Born on February 11, 1979, Brandy Rayana Norwood is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and model better known by her stage name Brandy. She has been dubbed “the Vocal Bible” for her unusual voice, which is distinguished by its peculiar timbre, dense voice layering, and complicated riffs. She had sold more than 40 million records as of August 2020, with 8.62 million of those albums occurring in the United States alone. She has received many honors and recognitions for her work, including a Grammy Award and an American Music Award.
Norwood, who was raised in Carson, California after being born in McComb, Mississippi, started her career as a background vocalist for teen bands. She signed with Atlantic Records in 1993, and the following year she launched her self-titled first album, which went on to sell six million copies globally. Norwood began her career with the UPN comedy Moesha (1996–2001), which earned her an NAACP Image Award. This led to a number of additional parts, including Karla Wilson in the slasher movie I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and the title role in the television movie Cinderella (1997). (1998). With the hugely popular hit “The Boy Is Mine” (1998), a duet with fellow R&B artist Monica, she had her professional breakthrough. The song went on to become one of the best-selling female duets of all time and earned her the Grammy for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo or Group. Norwood appeared in the reality program Brandy: Special Delivery, which followed the birth of her daughter, in 2002. Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), her third and fourth albums, respectively, were well-received by critics.
