(ThyBlackMan.com) Ray J was born with the name William Ray Norwood Jr. This American singer, actor, record producer and songwriter was born on the 17th of January 1981. He was born in McComb, Mississippi, but his family moved to Carson, California where he spent most of his childhood. He was lucky enough to be born in the family of musicians. Not everybody is aware; he is the brother of Brandy Norwood; a famous actress and recording artist in the USA. Rapping is also in his blood line. Snoop Dogg is his first cousin.
His father, William Norwood Sr known to his friends as Willie is actually a relative of Bo Diddley. His father is a gospel singer and it has become the primary influence of Love And Hip Hop Hollywood Ray J in his interest in singing. His father was very supportive of them, especially when his older
sister Brandy entered show business. A few months after his mother gave birth of him, Norwood family decided to move from McComb to California. It has opened doors of opportunity for the family. He and his elder sister were able to further explore their musicality while growing up. Love And Hip Hop Hollywood Ray J career started up at a very young age. At the age of 8, he began auditioning for a number of commercials. His experiences from such commercials have honed him to become what he is today.
It was in 1989 that Ray J began appearing in television commercials as well as few films. In fact, he was chosen to become the foster son in the show “The Sinbad Show”, which was aired in 1993 and lasts until 1994. He was only 8 years old then, but his acting career was shaped into something better. He was also given a role on the UPN series. He portrayed the role of Dorian “D-Money” and the show was aired from 1999 to 2001.
What caught the attention of the producers of the show were his boyish look and his easy going nature. Since then, he became more visible on television. With the passage of time, he was able to hone not only his acting career, but as well as his singer career. Today, Love And Hip Hop Hollywood Ray J is not only an actor and a singer, but a talented songwriter and a genius record producer.
Basic facts associated with Ray J
- He is the younger brother of the famous singer, Brandy Norwood.
- He belongs to the family of musicians with parents Willie and Sonja Norwood.
- “Everything You Want” was his debut album.
- He was able to make it big in the billboard 2006, especially his single “One Wish” and “Raydiation.”
- It was in 2008 when his 4th album was released.
Love And Hip Hop Hollywood Ray J only proves that if you want to become successful in your craft, then you should work hard for it. He started at a very young age, but all his hard works paid off. Today, he is considered one of the biggest names in the show business. He was able to hone his skills not only in acting, but as well as in singer, songwriting, and now producing beautiful records.
Staff Writer; Greg Ford