How Usher Once Found Himself Roped Into Being Beyoncé's 'Chaperone'
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Usher and Beyoncé go way back—long before either of them became superstars.
While appearing on UK radio show Capital Breakfast With Roman Kemp (per People), the "U Got It Bad" singer revealed that he took care of Beyoncé when she was a preteen.
"Fun fact, I knew Beyoncé when she was 12 years old, 11 years old. 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," he shared.
Usher, who signed his first record deal at 14 under LaFace Records, recalled the exact moment he met the superstar.
"I was at [producer and songwriter] Daryl Simmons' house. [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."
The Dolls was one of the many names used at one point for Girls Tyme, which eventually became Destiny's Child. The group was formed in 1990, featuring Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, and LeToya Luckett.
It competed on Star Search in 1993 but ultimately lost. The misfortune of losing the competition show inadvertently led to the success of Destiny's Child. Beyoncé's dad Matthew Knowles decided to dedicate his time to managing the group, leading a "boot camp" to train them into becoming stars.
It wasn't until 1996 that they officially became Destiny's Child, achieving success as one of the biggest girl groups of all time.
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