Usher recalls first interaction with Beyoncé when she was kid

Usher revealed the music superstar he once “chaperoned” when they were both younger ahead of his series of gigs in Paris next month.

The singer of Don’t Waste My Time appeared as a guest on the UK radio show Capital Breakfast With Roman Kemp, where he revealed his first contact with Beyoncé when she was a youngster.

“Fun fact, I knew Beyoncé when she was 12 years old, 11 years old,” he said. “She used to be in a group by the name of The Dolls. I don’t know if I could consider myself their babysitter, but I had a time where I had to watch The Dolls.”

The 44-year-old R&B crooner, who is just roughly three years older than Beyoncé, received his first recording contract at the age of 14 after a surprise audition with record producer L.A. Reid, who quickly offered the young Usher a contract with his then-label LaFace Records.

“I was at Daryl Simmons’ house,” he said, alluding to the record producer and songwriter who frequently collaborates with LaFace Records co-founders L.A. Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

“[Simmons] was working with [The Dolls] at the time, and I just happened to be over there and they were working on a session. I kind of found my way into being their like, I don’t know, chaperone, nanny, or something like that — the oldest person in the room,” Usher added.

While there is no proof that the now father-of-four and Beyoncé, 41, ever collaborated on any recordings during those early encounters, they did eventually team up in 2008 to record Love In This Club, Pt. II, with rapper Lil Wayne. The song was on the charts for 14 weeks, peaking at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.

[Via]