Usher is celebrating another historic career milestone. On Oct. 17, the R&B legend was given the key to Las Vegas by Mayor Carolyn Goodman and City Councilman Cedric Crear. The date will also officially be declared Usher Raymond Day.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, Councilman Crear thanked Usher, 45, for bringing “excitement” and vitality to the city with “his extremely popular” My Way residency. The Tennessee-bred star kicked off his sold-out residency in April at the revered Dolby Live at Park MGM— and it has become the talk of Sin City.
The dynamic performer will perform his final shows in November and December.
“Usher has been an absolutely incredible brand ambassador for Las Vegas with his extremely popular residency, and we all know he is going to be headlining something for the first time in the history of the NFL,” the politician gushed of the Atlanta resident’s upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
“Our city is going to host the Super Bowl, and how fitting is it that the entertainment for the halftime show is going to be –we already claimed you, my man — with our own Usher Raymond. We know that you are going to do us proud when you get out there on that show. We just can’t wait to see it,” Crear added.
Before Usher took to the podium to speak, Mayor Goodman applauded the “OMG” hitmaker for being “selfless” and “a man that cares about everybody.”
“He knows the future of our country and around this world—which is a mess—that if you help others, you help our children have another chance,” she said.
Goodman, who called the Grammy Award winner “genius,” said it was rare to come across someone who exhibited compassion and benevolence like Usher.
“I can’t speak for the former mayor—my husband of six years—because what he did with his keys to the city, none of them look like this one. Because in my office, this is a bejeweled key to the City of Las Vegas,” Goodman said.
Donning a leather black jacket and a sleek pair of shades, Usher accepted his key to the city in style on Thursday.
The “Yeah!” artist told reporters that he found hope, “belief,” and “passion” in the City of Las Vegas when the entertainment industry “took a major hit” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There was something that made us feel the belief and the hope– or better yet, not even hope— just the belief that we would get back to normal. That normal was waiting for us in Las Vegas, and that’s what it became to me,” he said.
“It was the first show to open back up in America. This was the place. This was the groundswell for the belief that we would get back to the norm that we know we needed and the country.”
As MadameNoire reported, Usher will headline the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show on Feb. 11, 2024. The “Nice & Slow” crooner will also drop his ninth studio album, COMING HOME, on the day of his highly anticipated halftime gig.
When a reporter asked the star if he had any surprise guests in store for his big halftime show debut, Usher said, “It was without question.”
“Being a man of collaboration is part of the reason that I could say I’m as successful, both in creating music that the world sings, and also to moments that the world remembers,” the celeb continued.
“I’m hoping that I can really re-light the fire that all of it has come from and maybe invite some of those people to join me in that incredible moment. I can’t give you too much because I don’t want to blow it. But I will say that that moment will not only represent me, but it will represent my legacy and the things that I’ve been a part of, in collaboration, reminding the world that when you do collaborate, something amazing does happen.”
The spirit of Las Vegas will also be injected into his performance.
“There’s such history here, so I’m very mindful of where I’m playing as I’ve now been able to contribute to the rich history of this city,” he added.
“I definitely am going to put on the show for Vegas with Vegas in mind.”
Watch Usher receive the key to Las Vegas from Councilman Crear and Mayor Goodman below.
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