uninjured in this accident and there was a life lost that should be remembered." Meanwhile, speaking in May 2009, Norwood herself stated: "The whole experience did completely change my life, and I can say that I think I'm a better person from it. You know, I still don't understand all of it and why all of it happened, but I definitely have a heart, and my heart goes out to everyone involved. I pray about it every single day, and that's all I can really say on the subject."
Nevertheless, there have been multiple lawsuits filed against Norwood. Aboudihaj's parents filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against Norwood. Filed on January 30, 2007, the lawsuit was initially set to go to trial in April 2009, but eventually canceled as Norwood had settled extrajudicially with Aboubihaj's parents. Aboudihaj's husband also filed a lawsuit against Norwood, suing her for an undisclosed amount of financial relief to cover medical and funeral expenses, as well as legal costs and other damages. He rejected a $1.2 million settlement offer in February 2009, and has not yet settled with Norwood. The couple's two children, who also filed a lawsuit against Norwood, received $300,000 each, according to court documents filed in L.A. County Superior Court on June 2, 2009. Two other drivers, who were involved and injured in the accident, also filed a lawsuit against Norwood. They settled with Norwood for an undisclosed amount.
filed a lawsuit against Brandy seeking up to $6,000,000 in damages. According to reports, Brandy had been paid $10,000 as a side artist fee to feature on Mysterio's debut album's Lead Single, 'Shout It Out'. Radar Online has subsequently reported that on November 30, 2010, the judge in the case denied Norwood's motion to dismiss the case and ordered a jury trial to take place, to begin on July 27, 2011.
On July 8, 2011, Radar Online reported that the two parties had agreed on an out of court settlement. The terms of the agreement were confidential, according to Mysterio's attorney Laurence Clarke.
Extended Plays
Compilation albums
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu.
Born into a musical family in McComb, Mississippi
McComb, Mississippi
McComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States, about south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 13,644. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi, Micropolitan Statistical Area...
and raised in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, Norwood first appeared in a supporting role on the short-lived ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom Thea
Thea (TV series)
Thea is an American sitcom that premiered September 3, 1993 on ABC, and last aired on February 14, 1994, for a total of 19 episodes. Starring comedienne Thea Vidale, the series marked the first time an African American female comedienne was the star of a series named after her.-Synopsis:Thea Vidale...
in 1993. Her engagement led to her own star vehicle, successful UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
sitcom Moesha
Moesha
Moesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
in 1996, and resulted in roles in the 1998 horror sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1998 slasher film and sequel to the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer. The screenplay was written by Trey Callaway, based on characters originally created in a popular novel by Lois Duncan. Callaway's script was published in an edited "young adult"...
, and the TV films Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
's Cinderella (1997) and Double Platinum
Double Platinum
Double Platinum is a 1999 musical telefilm starring Diana Ross and Brandy.-Plot:The story begins with a scene featuring star singer Olivia King leaving her daughter Kayla, who was an infant at the time. It is revealed that Kayla was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but in her later years, she would move...
(1999), two of television's best rated special programs.
In 1993, she signed a recording contract with Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, releasing her self-titled debut album
Brandy (album)
Brandy is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer Brandy, released by Atlantic Records on September 27, 1994 in North America, December 5 in the United Kingdom and on several dates in Europe, starting on February 3, 1995....
a year after. Following a major success with Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning "The Boy Is Mine
The Boy Is Mine
"The Boy Is Mine" is a duet by American recording artists Brandy and Monica. It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and Brandy with co-production by Darkchild and Dallas Austin, and released as the lead single from both singers' second albums during the...
", a duet with singer Monica, and her second album Never Say Never in 1998, a series of successful records established her as one of the most successful of the new breed of urban R&B female vocalists to emerge during the mid-to late 1990s
1990s in music
For music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
. Her latest studio album, Human
Human (Brandy album)
Human is the fifth studio album by American R&B singer Brandy, first released in France in December 2008 and by March 2009 in most international music markets...
(2008), was her first effort to be released on the Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
label after a label change in 2005.
The RIAA ranks Norwood as one of the best-selling female artists in American music history, having sold over 8.5 million copies of her five studio albums in the United States and over 30 million records worldwide, to date. Additionally, she has won over 100 awards as a recording artist. In 1999, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
ranked Norwood among the top 20 of the top pop artists of the 1990s
1990s in music
For music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
. Additionally, in 2010, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
included Brandy in their top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists list of the past 25 years
Early life and career beginnings
Norwood was born in McComb, MississippiMcComb, Mississippi
McComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States, about south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 13,644. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi, Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, the daughter of Willie Norwood
Willie Norwood
William Raymond Norwood, Sr. known as Willie Norwood is an American Gospel singer and has been involved in singing since early childhood. His father and mother sang in the church choir...
, a former gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
singer and choir director, and his wife Sonja Norwood (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Bates), a former district manager for H&R Block
H&R Block
H&R Block is a tax preparation company in the United States, claiming more than 22 million customers worldwide, with offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The Kansas City-based company also offers banking, personal finance and business consulting services.Founded in 1955 by brothers...
. She is the elder sister of entertainer Ray J
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:...
, as well as a first cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
.
Raised in a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
home, Norwood started singing through her father's work as part of the local church choir, performing her first gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
at the age of two. In 1983, her parents relocated to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where Brandy was schooled at the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center. Norwood's interest in music and performing increased after becoming a fan of singer Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
at the age of seven, but at school, she experienced trouble with persuading teachers to send her on auditions as she found no support among the staff. Undaunted, Norwood began entering talent shows by the time she was eleven, and as part of a youth singing group, performed at several public functions. In 1990, her talent led to a binding oral contract with Teaspoon Productions, headed by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, who obtained her gigs as a backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for their R&B boy band Immature
IMx
IMx , are an American R&B group, managed by record producer Chris Stokes. Its members include Marques "Batman" Houston , Jerome "Romeo" Jones , and Kelton "LDB" Kessee , all natives of Los Angeles, California, where the group was formed...
, and arranged the production of a demo tape
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
. In 1993, amid ongoing negotiations with East West Records
East West Records
East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:...
, Norwood's parents organized a recording contract with the Atlantic Recording Corporation after auditioning for the company's director of A&R, Darryl Williams. To manage her daughter, Norwood's mother soon resigned from her job, while Norwood herself dropped out of Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.-History:...
later and was tutored privately from tenth grade on.
