Biography

Brandy Norwood

Posted on Sep 4, 2020, Surose

Table of Contents

Who is Brandy Norwood?

Brandy Norwood is a world-renowned R&B singer/songwriter and record producer. She is also an actress. As a teenager, she used to be a backing vocalist in many bands. She got signed to Atlantic Records in 1993. Her fame grew as she released her first single which was titled “I Wanna Be Down”. Her debut album sold more than 6 million copies worldwide.

She played the role of Moesha in the sitcom with the same title “Moesha”. The show lasted for six seasons and earned Brandy critical acclaims and led to many future roles.

This American singer released a song called “The Boy Is Mine” with R&B singer Monica. The song went on to be a massive hit. It is still to this date, one of the best selling female duets.

Quick Infos
Full name	Brandy Rayana Norwood
Date of Birth	February 11, 1979
Birth place	McComb, Mississippi, U.S.
Parent(s)	Willie Norwood (mother) Sonja Norwood (father)
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress, model, record producer
Net Worth	US $15 Million

Brandy Norwood released her second studio album titled “Never Say Never” in 1998. This album earned her her first Grammy Award.

She was a judge in the first season of AGT (America’s Got Talent). She got into a car crash in 2006. Her 2008 album “Human” was a massive failure.

She is one of the best selling artists of all time and has sold more than 40 million records worldwide out of which over 10.5 million are from the US. Her seventh album “B7” was released in 2020.

Early Life

Brandy Norwood’s full name is Brandy Ryanaa Norwood. She was born to Willie Norwood and Sonja Norwood in McComb, Mississippi on the day of February 11, 1979. Her father was a gospel choir singer and her mother was a manager at H&R Rock.

Her family has a musical background. Ray J is her younger brother, rapper Snoop Dogg and Sasha Banks are her cousins.

She was raised in a Christian family and performed in the gospel at an early age of two. After her parents moved to LA, Norwood studied in Hollywood High Performing Arts Center. She was a fan of the American singer Whitney Houston.

She signed a contract with Teaspoon Productions in 1990. She worked on the backing vocals for a band called “Immature”.

She auditioned for Atlantic Records in front of A&R Darryl Williams who was the company’s director. In 1993, after she was signed to Atlantic Records she dropped out of school and was privately tutored. Her mother became her manager and left her job.

Career

Brandy Norwood has been nicknamed “The Vocal Bible” by the industry due to her distinct style that consists of massive sounding vocal layering and well-constructed complex riffs.

Her self titled debut album “Brandy” was released in 1994. She worked on the album with the help of her mentors Keith Crouch and “Something for the People”. The album was an instant hit and sold 6million copies worldwide. The singles “Baby” and “I Wanna Be Down” were the most popular and were in the top 10 rankings of the “Billboard Hot 100” of that year.

In 1995, she sang for the films “Batman Forever” and “Waiting to Exhale”. In 1996, she got the role of Moesha in the series of the same name. The show lasted for six seasons and her performance was critically acclaimed.

In 1998, she released her second studio album titled “Never Say Never”. The song “The Boy Is Mine” was featured in it and it was her first song to top the “U.S. Billboard Hot 100”. She started her first world tour the same year.

Brandy Norwood’s third album was called “Full Moon”. Released in 2002, it failed to do as good as her previous albums. The 2004 release “Afrodisiac”, however, received critical acclaim and put her back on the map.

In the 2011 comedy series “The Game” she played the role of Chardonnay. She was a regular on the show.

She released her sixth album “Two Eleven” in October of 2012. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 chart.

Her cover of the Coldplay song named “Magic” was a hit in 2014. It topped the Billboard Trending 140 chart.

With the musical “Chicago” she made her Broadway debut in 2015. She played the role of Roxie Hart. In 2016, she co-produced and acted in the series “Zoe Ever After”. She went on a world tour the same year.

After not releasing music for eight years, Brandy released her album “B7” in 2020. It was released via her own label called Brand Nu Inc.

Personal Life

Brandy Norwood dated Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant very early on in her career in the year 1996. After they broke up, she dated Wanya Morris and later rapper Mase. She has been in several other relationships.

Brandy and Big Bert had a daughter together in 2002. She was named Sy’rai Iman Smith.

She has been engaged to Quentin Richardson and Ryan Press.

Brandy has gone to severe depression and PTSD. She overcame them with therapy, meditation and journaling.

Height, Weight, and Age

Brandy stands 1.7 meters tall and weighs around 64 kg.

As of September 3, 2020, she is 41 years old.

Social Media

Brandy Norwood is active on social media platforms. She has 3.1 million followers on Twitter, 4.6 million on Instagram, and 4.9 million on Facebook. Her music is posted via her channel BrandyVEVO on YouTube.