Brandy Norwood is an African American singer who began her career in 1993 at the young age of 14. Her debut album was entitled Brandy and sold six million copies. She began an acting career shortly after and her career took off as she continued to make music for many years to come.
Artist History
Brandy Norwood was born on February 11, 1979
– Brandy is the oldest daughter of Willie and Sonja Norwood. She has a younger brother named Ray J, who is also a music artist as well. She has a niece and a nephew Epik and Melody. Brandy also has a daughter of her own Sy’Rai who was born June 16, 2002.
– Some of Brandy’s influences include, Whitney Houston, TLC, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey and many more.- Brandy was born in McComb, MS. She was raised in Carson, California.
Professional Career
In her early life Brandy began singing in church at the age of two. Her father became a pastor at a church in California and a few years later she began singing a few years later. She attended high school in Los Angeles where she went to school at the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center. At the age of 14 she signed a record deal with Atlantic Records.
-In her middle life Brandy began her acting career at the age of 16 when she starred on a hit TV show called Moesha. She maintained her star role on TV until she was 22 years old. While staring in Moesha, at the age of 18 Brandy got the opportunity to star in a remake of the classic Cinderella with her idol Whitney Houston. Her acting career continued as she starred in the films, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Double Platinum, Osmosis Jones and more. She came out with 4 more albums before the year 2009.
-In her later life Brandy’s music still remained popular as she got older and continued to make music. She made an album in 2012 and although she didn’t make another album until 2020 she still had roles in TV shows and movies i.e. The Game and Temptation.
Contemporaries
During the beginning and the peak of her career her main rival was Monica but she gained other rivals such as Destiny’s Child and Aaliyah. According to sources Brandy and Monica’s feud led to a physical altercation.
Awards
Brandy has won 1 Grammy in 1999, an American Music Awards, an NAACP Image Award, and a MTV Movie Award in 1996, a Soul Train Award in 1995 and in 2016 and a Billboard Award in 1995 as well.
Social Involvement
In 1996 Brandy and her brother Ray J created The Norwood Kids Foundation the goal of the foundation was to use performing arts as a catalyst to shape the youth of today into self-confident disciplined, responsible, and caring individuals capable of making a positive impact in their communities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Brandy was an iconic artist from the time she started until now. She is a great vocalist who is known as the vocal bible in most communities. She is a very creative artist who many including myself admire. She will forever be a relevant vocalist for many years to come.
“There’s a lot of people out there who go through hard times, and they feel alone. They feel like nobody is there. But I’m in the same boat.” -Brandy Norwood
“It may not be the best in someone else’s eyes, but it’s the best I can do.” -Brandy Norwood