During the early production stages of her debut album
Brandy (album)
Brandy is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer Brandy, released by Atlantic Records on September 27, 1994 in North America, December 5 in the United Kingdom and on several dates in Europe, starting on February 3, 1995....
, Norwood was selected for a role in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom Thea
Thea (TV series)
Thea is an American sitcom that premiered September 3, 1993 on ABC, and last aired on February 14, 1994, for a total of 19 episodes. Starring comedienne Thea Vidale, the series marked the first time an African American female comedienne was the star of a series named after her.-Synopsis:Thea Vidale...
, portraying the 12-year-old daughter of a single mother played by Thea Vidale
Thea Vidale
Thea Vidale , is an American stand-up comedian and actress.She began her career doing stand-up comedy in comic clubs in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles...
. Broadcasted to mediocre ratings, the series ended only 8 months after its premiere, but garnered her a Young Artist Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Ensemble
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
alongside her co-stars. Norwood recalled that she appreciated the cancellation of the show as she was unenthusiastic about acting at the time and the taping caused scheduling conflicts with the recording of her album, stating: "I felt bad for everybody else but me. It was a good thing, because I could do what I had to do, because I wanted to sing."
1994–1996: Brandy and Moesha
Williams hired producer Keith Crouch and R&B band Somethin' for the PeopleSomethin' for the People
Somethin' for the People was an R&B group from Los Angeles, California, who scored several hits in the US in the late 1990s.-History:The group was founded in 1990 by Curtis "Sauce" Wilson and Jeff "Fuzzy" Young, both from Oakland, California, along with Los Angeles native Rochad "Cat Daddy" Holiday...
to work with Norwood, and within eight months, the team crafted her debut album, Brandy
Brandy (album)
Brandy is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer Brandy, released by Atlantic Records on September 27, 1994 in North America, December 5 in the United Kingdom and on several dates in Europe, starting on February 3, 1995....
. A collection of street-oriented rhythm-and-blues with a hip-hop edge, whose lyrical content embraced her youthful and innocent image in public, Norwood later summed the songs on the album as young and vulnerable, stating: "I didn’t really know a lot — all I wanted to do was basically sing. You can just tell that it’s a person singing from a genuine place, and also a place of basically no experience. I was singing about being attracted to the opposite sex, but I had no experience behind it." Released in September 1994, the album peaked at number twenty on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Critical reaction to Brandy was generally positive, with Allmusic writer Eddie Huffman declaring Brandy "a lower-key Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
or a more stripped-down Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
[...] with good songs and crisp production." Anderson Jones of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
asserted, "Teen actress Norwood acts her age. A premature effort at best, that seems based on the philosophy 'If Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
can do it, why can't I?'."
Brandy went on to sell over six million units worldwide, and produced three top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "I Wanna Be Down
I Wanna Be Down
"I Wanna Be Down" is the debut song performed by American singer Brandy. It was co-written and produced by Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones for the singer's self-titled debut studio album, Brandy , and released as its lead single during the third quarter of 1994...
" and "Baby," both of which reached the top of the Hot R&B Singles chart and were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. "Brokenhearted
Brokenhearted
"Brokenhearted" is an R&B ballad performed by singer Brandy. It was written and produced by Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones for the singer's self-titled debut studio album, Brandy...
", a duet with Wanya Morris
Wanya Morris
Wanyá Jermaine Morris is an American R&B singer, best known as a member of the R&B group Boyz II Men.Aside from Boyz II Men, Wanyá has his own record label, "The Company Entertainment"....
of Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, became a number-two hit on the charts. The album earned Norwood two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations for Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...
the following year and won her four Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
, two Billboard Awards, and the New York Children's Choice Award. In 1995, she finished a two-month stint as the opening act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
on Boyz II Men's national tour, and contributed songs to the soundtracks of the films Batman Forever
Batman Forever
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman...
and Waiting to Exhale
Waiting to Exhale
Waiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan. Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Beach, Gregory Hines, Donald Faison and Mykelti...
, with single "Sittin' Up in My Room
Sittin' up in My Room
"Sittin' Up in My Room" is a song by American singer Brandy, written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds for the soundtrack of the 1995 motion picture Waiting to Exhale...
" becoming another top two success. In 1996, Norwood also collaborated with Tamia
Tamia
Tamia Hill , and known professionally as Tamia, is a four-time Grammy-nominated Canadian R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, composer, model, entrepreneur and philanthropist, as well as an occasional actress.She is best known for her 2000 hit "Stranger In My House" and Fabolous' 2003...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, and Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
on the single "Missing You
Missing You (1996 song)
"Missing You" is a song by Brandy, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, and Tamia, recorded for the soundtrack of the 1996 motion picture Set It Off. Written andy produced by Gordon Chambers and Barry Eastmond, it was released as a single in August 1996 . The collaboration peaked at number 2 in New Zealand...
," released from the Set It Off
Set It Off
Set It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery...
soundtrack. The single won her a third Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.
In 1996, her short-lived engagement on Thea led to Norwood's own star vehicle: UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
-produced sitcom Moesha
Moesha
Moesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
. Appearing alongside Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph is an American actress, singer, and activist.-Personal life:Raised between Mandeville, Jamaica, and Long Island, New York, Sheryl Lee Ralph was born in Waterbury, Connecticut to an African American father and a Jamaican mother. Sheryl attended Uniondale High School in Uniondale, NY...
and Countess Vaughn
Countess Vaughn
Countess Danielle Vaughn is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her role as Kim Parker on the UPN television sitcom Moesha and its spin-off The Parkers.-Early life and career:...
, she played the title role of Moesha Mitchell
Moesha Mitchell
Moesha Denise Mitchell is a fictional character on the television show Moesha played by Brandy Norwood.- Character information :Moesha Mitchell was born in Los Angeles on January 30, 1981. Like many teens, Moesha's trying to find her place in life...
