Brandy Rayana Norwood better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, and businesswoman who mesmerised the world with her angelic voice..
Norwood was born on February 11, 1979, in McComb, Mississippi, the daughter of Willie Norwood, a gospel singer and choir director, and his wife, Sonja Norwood (née Bates), a district manager for H&R Block.
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Brandy is the older sister of entertainer Ray J, as well as a cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg and WWE wrestler Sasha Banks.
Raised in a Christian home, Norwood started singing through her father’s work as part of the local church choir, performing her first gospel soloat the age of two.
In 1983, her parents relocated to Carson, California, and Norwood was schooled at the Hollywood HighPerforming 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.
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 contract with Teaspoon Productions, headed by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, who gave her work 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, and was tutored privately from tenth grade on.
She released her self-titled debut album the following year, which sold six million copies worldwide. In 1996, Norwood began starring in the UPN sitcom Moesha, created and written by Ralph Farquhar, as the title character, which lasted six seasons and resulted in numerous other roles.
She resumed her music career in 1998 with the wildly successful duet with fellow R&B contemporary Monica, “The Boy Is Mine”, which went on to become one of the best selling female duets of all time. Her second album, Never Say Never, featured two number one singles, and earned Norwood her first Grammy Award.
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