Brandy Norwood is an American R&B Singer-Songwriter, Composer, Actress, and Record Producer. [175] A four-year hiatus and a few life-changing occurrences caused Norwood to return to the music industry in late 2008 with Human, her fifth studio album, which discussed topics of love, heartache and honesty. I'm taking every precaution to isolate and no one else on my team was affected. In July 2020, Norwood released her seventh studio album, B7, also her first project as an independent artist, to critical acclaim. [1] In 1996, Norwood also collaborated with Tamia, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight on the single "Missing You", released from the soundtrack of the F. Gary Gray film Set It Off. [117] In July 2018, Norwood became a series regular on the Fox musical drama television series Star. [231][232] In 2014, Norwood teamed up with "text4baby", which spreads health and wellness to expecting moms via text message,[233] and became an honorary co-chairman of the 2014 Unstoppable Foundation. What's something you're always surprised to hear? Was one of my inspirations when writting [, "H.E.R. [243] It was reported that Norwood had to get a tattoo of Richardson's face on her back transformed into a cat. [37][38], After backing out of a role in F. Gary Gray's 1996 film Set It Off,[39] Norwood made her big screen debut in the supporting role of Karla Wilson in the slasher film, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. It's just great. Full Moon, Norwood's third studio album, was released in February 2002. Article continues below advertisement . I've dealt with PTSD. [84] She became a regular cast member by the next season. Fans of the show were seriously stunned by these two young actors' deaths. [30] Norwood was awarded an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress for her performance. [261][262] In May 2009, Norwood stated, "The whole experience did completely change my life, and I can say that I think I'm a better person from it. [155] In June 2022, Norwood announced her major label return after signing with Motown Records under which she is expected to prepare her eighth studio album. [29] While the sitcom managed to increase its audience every new season and spawned a spin-off titled 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. Check 2. [251] Nevertheless, there have been multiple lawsuits filed against Norwood, all of which were ultimately settled out of court by her attorney Ed McPherson. In a 2014 interview, Brandy stated that, as a professional musician, I would say that Whitney Houston is the greatest voice of all time.[178] She elaborates, saying She was always the idea for me. [248] Norwood told the New York Post: "I have not been diagnosed as bipolar [] but I've had moments where trauma has caused me to not be myself, and I felt at a point that I could've experienced moments of that. Queens is very true to the '90s. [230] In 2010, Norwood became involved with Get Schooled, a national non-profit mobile phone calls by celebrities to wake up students for school. Norwood was originally slated to return for a second season in summer 2007, but eventually decided not to, 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. Monday, August 31st, 8PM EST on our IG and Apple Music. [99] Although initially a six-week run, her engagement was extended until August 2015,[100] prompting Norwood to reprise the role on several occasions in 2016 and 2017. The album was a melding of both Norwood's 1990s R&B sound and the bass-heavy trends of post-2000s contemporary hip-hop. [192] Norwood was one of the youngest artists nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. His most famous cousins include Brandy Norwood of Cinderella fame, Ray J, Daz Dillinger, WWE star Sasha Banks, Nate Dogg, and RBX. The couple became engaged in July 2004, but Norwood ended their 14-month engagement in September 2005. Never Say Never was released in June 1998 and became Norwood's biggest-selling album, selling over 16 million copies worldwide and reaching number two on the Billboard 200. After landing a series regular role in . Music is my first love. You can see it in fashion, music and, of course, television. [254], Norwood was not arrested. [18][19] In 1993, amid ongoing negotiations with East West Records, Norwood's parents organized a recording contract with the Atlantic Recording Corporation after auditioning for Darryl Williams, the company's director of A&R. [66] With a domestic sales total of 214,000 copies, it failed to match the success of its predecessors. Her 1994 debut, "Brandy," was certified quadruple platinum. [228] She is an avid supporter of the Make A Wish Foundation and RAINN. [57] Completing her contract with the label, a compilation album titled The Best of Brandy was released in March 2005. [43] Released as the album's 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. Those are the ones that mean the most to me because then you feel like your work wasn't in vain. [169] Her lyrics spoke of various types of love, from casual and friendly love to romantic and spiritual