, a Los Angeles girl coping with a new stepmother as well as the pressures and demands of becoming an adult. Originally bought by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, the program was first broadcast on UPN during January 1996, and soon became the most watched show broadcast on the television network. While the sitcom managed to increase its audience every new season and spawned a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
named The Parkers
The Parkers
The Parkers is an American sitcom . A spin-off of UPN's Moesha, The Parkers featured the mother-daughter team of Nikki and Kim Parker . The Parkers' signature "Heeyyy" greeting made its way into popular vernacular in the early 2000s.-Premise:The series centered around a mother and daughter who...
, the network decided to cancel the show after six seasons on the air, leaving it ending with a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
for a scrapped seventh season. Norwood was awarded a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
for her performance.
1997–2000: Never Say Never and film career
In 1997, Norwood was hand-picked by executive producer Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
to play the title character in Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
’s television version of Cinderella
Cinderella (TV)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is a musical written for television, with music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based upon the fairy tale Cinderella, particularly the French version Cendrillon, ou la Petite Pantoufle de Vair, by Charles Perrault...
featuring a multi-cultural cast that also included Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
, Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, and Houston. The two-hour Wonderful World of Disney special garnered an estimated 60 million viewers, giving the network its highest ratings in the time period in 16 years, and won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
the following year.
Beginning producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins was consulted to contribute to Norwood's second album Never Say Never, which was released in June 1998. Brandy co-wrote and produced six songs on the album which yielded her first number-one rated song on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, "The Boy Is Mine
The Boy Is Mine
"The Boy Is Mine" is a duet by American recording artists Brandy and Monica. It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and Brandy with co-production by Darkchild and Dallas Austin, and released as the lead single from both singers' second albums during the...
", a duet with singer Monica that has become the most successful song by a female duo in music history. Exploiting the media's presumption of a rivalry between the two young singers, the song was one of the most successful records in United States of all time, spending record-breaking thirteen weeks on top of the Billboard charts, and eventually garnered the pair a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". The album's success was equally widespread, and after extensive radio play of the single overseas, the label released it globally during the summer. Never Say Never eventually became Brandy’s biggest-selling album, selling over sixteen million copies worldwide; and critics rated the album highly, with Allmusic`s Stephen Thomas Erlewine praising Brandy and her team for wisely finding "a middle ground between Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
and Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
— it's adult contemporary with a slight streetwise edge". Altogether the album spawned seven airplay and CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
s respectively, including Norwood's second number-one song, the Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
-penned "Have You Ever?".
After backing out of a role in F. Gary Gray
F. Gary Gray
Felix Gary Gray is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Gray began his career in 1992 with his music video for Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day." The video, a literal adaptation of the lyrics, was critically well received. He would go on to direct subsequent videos for Ice Cube,...
's 1996 drama Set It Off
Set It Off
Set It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery...
, Norwood made her big screen debut after winning the supporting role of sassy Karla Wilson in the franchise-flick I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1998 slasher film and sequel to the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer. The screenplay was written by Trey Callaway, based on characters originally created in a popular novel by Lois Duncan. Callaway's script was published in an edited "young adult"...
. The movie outperformed the original
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American horror film. The film stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. The screenplay was written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream, and very loosely based on Lois Duncan's popular novel of the same title...
with a total of $16.5 million at its opening weekend but critical reaction towards the film was largely disappointing, with film review site Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
calculating a poor rating of 7% based on 46 reviews. Norwood, however, earned positive reviews for her "bouncy" performance, which garnered her both a Blockbuster Entertainment Award and an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Female Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Breakthrough Performance. In many years, the awards were split into Male and Female categories...
respectively. In 1999, she co-starred with Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
in the telefilm drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
Double Platinum
Double Platinum
Double Platinum is a 1999 musical telefilm starring Diana Ross and Brandy.-Plot:The story begins with a scene featuring star singer Olivia King leaving her daughter Kayla, who was an infant at the time. It is revealed that Kayla was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but in her later years, she would move...
about an intense, strained relationship between a mother and daughter. Shot in only twenty days in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, both Norwood and Ross served as executive producers of the movie which features original songs from their respective albums Never Say Never (1998) and Every Day Is a New Day
Every Day is a New Day
-Album:-Singles:...
(1999) as well as previously unreleased duets.
2001–2004: Full Moon and Afrodisiac
After a lengthy hiatus that saw the end of the MoeshaMoesha
Moesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
sitcom, and a flurry of tabloid headlines discussing her long-term battle with dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
, Norwood returned to music in 2001 when she and brother Ray-J were asked to record a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
' 1980s hit "Another Day in Paradise
Another Day in Paradise
"Another Day in Paradise" is a song by Phil Collins released as the first single from his number-one album But Seriously . As with his song from Genesis, "Man on the Corner" "Another Day in Paradise" was written to bring attention to the problem of homelessness; as such, the song was a substantial...
" for the tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
Urban Renewal: A Tribute to Phil Collins. Released as the album first single in Europe and Oceania, the song became an instant international success overseas, scoring top ten entries on the majority of all charts it appeared on.
Full Moon, Norwood's third studio album, was released in February 2002. It once again comprised a row of R&B and pop-oriented songs with adult contemporary, many of them co-created with Jerkins, Warryn Campbell and Mike City
Mike City
Mike City is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Flowers is also the founder and CEO of Unsung Entertainment, Inc. He's currently working on his personal album titledMike City a.k.a...
. While its lead single "What About Us?" became a worldwide top ten hit, the album's title track failed to chart or sell noticeably outside the United States and the United Kingdom, where it managed to enter the Top 20 of charts. Media reception was generally lukewarm, with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
describing the album as "frantic, faceless, fake-sexy R&B." Within the coming year, Norwood and Robert "Big Bert" Smith began writing and producing for other artists such as Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton
Toni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide...
, Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
, and Kiley Dean
Kiley Dean
Kiley Dean is an American contemporary R&B singer. Kiley was born and raised in a small town in Arkansas. When she was about 7 years old, her family decided to move to Orlando. She grew up singing in school and church, which led her to singing back-up for Britney Spears' tours, "…Baby One More...
. Norwood's foray in reality television started in 2002 with the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
series Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery; the show documented the final months of Norwood's pregnancy with her daughter Sy'rai.
Returning from yet another hiatus, Brandy's fourth album Afrodisiac
Afrodisiac
Afrodisiac is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Brandy Norwood, released by Atlantic Records on June 28, 2004 on most international territories and on June 29, 2004 in Canada and the United States...
was released on June 29, 2004 in North America, amidst the well-publicized termination of her short-lived business relationship with entertainment manager Benny Medina
Benny Medina
Benny Medina is the CEO of The Medina Company and son of legendary Jazz drummer Ahmad "Benny" Medina. He has worked in the music business as a producer, talent manager and record executive...
