Usher Recalls the Time When He Had to ‘Babysit’ 12-Year-Old Beyoncé

Usher's multifaceted abilities have been evident throughout his career, and he has now disclosed an interesting addition to his skill set: celebrity babysitting. In a recent interview, the 44-year-old artist shared an anecdote about his role as a "chaperone" to another music superstar during their youth. This revelation comes ahead of Usher's upcoming series of concerts in Paris next month, per People.

The renowned artist from Atlanta made an appearance on the UK show Capital Breakfast With Roman Kemp, where he discussed an encounter with Beyoncé during her early years as a child.

“Fun fact, I knew Beyoncé when she was 12 years old, 11 years old. She used to be in a group by name of The Dolls. I don’t know if I could consider myself their babysitter, but I had a time where I had to watch The Dolls," he said. Usher, the 44-year-old R&B singer, who is just around three years senior to Beyoncé, secured his initial recording contract at the age of 14. This opportunity arose after a serendipitous audition with record executive L.A. Reid, who promptly extended a contract offer to the young Usher under his label at the time, LaFace Records.

“I was at Daryl Simmons’ house, He was working with them at the time, and I just happened to be over there and they were working on a session. I kind of found my way into being their like, I don’t know, chaperone, nanny, or something like that — the oldest person in the room," he continued by alluding to the record producer and songwriter known for their consistent collaborations with L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, the co-founders of LaFace Records.

Although Usher and Beyoncé didn't collaborate during that period, their joint effort came in 2008 with "Love In This Club, Pt. II," a track also featuring Lil Wayne. This song, released in May 2008, stands as their sole formal collaboration. It reached the 18th position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned a Gold certification from the RIAA in October 2008. As of 2008, both artists had already achieved significant milestones, and their careers have continued to be monumental ever since. Beyoncé, the former member of Destiny's Child, is presently touring across the United States in support of her album "Renaissance," released in July 2022, per Vibe.

Beyoncé, a mother of three with her husband JAY-Z, including 11-year-old Blue Ivy Carter and six-year-old twins, Sir and Rumi, has been impressing her fans with the Renaissance World Tour. The tour commenced in May in Stockholm, Sweden, and notably features Blue Ivy participating as a dancer alongside her mother during various performances. Remarkably, the tour has achieved the distinction of being the top-grossing tour among R&B artists, with the U.S. leg alone amassing a remarkable total of $141.4 million up to this point.

In the meantime, the artist behind My Boo has garnered substantial attention this year owing to his Las Vegas residency. An integral component of his show has involved serenading renowned women in the audience, a move that stirred controversy involving Keke Palmer and her child's father.

References:

https://people.com/usher-reveals-he-once-chaperoned-beyonce-when-they-were-both-starting-out-7642781

https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/usher-reflects-babysit-beyonce-1234780043/