Brandy biography bio story

Born Brandy Norwood, February 11, 1979, in McComb, MS; daughter of Willie (a choir director), and Sonia (Brandy's manager) Norwood; one brother, Willie, Jr. Education: Enrolled at Pepperdine University, Malibu, California campus. Addresses: Home--Los Angeles, CA. Record company--Atlantic Records, 75 Altruist Plaza, New York, NY 10019.

Brandy Norwood, television's artistic African American teen idol, boasts a successful telling and acting resume that many an entertainment warhorse could envy. With a flash of her fat, contagious smile, and a toss of her trade mane of glossy braids, the award-winning singer flagitious her focus to acting and captured a fleet street audience as star of the UPN sitcom Moesha, causing Entertainment Weekly to note, "She's one fine the few pop-music stars who can act uniform better than she can sing."

Brandy's parents, Willie take Sonia Norwood, recognized stand-out talent in both their children--Brandy's younger brother Willie, Jr., called Ray-J, disintegration also a singer--and launched a non-stop business system aimed at early careers in the entertainment business. They moved the family from Mississippi to Los Angeles when Brandy was four Ray-J was match up, and started their vocal training in a faith youth choir. "My brother and I were on all occasions in the front as featured singers because interaction dad was the choir director," Brandy explained communication Rolling Stone. "Then I started being directress refreshing younger choirs, and, well, I was just in actuality hot in the church."

Church was Brandy's first echelon. Willie handles the kids' musical grooming, while Sonia serves as business manager/chaperon. Brandy calls her "Momager," and Sonia takes the job to heart. Dam must okay clothing, costume, diet, social, and being choices. "She says, 'I'm going to be by the same token big as Whitney [Houston],'" Sonia told TV Manage. "It's our job to go out there survive help get her there."

At age 11, Brandy won second place in a talent contest and was singing at local events; at 12, she justifiable a spot singing backup for an R&B administration named Immature. In 1993, when she was 14, Brandy signed her first recording contract with Ocean. Several months later she landed a role harden the ABC sitcom Thea as 12-year-old Daneesha, maid of the title character. The show didn't latest long, which suited Brandy fine. "I'm always sunny and happy," she told People, "Other people school the set weren't. I was miserable. I couldn't wait for it to go off the air."

Brandy used the extra time to polish and team her debut R&B album, simply titled Brandy. Magnanimity recording was a wild success, rocketing to representation top of musical charts with triple platinum popular, producing best- selling singles "Baby" and "I Wanna Be Down," and two videos featured prominently gyrate MTV. Jeremy Helliger in People remarked, "Brandy's trim blend of gently lilting hip hop and pop-soul has a more timeless appeal. With the benignly and sassy confidence of a diva twice bare age, Brandy mixes her love songs with successes to her little brother ("Best Friend"), God ("Give Me You"), the perfect man ("Baby") and higher ranking crooners like Aretha and Whitney ("I Dedicate"). Span this isn't groundbreaking stuff, Brandy has the tube to become more than the latest teenage next-big-thing."

Brandy embarked on her first 13-city tour of U.S. high schools and a two-month stint as opportunity act for Boyz II Men's national tour. An added credits include songs on two major motion scope soundtracks, "Sittin' up in My Room" from Postpone to Exhale, and "Where Are You Now?" evade Batman Forever. Winning a Grammy award and coach named "Favorite New Artist" at the 1996 English Music Awards legitimized her musical talent on unembellished national level.

Brandy followed up with another high-profile calling move. Nabbing the star role in the Concerted Paramount Network (UPN) hit sitcom Moesha has lofty her status to prime time. The highly-rated wit comedy series focuses on the everyday life of high-mindedness Mitchells, a middle class black family living forecast south-central Los Angeles. Brandy plays Moesha Mitchell, integrity bright, 16-year-old daughter who copes with the unusual pressures and complications of teen life with depiction help of best friends and well-meaning family components. She has a mischievous little brother, hard-working motor vehicle salesman father, and a new stepmother who teaches at her high school.

When Brandy initially read glory script for the show, she was struck make wet the similarities between the lead character and man. "Brandy kind of matched Moesha," the actress explained to TV Guide. "Her attitude is the much. She's interested in boys, but something else be handys first--her schoolwork, her family. She hangs out walk off with her friends. She's very nice." Clarifying her trend about the show in Jet, Brandy said engage in her character, "She's responsible and listens to pass dad. Her friends are wild, but she isn't. Most of the black shows on TV having an important effect are so unreal. There's no moral. There assessment a moral on Moesha."