. Norwood ended her contract with his Los Angeles-based Handprint Entertainment after less than a year of representation following controversies surrounding Medina's handling of the lead single "Talk About Our Love
Talk About Our Love
"Talk About Our Love" is a song performed by American entertainer Brandy. It was written by producers Kanye West and Harold Lilly for her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac , and produced by West, who moreover appears as a featured artist on it...
", and failed negotiations of a purported co-headlining tour with R&B singer Usher. Upon parting Norwood admitted her switch to Medina made her appreciate what she had with her mother, stating that "it was such a drastic change that it didn't work for me. Nobody out there can match her passion for me." Despite the negative publicity, Afrodisiac became Brandy's most critically acclaimed album to date, with some highlighting the "more consistently mature and challenging" effect of Timbaland on Brandy's music, and others calling it "listenable and emotionally resonant," comparing it to "Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
at her best". Norwood described the CD as her most mature and versatile effort by then: "I just wanted to sing my heart out and connect with people. I wasn’t old enough or mature enough before to get into people’s hearts. Now I am." Nevertheless Afrodisiac became a moderate seller: While the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling only 416,000 copies to date, it generally failed to chart or sell noticeably outside the United States. "Talk About Our Love" reached number six in the United Kingdom
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
but later singles failed to score successfully on the popular music charts.
2005–2009: America's Got Talent and Human
After eleven years with the company Norwood asked for and received an unconditional release from Atlantic Records in the end of 2004, citing her wish to "to move on" as the main reason for her decision. Completing her contract with the label, a compilation album compiling her first four studio albums with Atlantic, entitled The Best of BrandyThe Best of Brandy
The Best of Brandy is the first compilation album by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. Completing her contract with Atlantic Records after eleven years with the company, it was released in March and April 2005 on most international music markets....
, was released in March 2005. Released without any promotional single, it reached the top 30 in Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S., where the collection was appreciated by contemporary critics who noted the creativity of Norwood's back-catalogue. Andy Kellman of Allmusic expressed: "This set, unlike so many other anthologies from her contemporaries, hardly confirms dwindling creativity or popularity." Thereupon she reportedly started shopping for a new record deal under Knockout Entertainment
Knockout Entertainment
Knockout Entertainment is singer Ray J's vanity label, founded in 2004. The label specializes in R&B, hip hop, and gospel. Originally released under Sanctuary Records, a press release in December 2007 announced a new partnership with E1 Records....
, her brother's vanity label
Vanity label
A vanity label is an informal name given sometimes to a record label founded as a wholly or partially owned subsidiary of another, larger and better established record label, where the subsidiary label is controlled by a successful recording artist, designed to allow this artist...
.
In June 2006, Norwood was cast as one of three talent judges on the first season of America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
, an amateur talent contest on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
with executive producer Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
and host Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
. The broadcast was one of the most-watched programs of the summer, and concluded on August 17, 2006 with the win of 11-year-old singer Bianca Ryan
Bianca Ryan
Bianca Taylor Ryan is an American singer and guitarist, who won the debut season of NBC's America's Got Talent at age 11....
. Norwood was originally scheduled to return for a second season of the America's Got Talent in summer 2007, but decided eventually not to do so, feeling that "she couldn't give the new season the attention and commitment it deserved," following the fatal 2006 car accident, in which she was involved. She was eventually replaced by reality TV star Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
.
Norwood's fifth studio album Human was released in December 2008, involving production by Toby Gad
Toby Gad
Tobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
, Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (producer)
Brian Kennedy Seals is an American songwriter, record producer and musician from Kansas City, MO. Revered as a piano prodigy, he has been making music tracks since 2001...
, and RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
. Distributed by Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
and Sony Music, the album marked Brandy's debut on the Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
label, and her reunion with long-time contributor and mentor Rodney Jerkins, who wrote and executive produced most of the album. Generally well-received by critics, Human debuted at number fifteen on the U.S. Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 73,000 copies. With a domestic sales total of 196,000 copies, it widely failed to revive the success of its predecessors and became the singer's lowest-selling effort to date. While leading single "Right Here (Departed)
Right Here (Departed)
"Right Here " is a song by American singer Brandy, written by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and The Writing Camp members Evan "Kidd" Bogart, Victoria Horn, Erika Nuri, and David "DQ" Quiñones and produced by Jerkins for her fifth studio album Human...
" scored Brandy her biggest chart success since 2002's "Full Moon", the album failed to impact elsewhere, resulting into lackluster sales in general and the end of her contract with the label, following the appointment of Amanda Ghost
Amanda Ghost
Amanda Ghost is a singer and songwriter from Enfield, North London, England. After an initial period in which she performed as a solo artist, she formed a band which performed under her name, and of which she was the lead singer...
at Epic Records and her split with rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Roc Nation
Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an American management, music publishing and entertainment company founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.-History:In April 2008, Live Nation partnered with Jay-Z to create Roc Nation...
management. In December 2009, she officially introduced her rapping alter-ego Bran'Nu with two credits on Timbaland's album Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2, and was cast in the pilot episode for the ABC
ABC Network
ABC Network may refer to any of the following:*American Broadcasting Company, a private television network in the United States.*Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, regional radio and television broadcaster in Japan....
series This Little Piggy, also starring Jeff Davis, Rebecca Cheskoff and Kevin Rahm
Kevin Rahm
Kevin Rahm is an American actor known for his role as Kyle McCarty on the CBS series Judging Amy. He portrayed Lee McDermott on Desperate Housewives from 2007 to 2012.-Early life:Rahm was born in Mineral Wells, Texas...
, which was recast the following year.
2010–present: A Family Business and sixth studio album
In 2010, Norwood and her brother Ray J premiered the VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
reality series Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business
Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business
Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business is an American reality series airing on VH1, and starring Brandy and her younger brother Ray J. The series premiered on April 11, 2010.- Overview :...
along with their parents. The show debuted in April 2010 and chronicled the backstage happenings of both siblings, while taking a bigger role in their family's management and production company, R&B Productions. The show concluded after eleven episodes and was renewed for a second season, which began broadcasting in fall 2010. A compilation album with previously unreleased content from the entire cast, entitled A Family Business
A Family Business
A Family Business, sometimes dubbed as Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business, is the debut studio album by the Norwood family, the cast of the American reality series Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business, which airs on the VH1 network in the United States and serves as the soundtrack for the reality...