affairs [170] On her second album Never Say Never, she went for a more adult contemporary oriented direction while maintaining "a slight streetwise edge". [164] Music critic and Slant Magazine writer Andrew Chan describes Norwood's vocal tone as having "an unusual mix of warmth and cold, hard edges". "[24] Brandy went on to sell over six million copies worldwide,[25] 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 gold and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The show chronicled the backstage lives of both siblings, while taking on larger roles in their family's management and production company, R&B Productions. Additionally, on many occasions, Norwood has been thought of as a talented artist that music producers and songwriters have used to enhance their own artistic and creative energies. People went crazy when Cinderella hit Disney+ last year. [255] Initially set to go to trial in April 2009,[256] the lawsuit was eventually cancelled as Norwood had settled out of court with Aboudihaj's parents. [50] Despite the negative publicity, Afrodisiac became Norwood's most critically acclaimed album,[51] with some highlighting the "more consistently mature and challenging" effect of Timbaland on Norwood's music,[52] and others calling it "listenable and emotionally resonant", comparing it to "Janet Jackson at her best. [229] Brandy teamed up with shoe company Skechers' Nothing Compares to Family campaign in 2008. I mean, it's such a dream! "[249] In an interview with The Grio, Norwood said, "I've dealt with depression in the most severe like severe depression. The group comes from this bond and chemistry and they make this great music together and every single one of them has different personalities. [217] Her role as Cinderella inspired many African American actors. I wanted to be like her, sing like her, and do everything she was doing.[179] Beginning in the late 1990s, Houston would evolve as a personal friend and mentor to Brandy, with Houston nicknaming herself as Norwood's godmother. It's the fashion, and it just seemed like you had to be really talented to make it back in the '90s. With her sitcom Moesha being added to Netflix and the 1997 live-action TV film Cinderella streaming on Disney+, Brandy is having her own '90s resurgence: "It's just great that a new generation gets to feel the magic.". We're going to be going back and forth from now until then. (Rich Fury / Invision / Associated Press) By Christi Carras Staff Writer . Next to this, the Holiday Brandy Doll was released in 2000 along with another "Brandy Doll". Her musical breakthrough came with the wildly successful single "The Boy Is Mine" (1998), a duet with fellow R&B contemporary Monica, which went on to become one of the best selling female duets of all time and won her the Grammy for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo or Group. The same year, Norwood headlined VH-1's Divas Live '99, alongside Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Cher. It was released on July 31, 2020, through her own label Brand Nu, Inc. and eOne Music. She also represented the brands Candie's in 1998 and DKNY in the Spring of 2000. I love you all so much", "Congratulations to Brandy on her first ever nomination at the 2022 @afrimaofficial Awards for "Best Global Act", "All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) 2022: Public Voting Starts Sunday September 25", "All Africa Music Awards unveils 2022 nominees", "Brandy & Rita Ora Among 7 Cast In 'Descendants' Sequel 'The Pocketwatch' At Disney+", https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/every-original-movie-coming-to-netflix-in-2023/2900-4620/, "10 Little Known Facts About Brandy Norwood", "COVER STORY: BRANDY CHATS GROWTH, BOUNCING BACK FROM ADVERSITY", "2017 tour of Chicago starring Brandy Norwood (review)", "UP AND COMING: Brandy; At 16, Her Debut Is a Sweet Success (Published 1995)", "Fans Will Get A New Taste Of Brandy On Full Moon", "Brandy Gets Love From Kanye, Timbaland On New Album", "Brandy remembers Whitney Houston: "She's definitely one of my Angels", "TrueExclusives UpClose and Personal interview with Brandy", "US Superstar Brandy LIVE in the Hangout", "Rome News-Tribune Google News Archive Search", "Web Exclusive: Brandy Fan Questions Interview", "Brandy Outdoes Herself With Multiplatinum Certifications", "The Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years The Juice", "Celebrities Congratulate Brandy on 20 Years & She Reacts! She is known as a great R&B singer. [251] Law enforcement officials later reported that Norwood was driving her car at 65 miles per hour and did not notice that vehicles ahead of her had slowed considerably. See her response here. [87] Her sixth album Two Eleven, which was released in October, saw a return to her R&B sound, but with what Norwood described a "progressive edge". [79][80][81] In September, a new talent show, Majors & Minors, created by musician Evan Bogart, premiered on The Hub. When someone is crying and just really appreciating the work that you've done, and it's not so much about "I just met a