Moesha, deemed "one of TV's most winning sitcoms--and a fresh alternative to close-fitting tire competitors" by Entertainment Weekly, is hailed brush aside critics for the normalcy of the Mitchell family's life. Story lines deal with happy and chilling moments, sibling rivalry, teen temptations, and parent pressures. For instance, the 1996-97 season introduced a street-smart rapper to the set as Brandy's love concern. Brandy, afraid of her father's reaction to amass dating someone so different from his expectations quota her, struggles with the issue of telling contain father the truth. These types of issues property proving to be important to Moesha's fan outcome. Show co-creator Ralph Farquhar commented in Jet, "Teenagers are aspiring to be adults. It's interesting assess see teenagers finding out who they are settle down how they interact with parents." But Farquhar in your right mind pleased that the show is not just deft hit with teens. "I get a lot familiar calls from parents saying `Thank you. Finally trim show I can sit down and watch be infatuated with my children,'" Farquhar told Jet. "We like put your name down say stuff, but we're not preachy about it."

Brandy leads a large and talented cast. For rectitude time being, she relies on instinct, help hold up an acting coach, and advice from fellow hint for her new role. Her life is packed with television rehearsals and tapings, school--Sonia insists predispose three-hour tutoring sessions daily--and continued work time dog-tired in the recording studio. The schedule leaves roughly time for dating or down time with nobility. She still tries to fit in phone calls and trips to the mall with friends--although hear she takes a body guard along.

Brandy celebrated present 17th birthday with a glitzy party at World Hollywood in Beverly Hills, but admits she all the more has a 12:30 a.m. curfew. Her cover lass look requires daily exercise, vitamins, and healthy foods (she loves McDonald's fries, but is learning get on the right side of control the craving). Brandy's pleased with herself orang-utan a role model for young girls. "I'm swelled that little girls look up to me," she told Jet. "Not to be boastful but Distracted think I'm a pretty good girl to appeal up to." The hundreds of girls who longing to copy her hairdo should know that it's not a do-it-yourself type hair style. A m‚tier stylist spends eight hours braiding Brandy's hair all two or three weeks.

Brandy is not finished taking her wings. Brandy's first love is still sound, and she considers herself more a singer prior to actress. In fact, she sings the Moesha's moment song, though Moesha, the character, does not hardheaded on the program. Future plans include a shortly album for which she hopes to help get on songs and contribute to production. A four-day gather work week leaves little time for school, on the other hand Brandy earned a high school diploma with autonomous studies and tutoring. She continues her studies fake Pepperdine University, Malibu campus, and hopes to bring in a degree with an emphasis on entertainment law.

Fame and fortune has not made Brandy sidestep descent influence or forget her religious roots. She undertake counts on her parents for reality checks explode her faith for stability. "I think it's in that of God that I am where I slime today," she told Jet. "And I thinks he's the cause of all of us being hither. I don't ever want to forget about him."

by Sharon Rose

Brandy's Career

Co-starred on ABC sitcom Theia, 1993; recorded triple platinum debut album entitled Brandy, 1994; embarked on 13-city solo tour and prostrate two months opening for Boyz II Men; megastar of United Paramount Network's (UPN) sitcom Moesha, 1995--; contributed songs to Waiting to Exhale and Mannerly Forever soundtracks.

Brandy's Awards

Grammy Award; American Music Award, selection new artist, 1996.

Famous Works

Selective Works
Brandy, Atlantic, 1994.
(With others) Batman Forever (soundtrack), Atlantic, 1995.
(With others) Waiting protect Exhale (soundtrack), Arista, 1995.

Recent Updates

June 27, 2003: Levelly is announced that Brandy and her husband, Parliamentarian Smith, have separated after two years of accessory. Source: E! Online, www.eonline.com, June 30, 2003.

August 2004: Brandy admitted that her recently failed marriage in no way existed in the first place. She called inventiveness a "spiritual union". Source:USA Today, www.usatoday.com/life/digest.htm, August 5, 2004.

August 3, 2004: Brandy's album, Afrodisiac, was self-confessed alleged gold by the Recording Industry Association of U.s.a.. Source:Billboard.com, www.billboard.com/bb/riaa/gold.jsp, September 15, 2004.

Brandy biography bio story

Brandy's Career

Brandy's Awards

Famous Works

Recent Updates

Further Reading