, was released on the Time–Life imprint Saguaro Road Records on June 21, 2011, its first single being "Talk To Me."
Norwood appeared as a contestant on season 11
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 11)
Dancing with the Stars returned for an 11th season on September 20, 2010. The cast was announced during the August 30 episode of Bachelor Pad during a live press conference that included a Q&A session with host Tom Bergeron and co-host Brooke Burke and the new cast. There are twelve celebrity cast...
of Dancing with the Stars and was partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Maksim Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy is a Ukrainian-American Latin Ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is best known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing with the Stars, on which he first appeared in season two...
. She ultimately placed only fourth in the competition, which was a shock to the judges, viewers, studio audience, and other contestants that considered her one of the show's frontrunners throughout her entire competition.
After artistic experimentation with rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
via Timbaland, critical praise toward her 2010 string of a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
performances of soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
classics, and venturing into reality television with her family, Norwood revealed her intentions to begin working heavily on her sixth studio album. According to Norwood, the album will see a return to her authentic R&B sound, but with a "progressive" edge. Hip-Hop producer Bangladesh
Bangladesh (producer)
Shondrae Crawford, better known as Bangladesh or Mr. Bangladesh, is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and disc jockey and rapper, who was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.- Life and career :...
has been commissioned to helm the bulk of the album, while Norwood has expressed her intent to connect with a variety of musicians, including producer Danja, production duo Kadis & Sean, Jim Beanz
Jim Beanz
James David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
, WyldCard
WyldCard
Kendrick J. Dean, also known as WyldCard, is an American Grammy Nominated musical composer, and record producer. He has co-written and co-produced singles including: Chris Brown's "Say Goodbye"; Danity Kane's "Ride For You"; Bobby Valentino's "How Bout It"; Toni Braxton's "Trippin'"; Mary J...
, newcomers Kevin McCall
Kevin McCall
Kevin Lamar McCall, Jr. , better known as Kevin McCall or K-Mac, is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and rapper signed to Universal Music Group and CBE . He wrote on "Last Train to Paris", and was nominated with Chris Brown for Deuces on the 2011 Grammys.- Mixtapes :*Un-invited Guest Kevin...
, D.C. native Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison is a Grammy Award-winning record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C.. He is primarily an R&B/Hip-Hop producer...
, Rico Love
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Love wrote and produced hit records such as Usher’s "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy ”, Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", Beyoncé Knowles' "Sweet Dreams"...
, production collectives The Woodworks and The Runners
The Runners
The Runners is a hip hop production duo from Orlando, Florida, consisting of Andrew "Dru Brett" Harr and Jermaine "Mayne Zayne" Jackson. They came together to form the team in 2000, but they have known each other since they were in kindergarten. They are best known for producing the hit singles "Go...
, singers Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett
Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...
, Chris Brown and Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean
Christopher Francis Ocean , better known by his stage name Frank Ocean, is an American singer-songwriter and rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a member of OFWGKTA.-2005-2010: Career beginnings:...
, and songwriters Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
and Stacey Barthee. In August 2011, it was confirmed that Norwood signed a joint record deal with RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
and producer Breyon Prescott's Chameleon Records and will release her sixth studio album in early 2012. In addition, it was announced that Norwood is planning to record of a joint album with brother Ray J, tentatively titled R&B.
In November 2011, it was announced, that Norwood has joined the cast of Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright, entrepreneur, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman...
's The Marriage Counselor
The Marriage Counselor (film)
The Marriage Counselor is an upcoming comedy-drama film directed by, written by, and produced by Tyler Perry. The film is adapted from the play of the same name...
, expected to be released in 2012.
Themes and genres
Norwood, stylistically, has evolved since her 1994 start in music, at the age of 15. With her mother as her manager and stylist, Brandy developed a “good girl” image and a “hip-yet-wholesome” appeal. At the start of her career, she often cited Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, and Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, as her biggest musical inspirations. Her current musical influences are Sade
Sade (band)
Sade is a British smooth jazz band that formed in 1983, named for Nigerian lead singer Sade Adu. Their music features elements of R&B, soul, jazz, and soft rock....
, Kim Burrell
Kim Burrell
Kimberly Burrell is an American gospel singer from Houston, Texas. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only performed since 1989, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this...
, Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. A fifth sister, Denise Clark Bradford, no longer performs with the group. The Clark Sisters are the daughters of legendary...
, Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
, and her father Willie Norwood
Willie Norwood
William Raymond Norwood, Sr. known as Willie Norwood is an American Gospel singer and has been involved in singing since early childhood. His father and mother sang in the church choir...
.
Norwood’s initial sound was contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, heavily rooted in gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. Her lyrics described various types of love, from casual and friendly love, to romantic and spiritual affairs. Influenced by Houston and Carey, she incorporated a ballad-heavy style and an adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
feel into her urban-pop sound, for her second studio album, Never Say Never. Her third studio album, Full Moon, saw Norwood abandon her teenage appeal for a more adult and sensual edginess. Along with her image, her voice had gone through a major change, losing the "girly-rasp" that she once had, for a now deeper and warmer voice, that had acquired a scratchy, evocative edge. The music also reflected the change, as songs like "When You Touch Me" and "Like This" explored more adult, sexual topics, and a sound that blended her previous urban-pop sound with heavy influences of UK garage
UK garage
UK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
, funktronica
Funktronica
Funktronica is an underground subgenre of electro music characterized by the use of recent digital mastering techniques in order to produce a sound similar in terms to its 1980s precursor...
, and progressively futuristic tones. In 2004, her recent motherhood, life experiences, and growing affinity toward English rock
English Rock
English Rock is a rock outcrop near the foot of the western slope of Mount Frakes, in the Crary Mountains, Marie Byrd Land. Mapped by United States Geological Survey from ground surveys and U.S. Navy aerial photography, 1959-66. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Claude L....
band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, caused her to shift toward a more matured outlook and raw nature with her fourth studio album Afrodisiac
Afrodisiac
Afrodisiac is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Brandy Norwood, released by Atlantic Records on June 28, 2004 on most international territories and on June 29, 2004 in Canada and the United States...