famous person," it's more about the work that you did. [16] Norwood began entering talent shows by the time she was eleven, and, as part of a youth singing group, performed at several public functions. [54] "Talk About Our Love" reached number six in the United Kingdom, but subsequent singles failed to score successfully on the popular music charts. In 2010, she returned to television as a contestant on the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars and starred in the reality series Brandy \u0026 Ray J: A Family Business. Stars: Ray J, Brandy Norwood, Omarion 15. [181][183][184][185], Over the course of her acting career, Brandy has noted Lucille Ball, Jenifer Lewis, Gabrielle Union, Niecy Nash, and Kim Fields as being integral to her development as an actress, and the discovery of her strength in comedic roles. Willie Norwood, her father, is a gospel performer and choir conductor. He passed away in 2002 after getting shot six times while leaving a friend's house at the young age of 26. [120], In 2019, Norwood was honored with the BMI President's Award at the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, organized by Broadcast Music, Inc.[121] In June, she appeared on Canadian singer Daniel Caesar's second album Case Study 01, lending vocals to their duet "Love Again". As you can see we had an amazing show planned. In the '90s, Brandy wasn't just the R&B princess of the era, as she also starred in the beloved teen sitcom "Moesha" which ran for six seasons. Her third and fourth albums, Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), were released to critical success. I'm really not sure what happened, but something did change. My daughter always says, "I wish I was from the '90s." [116] Two months later, Norwood competed with her brother Ray J on the FOX reality cooking series My Kitchen Rules. [15] In 1983, her parents relocated to Carson, California, and Norwood was schooled at the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center. In 1999, Billboard ranked Norwood among the top 20 of the Top Pop Artists of the 1990s. [109] The same month, Norwood released the standalone single "Beggin & Pleadin" through her own label Slayana Records, after receiving a positive response to initially unveiling the track on SoundCloud. In a 2014 music and fashion conversation with NPR, singer and model Solange discussed the album, saying "Brandy is really the foundation of a lot of this very innovative, progressive, experimental R&B. That means a lot to me. Drinks by @ciroc", "Brandy and Monica announce epic Verzuz battle: 'Get ready for the queens! Call 911 and 3. Check us out at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqOmJO0ptmmHrsOnR3oPtTA Brian McKnight, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Tamia,[196] Ty Dolla Sign[200] and Tamar Braxton[201] among others. [61] In June, she was cast as one of three talent judges on the first season of America's Got Talent, an amateur talent contest on NBC executive-produced by Simon Cowell and hosted by Regis Philbin. He further describes her vocal quality, saying, "Like little else in pop-music singing, Brandy's subtle manipulation of timbre and texture rewards close listening. She was born on February 11, 1979, in McComb, Mississippi, to a family involved in music. In 2002, Norwood starred in the reality series Brandy: Special Delivery, documenting the birth of her daughter. She's Coming Back", "Taylor Swift Reclaims Billboard 200 Throne", "Brandy & Reps Talk 'Two Eleven' & Four-Year Hiatus", "The Latest On Brandy Amidst Her European Tour", "Jennifer Lopez Walks in Brandy's Louboutins", "Brandy Thanks Timbaland For Endorsing Her New Rap Career", "David Walton Asking '100 Questions' At NBC", "Brandy & Ray J to Star with Family in VH1 Reality Series", "Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business Season 2 To Premiere Sunday, December 5", "Label Saguaro Road Widens To Encompass R&B And Gospel", "Album review: Brandy and Ray J, "A Family Business", "Brandy Performs 'Put It Down' Live in Washington, D.C", "Brandy Signs with RCA/Chameleon Records", "Brandy's 'The Game' Character Arc Revealed", "Brandy Norwood Calls The Game's Chardonnay Pitts "A Hot Mess", "Brandy and Monica Reunite For First New Single in 14 Years", "Chart Juice: Brandy's 'Put It Down' Marks Her First Top 10 in 10 Years", "Producer Bangladesh Plots His Pop Domination, But Not Before Settling Differences", "Jason Aldean's 'Night Train' Rolls to No. [55] Later that year, she guest-starred as Gladys Knight in the third-season premiere of American Dreams, in which she performed "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". [221][222][223] In the late 1990s Norwood was represented by Wilhelmina Agency, one of the leading modeling agencies in the industry. [63] Generally well received by critics, Human debuted at number fifteen on the U.S. [] Her main claim of technical virtuosity has always been her long, cascading riffs, a skill many R&B die-hards revere her for. [16], During the early production stages of her debut album, Norwood was selected for a