Justin Bieber Had Offers From Usher And Justin Timberlake
By Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:46pm PDT 3815 Comments
Not too many brand new artists can boast that both Usher and Justin Timberlake wanted to sign them to record deals, but 15-year-old Canadian artist Justin Bieber can.
And now, it is clear why there was such strong interest in
the newcomer, who ultimately took up Usher's offer. In just 12 weeks, Justin has
landed two songs in the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
Justin's debut "One Time" just moved up to #21, but his latest single, "One Less Lonely Girl," enters the chart this week at #16.
Justin's appeal is undeniable. The teen girls scream for him like he was a JoBro. He can play guitar, and has a nice, sharp, pure singing voice that at times makes you think of a young Michael Jackson.
Three years ago Justin entered the Stratford Star singing competition in his hometown of Stratford, Canada. He wanted to show his performances to his family members who were not able to attend. So he uploaded the videos to YouTube.
Even though Justin took second place in the competition, he
gained even more notoriety from his viral video clips. Within seven months he
was contacted by Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive for Jermaine
Dupri's So So Def.
Braun, who also signed Asher Roth, flew Justin to Atlanta. On Justin's first day in Atlanta, he met Usher. But he didn't capture Usher's attention until the pop star saw Justin's online videos.
"A week later Usher flew me back to Atlanta," Justin explained. "I sang for him and his people, and he really wanted to sign me then and there but I still had a meeting with Justin Timberlake who also wanted to sign me."
Usher had the support of Island Records head L.A. Reid, so
Justin's team decided to join the Island
roster that includes the likes of Kanye West, Rihanna, and Mariah Carey.
Justin's first single, "One Time," was written and produced by Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, whose credits include Rihanna's "Umbrella" and Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)."
His album, "My World," is due out on November 17.
There's room at the top they are telling you still. But first you must learn how to smile as you kill...