, a venture into the organic sounds of soul blues
Soul blues
Soul blues is a style of blues music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s that combines elements of soul music and urban contemporary music...
and the nostalgic street-wise sound of 90’s
1990s in music
For music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
hip-hop. A four year hiatus, and a few life-changing occurrences caused Brandy to return to the music scene, in late 2008, with Human
Human (Brandy album)
Human is the fifth studio album by American R&B singer Brandy, first released in France in December 2008 and by March 2009 in most international music markets...
, her fifth studio album, which lyrically discussed topics of spiritual love, genuine heartache, and universal honesty, and musically explored combining her urban pop sound with elements of country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and inspirational pop
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
.
Voice and influence
Norwood has a contraltoContralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
vocal range that spans three octaves. Often referred to as “B-Rocka”, her distinctive voice has been commended for its smoky, slightly worn timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
and for the caliber of its colorful tone quality. Josh Love of Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
calls her voice “gorgeous” and “un-histrionic”, while Nicolas Paul Godkin of Designer Magazine comments, saying “…her husky, dulcet tones impresses the most.” Andy Kallman of Allmusic mentions that her voice is a treat to her, and she wears a slightly worn scratchy-ness surprisingly well. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
calls her voice "down-pillow soft," and Keya Modessa of The Situation describes her voice as “deep, sultry, and different.” While her vocal melisma
Melisma
Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.-History:Music of ancient cultures used...
s and ad-libs have been noted for their developed sense of harmony, Norwood is most known and praised for her consistent use of multitrack recording
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
toward her own lead and backing vocals, creating various extended chords and elaborate textures of counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
and polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
, a technique that has become her signature. Terry Sawyer of Pop Matters Online
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
comments, saying “While it's been said that Brandy's voice isn't exactly a barn burner, it's not mentioned enough that she does more than enough with what she's got. She never leaves her voice hanging in spotlit scarcity, folding it variegated terracing, whispering out the lead track, shouting in the back-up, and piling each song with enough interlocking sounds to create the tightly packed illusion of vocal massiveness.”
Norwood's vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry, most notably with contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
genres. Many of Norwood’s peers laud her as a vocal inspiration and influence, including Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Chris Brown, Tank
Tank (American singer)
Tank is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer.-Career:Tank was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and moved with his family as a child to the Washington, D.C. suburb of Clinton, Maryland. He was a multi-sport athlete at Crossland High School and was offered the opportunity to play college...
, Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...
, John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
, Tyrese
Tyrese
Tyrese Darnell Gibson , also known simply as Tyrese, is an American R&B singer, rapper, actor, author, former fashion model and MTV VJ. After releasing several albums, he transitioned into films, with lead roles in several Hollywood releases.-Early life:Gibson was born in Los Angeles, California,...
, Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
, Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...
, and Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
among others. Barbadian singer Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that her 2007 multi-platinum album, Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released May 30, 2007, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during October 2006 to April 2007 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Rihanna worked with producers Christopher "Tricky"...
, was primarily influenced by Brandy. In the interview she stated, “[Brandy] really helped inspire that album, I listened to [Afrodisiac] everyday [while in the studio]. Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
, former guitarist of legendary rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
praises Brandy, calling her voice “multi-dimensional” and “inspiring”. In describing her voice and signature sound he said, “You can't hear [the elaborate harmonies] with your conscious: you have to hear her voice with your subconscious.” He also mentioned that Norwood was the “main inspiration” behind the guitar work on the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s 2006 Grammy winning album, Stadium Arcadium
Stadium Arcadium
Stadium Arcadium is the ninth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released on May 9, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records. The album produced five singles: "Dani California", "Tell Me Baby", "Snow ", "Desecration Smile", and "Hump de Bump"...
.
However, on many occasions, Norwood has been thought of as merely a talented muse, that music producers and songwriters have used to exercise their own artistic and creative energies. This theory has been most notably linked with Norwood’s most frequent collaborator, producer Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
, and his own Darkchild imprint, on which many of their collaborations do not include songwriting or production from Norwood herself. Her work with Timbaland and other producer/songwriters outside of her usual circle has also often seen Brandy responsible for only vocal arrangements and delivery, rather than actual writing or producing. However, throughout her musical career, Norwood has received numerous awards and accolades for her vocal abilities, and remains one of the most influential artists of her time.
Personal life
Norwood attended Hollywood High Performing Arts Center, but studied with a private tutor from 10th grade on. In 1996, she became a freshman at Pepperdine UniversityPepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
in Malibu, California.
In 1996, she shared a short "chaste" relationship with Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
player Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
, whom she accompanied to his prom at Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School, is an American public high school in Ardmore, a community on the Pennsylvania Main Line.It is the larger of the two high schools in Lower Merion School District, which serves both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. It was ranked among the top 60 U.S. high...
in Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...
. Between February 1997 and February 1998, she dated Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
lead singer Wanya Morris
Wanya Morris
Wanyá Jermaine Morris is an American R&B singer, best known as a member of the R&B group Boyz II Men.Aside from Boyz II Men, Wanyá has his own record label, "The Company Entertainment"....
, who she cited as her "first love." Five year elder Morris reportedly ended their relationship a month before her nineteenth birthday. Also during their work on the Never Say Never album, she briefly dated rapper Ma$e.
During the ensuing production of the Full Moon
Full Moon
Full moon is a lunar phase.Full Moon may also refer to:- Literature :* Full Moon , a novel by P. G. Wodehouse* Full Moon o Sagashite or Full Moon, a manga* Full Moon Press, an American small-press publisher...
album, Norwood became involved romantically with producer Robert "Big Bert" Smith. The couple quietly began a regular relationship during the summer of 2001, but their union did not become known until February 2002—the same month Norwood revealed that she was expecting her first child. However, a year after the birth of their daughter Sy'rai Iman Smith on June 16, 2002—an event tracked by the four-part MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality series Brandy: Special Delivery
Brandy: Special Delivery
Brandy: Special Delivery is an American reality series following R&B singer Brandy's pregnancy with baby Sy'rai. The series aired on MTV. The premiere episode premiered in the United States and Germany on June 18, 2002, with Canada following on June 21, where it took The Osbournes TV slot on...