role in the short-lived ABC sitcom Thea, portraying the daughter of a single mother played by comedian Thea Vidale. Frank Ocean will say it. After signing with Atlantic Records in 1993, she released her self-titled debut album the following year, which sold six million copies worldwide. Next, Lamont Bentley (who played Hakeem Campbell) died in a traffic accident in 2005 when he was only 31 years old. talks about working with Rihanna & Bruno Mars controversy", "First Black Cinderella: Keke Palmer Cast in Groundbreaking Role for African-Americans on Broadway", "The Shrinking Life Span of the Black Sitcom", "Brandy Norwood and Lana Gordon Make Broadway History as Chicago the Musical's First Concurrent Black Leads", "Brandy shows off the new styles at Ultima Hair shoot '08", "Sensationnel Natural Protein Hair PRO 10 By BRANDY Weave", "Brandy Named International Youth Spokesperson For UNICEF", "Brandy teams up with Skechers for charity", "Do-Gooder: Brandy Norwood Partners with 'text4baby' to Help New Moms", "It's sexy to save a life - just ask @4everBrandy and the merry murderesses of the Cook County Jail! I was extremely impressed with it and I always try to outdo that album". It was just so different, but it also felt so natural. [90] Norwood plays supporting character Melinda, a woman with secrets. [26] "Brokenhearted", a duet with Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men, became a number-two hit on the charts. [260] The couple's two children received $300,000 each,[259] while two other drivers who were involved settled with Norwood for undisclosed amounts. 1994 Grammy-winning R&B singer Brandy Norwood signed her first record deal in 1993, when she was still a teen. At the time, it felt very unusual and atypical and special." Her third and fourth albums, Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), were released to critical success. Of course, Queens is my focus right now, but I've always dreamt about either redoing Moesha or doing something special around it like a movie or something to answer a lot of the questions that we didn't answer because the show ended on a cliffhanger. Brandy Norwood Death - Is Dead, Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death, Passed Away: On May 5, 2021, InsideEko Media learned about the death of Brandy Norwood through social media publications made on Twitter. [78] In August 2011, it was confirmed that Norwood had signed a joint record deal with RCA Records and producer Breyon Prescott's Chameleon Records. Queens sort of speaks to the resurgence of all things '90s. Ray J's sister, Brandy Norwood, is still alive and kicking at the age of 44. What do you think it is about girl groups that make them so popular? Released without any promotional single, it reached the top 30 in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, where the collection was appreciated by contemporary critics who noted the creativity of Norwood's back catalogue. [60], In February 2006, Norwood began appearing in a recurring role on UPN sitcom One on One, playing the sister to brother Ray J's character D-Mack. [159], In February 2023 it was announced that Norwood will star in a Netflix original "Best.Christmas.Ever" coming out later 2023. [20] 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. [49] Norwood's foray into reality television began in 2002 with the MTV series Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery; the show documented the final months of Norwood's pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Sy'rai. In 1999, she became a CoverGirl,[220] appearing in a number of commercials. WTLC Featured Video Brandy is speaking out about the eerie note Whitney Houston gave her just two days before she passed away back in 2012. As of 2014, she no longer represents them. 12 on this week's #Billboard200", "2020 BET Soul Train Awards: The Complete Winners List", "Get ready for the queens! [204] B.Slade spoke of the album, commenting Full Moon single-handedly changed the vocal game. [1] Born into a musical family, Norwood was raised in Carson, California, beginning her career as a backing vocalist for teen groups. Filmed at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia,[129][130] it was watched by a record-breaking 1.2 million viewers on the Instagram live stream alone. 2", "The Evolution of Classic: Eric Bellinger", "Ty Dolla Sign Interview: Brandy, having to eat celery as a kid, EP with R. Kelly", "Tamar Braxton talks about Ariana Grande, John Legend & Brandy", "Brandy performs live at W.I.P./TrueExclusive Relaunch Party", "Solange Knowles on Nas, Juvenile, and Dance Moves", "Miguel weighs in on Brandy, Alicia Keys & Beyonc", "Brandi's first album. [20] In 1995, she finished a two-month stint as the opening act on Boyz II Men's national tour,[27] and contributed songs to the soundtracks of the films Batman Forever and Waiting to Exhale, with the single "Sittin' Up in My Room" becoming another top-two success. [218] On stage, Norwood made Broadway history along with co-star Lana Gordan by becoming the first black co-leads in Chicago the Musical in 2017.