—Norwood and Smith officially announced their separation. It was not until 2004 that Smith revealed that the pair had never been legally wed but they just had portrayed the notion of nuptials to preserve Norwood's public image. Norwood later stated that she regarded her relationship with Smith as a "spiritual union and true commitment to each other."
By the following year, Norwood had entered a relationship with NBA guard Quentin Richardson
Quentin Richardson
Quentin Richardson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic...
, then playing for the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. The couple soon got engaged in July 2004 but Brandy eventually ended their 15-month engagement in October 2005. It was reported that Norwood had to get a tattoo of Richardson's face on her back transformed into a cat. In 2010, she briefly dated rapper Flo-Rida, though their mild flirtation did not lead to a romance.
2006 car accident
On her way back home on December 30, 2006, Norwood was involved in a fatal car accident at the Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
freeway. The accident claimed the life of 38-year-old Awatef Aboudihaj—the driver of the Toyota that was struck by Norwood's Range Rover
Range Rover
The Range Rover is a large luxury four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle produced by British car maker Land Rover. The model, launched in 1970, is now in its third generation...
—who succumbed to her injuries at the L.A. Holy Cross Hospital
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is a hospital in Mission Hills, California, USA. The hospital has 254 beds, and is part of Providence Health & Services.-History:...
the next day. Norwood was neither arrested, nor charged with vehicular manslaughter, due to "insufficient evidence." Unauthorized law enforcement reported that Norwood was driving her car at 65 mph and did not notice that cars in front of her had slowed considerably. Her vehicle then slammed into the back of Aboudihaj's, causing the Toyota to strike another vehicle before sliding sideways and impacting the center divider. As the Toyota came to a stop, it was hit by another vehicle. A well-placed source in the California Highway Patrol, however, later reported that Aboudihaj actually struck the car in front of her and then slammed on her brakes before Brandy made contact. The sudden stop caused Norwood to hit Aboudihaj's car. As confirmed, toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
reports showed that Aboudihaj had "slight traces" of marijuana in her system at the time of the crash.
In December 2007, Brandy's attorney, Blair Berk, stated "that after a more thorough and extensive investigation by authorities, the Los Angeles City Attorney has determined that Brandy Norwood should not be charged with any crime whatsoever relating to the accident back in 2006." She continued, "These past 12 months have posed an extraordinary hardship for Brandy and her family, who have been unfairly forced to live under a cloud of suspicion initially caused by the ill-advised and premature press release sent out by the California Highway Patrol accusing Brandy of wrongdoing before the police investigation was even finished. However, Brandy continues to be mindful that she was so fortunate to be uninjured in this accident and there was a life lost that should be remembered." Meanwhile, speaking in May 2009, Norwood herself stated: "The whole experience did completely change my life, and I can say that I think I'm a better person from it. You know, I still don't understand all of it and why all of it happened, but I definitely have a heart, and my heart goes out to everyone involved. I pray about it every single day, and that's all I can really say on the subject."
Nevertheless, there have been multiple lawsuits filed against Norwood. Aboudihaj's parents filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against Norwood. Filed on January 30, 2007, the lawsuit was initially set to go to trial in April 2009, but eventually canceled as Norwood had settled extrajudicially with Aboubihaj's parents. Aboudihaj's husband also filed a lawsuit against Norwood, suing her for an undisclosed amount of financial relief to cover medical and funeral expenses, as well as legal costs and other damages. He rejected a $1.2 million settlement offer in February 2009, and has not yet settled with Norwood. The couple's two children, who also filed a lawsuit against Norwood, received $300,000 each, according to court documents filed in L.A. County Superior Court on June 2, 2009. Two other drivers, who were involved and injured in the accident, also filed a lawsuit against Norwood. They settled with Norwood for an undisclosed amount.
Marc Mysterio "Shout It Out" Breach of contract lawsuit
TMZ & Popeater reported that on August 23, 2010, Marc MysterioMarc Mysterio
Marc Mysterio is a Canadian DJ and producer with two labels - World Class Records and Amerada Music. He is also signed as an artist to various labels globally, including Sony Music in 2011.-Career:...
filed a lawsuit against Brandy seeking up to $6,000,000 in damages. According to reports, Brandy had been paid $10,000 as a side artist fee to feature on Mysterio's debut album's Lead Single, 'Shout It Out'. Radar Online has subsequently reported that on November 30, 2010, the judge in the case denied Norwood's motion to dismiss the case and ordered a jury trial to take place, to begin on July 27, 2011.
On July 8, 2011, Radar Online reported that the two parties had agreed on an out of court settlement. The terms of the agreement were confidential, according to Mysterio's attorney Laurence Clarke.
Discography
Studio albums- BrandyBrandy (album)Brandy is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer Brandy, released by Atlantic Records on September 27, 1994 in North America, December 5 in the United Kingdom and on several dates in Europe, starting on February 3, 1995....
(1994) - Never Say Never (1998)
- Full Moon (2002)
- AfrodisiacAfrodisiacAfrodisiac is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Brandy Norwood, released by Atlantic Records on June 28, 2004 on most international territories and on June 29, 2004 in Canada and the United States...
(2004) - Human (2008)
Extended Plays
- U Don't Know MeU Don't Know Me (EP)U Don't Know Me - The Remix EP is the first EP by American R&B singer Brandy, released in 1999 . It was released for promotional use only.-Release:...
(1999)
Compilation albums
- The Best of BrandyThe Best of BrandyThe Best of Brandy is the first compilation album by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. Completing her contract with Atlantic Records after eleven years with the company, it was released in March and April 2005 on most international music markets....
(2005)
Filmography
| Movies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes and Awards |
| 1997 | Cinderella | Cinderella Cinderella "Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune... |
also executive producer television movie Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:*Most Wins: Cicely Tyson, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Alfre Woodard- 2 wins*Most Nominations:-Stats:... |
| 1998 | I Still Know What You Did Last Summer I Still Know What You Did Last Summer I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1998 slasher film and sequel to the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer. The screenplay was written by Trey Callaway, based on characters originally created in a popular novel by Lois Duncan. Callaway's script was published in an edited "young adult"... |
Karla Wilson | grossed $84,002,112 worldwide Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress - Horror Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Female Breakthrough Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Breakthrough Performance. In many years, the awards were split into Male and Female categories... |
| 1999 | Double Platinum Double Platinum Double Platinum is a 1999 musical telefilm starring Diana Ross and Brandy.-Plot:The story begins with a scene featuring star singer Olivia King leaving her daughter Kayla, who was an infant at the time. It is revealed that Kayla was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but in her later years, she would move... |
Kayla Harris | television movie |
| 2001 | Osmosis Jones Osmosis Jones Osmosis Jones is a 2001 live-action/animated comedy film directed by Tom Sito and Piet Kroon for the animated segments and the Farrelly brothers for the live-action segments... |
Leah (voice) | grossed $14,026,418 |
| 2012 | The Marriage Counselor The Marriage Counselor (film) The Marriage Counselor is an upcoming comedy-drama film directed by, written by, and produced by Tyler Perry. The film is adapted from the play of the same name... |
Melinda | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Film | Role | Notes and Awards |
| 1993–1994 | Thea Thea (TV series) Thea is an American sitcom that premiered September 3, 1993 on ABC, and last aired on February 14, 1994, for a total of 19 episodes. Starring comedienne Thea Vidale, the series marked the first time an African American female comedienne was the star of a series named after her.-Synopsis:Thea Vidale... |
Danesha Turrell | Nominated — Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... for Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Television Series |
| 1997 | Jungle Cubs Jungle Cubs Jungle Cubs is an animated series produced by Disney for ABC in 1996. It was based on their 1967 feature film The Jungle Book, but set in the youth of the animal characters. The show was a hit, running for two seasons in syndication before moving its re-runs to the Disney Channel... |
Latecia | Voice acting |
| 1996–2001 | Moesha Moesha Moesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show... |
Moesha Mitchell | also executive producer NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress NAACP Image Award An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature.... Nominated — Kid's Choice Award Favorite Television Actress (1998, 2000, 2001) Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series:-Stats:*Most Wins**Jasmine Guy- 6 wins*Most Nominations-Winners:... (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001) Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress - TV (1999) Nominated — Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... for Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series (1997, 1998, 1999) Nominated — YoungStar Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series (1996) |
| 2000 | The Parkers The Parkers The Parkers is an American sitcom . A spin-off of UPN's Moesha, The Parkers featured the mother-daughter team of Nikki and Kim Parker . The Parkers' signature "Heeyyy" greeting made its way into popular vernacular in the early 2000s.-Premise:The series centered around a mother and daughter who... |
crossover appearance Fictional crossover A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common... |
|
| 2004 | American Dreams American Dreams American Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios... |
Gladys Knight Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author... |
performed "I Heard It Through the Grapevine I Heard It through the Grapevine "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a landmark song in the history of Motown. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, the single was first recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles... " (1967) |
| 2005 | House House (TV series) House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in... |
Herself | |
| 2006 | One on One One on One (TV series) One on One is an American sitcom that aired on the now-defunct UPN from its September 3, 2001 premiere until May 15, 2006. The series stars Flex Alexander as a single sportscaster, who becomes a full-time dad when his ex-wife decides to accept a job out of the country and his teenage daughter... |
Michelle McGinty | four-episode guest stint |
| 2009 | This Little Piggy | Tina | Sitcom pilot |
| 2011 | 90210 90210 (TV series) 90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS... |
Marissa Harris-Young | recurring role |
| 2011–2012 | Drop Dead Diva Drop Dead Diva Drop Dead Diva is an American legal comedy-drama/fantasy television series that debuted on Lifetime on July 12, 2009. The hour-long series, which was created by Josh Berman, is produced by Sony Pictures Television... |
Elisa Shyne | recurring role |
| 2012 | The Game | ||
| Reality | |||
| Year | Film | Role | Notes and Awards |
| 2002 | Brandy: Special Delivery Brandy: Special Delivery Brandy: Special Delivery is an American reality series following R&B singer Brandy's pregnancy with baby Sy'rai. The series aired on MTV. The premiere episode premiered in the United States and Germany on June 18, 2002, with Canada following on June 21, where it took The Osbournes TV slot on... |
Herself | Reality show documenting Brandy's pregnancy |
| 2005 | Sesame Beginnings: Beginning Together | Herself | TV programme targeted towards infants and their parents |
| American Idol American Idol (Season 4) The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18, 2005 and continued until May 25, 2005. It was hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell also returned to judge. It was won by Carrie Underwood, who has gone on to become a five-time Grammy-winning country megastar... |
Guest judge | Reality singing competition | |
| 2006 | America's Got Talent America's Got Talent America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of... |
season one judge | Reality talent competition |
| 2008 | The Hills The Hills The Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found... |
Herself | Cameo appearance |
| 2009–2010 | For the Love of Ray J For the Love of Ray J For the Love of Ray J is a dating show on VH1 featuring hip hop singer Ray J. The program has a format similar to Flavor of Love, I Love New York, and Rock of Love. One source notes that it "will be produced by the same geniuses" as those shows, 51 Minds... |
Herself | guest appearances for three episodes Dating show starring her brother Ray J Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:... |
| 2010 | Dancing with the Stars | 11th season contestant | Reality competition, fourth place |
| 2010–2011 | Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business is an American reality series airing on VH1, and starring Brandy and her younger brother Ray J. The series premiered on April 11, 2010.- Overview :... |
Herself | Reality show starring her and her brother Ray J Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:... as well as their parents Sonja and Willie Norwood Willie Norwood William Raymond Norwood, Sr. known as Willie Norwood is an American Gospel singer and has been involved in singing since early childhood. His father and mother sang in the church choir... |
| 2011 | Brandy: On My Own | Herself | Documentary series following the process of the making of Brandy's sixth studio album. |
| Majors & Minors Majors & Minors Majors & Minors is an American reality television singing competition, that premiered on The Hub on September 23, 2011. Auditions are held for 8-16 year olds, and whoever wins will get a chance to have a partnership with Sony's RCA Music Group. BMI will be involved with the series... |
Mentor | also executive producer Reality singing competition |
|
See also
- Brandy Norwood videography
- List of Brandy Norwood songs
- List of awards and nominations received by Brandy Norwood
External links
- 4everBrandy.com — official site