William Raymond Norwood, Jr., better known by his stage name, Ray J, was born in Mississippi; his father was a gospel singer, so he was exposed to music from a very young age.  The family moved to California, and in 1989, when Ray J was eight years old, he began appearing in television commercials.

Ray J

Raydiation is more mature, reveals more about me personally and focuses on singing and songs that people can relate to.

The Beginning

William Raymond Norwood, Jr., better known by his stage name, Ray J, was born in Mississippi; his father was a gospel singer, so he was exposed to music from a very young age.  The family moved to California, and in 1989, when Ray J was eight years old, he began appearing in television commercials.  In 1993 and 1994, he played a foster child in the television series, The Sinbad Show.

In 1995, at fourteen years old, Ray J started his music career.  He signed a recording contract with Elektra Records, and recorded his debut album, Everything You Want the following year.  The first single from the album, Let It Go, peaked at #25 in the Us and at #11 in New Zealand, and appeared on the soundtrack for the film, Set It Off.  

Building a Dual Career

During the next two years, Ray J worked in television, acting and producing music for commercials.  He released his next album in 2001, entitled This Ain't a Game, which debuted at #21 on the pop charts and at #9 on the R&B charts.  Elektra had dropped him from their label; this release was recorded on the Atlantic label.  

His third album, Raydiation, was released in 2005.  Fans began to see a more mature Ray J; he was a man now, no longer a boy.  The album was a joint venture between Sanctuary Records and his own label, Knockout Entertainment.  R. Kelly and Timbaland also added their production talents to the album.  From 1989 through 2009, he was also heavily involved in television productions, most recently in his own series, which started in 2008, entitled For the Love of Ray J.

Here and Now

Ray J released his next studio album, All I Feel, in 2008.  The album debuted at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, selling 39,000 copies in its first week.  The album's peak at #7 on the R&B chart make it his highest charting album so far in his career.  In 2009, he released a soundtrack from his reality show, entitled For the Love of Ray J (Album).  The album features performances by Shorty Mack, The Boss Hogg, Bubba Sparxxx, and his father, Willie Norwood.  

Six movies since 1996 are included in Ray J's repertoire, including Mars Attacks and Envy.  His reality dating show on VH1 is now in its second season, and he has a summer tour lined up, in which he is scheduled to appear in halls and amphitheater all over the country.  

Did you know . . .

1. Ray J is the younger brother of R&B superstar, Brandy.  The two have a series on VH1, beginning this year, entitled Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business.

2. Included in his film credits is a sex tape made by Ray J and Kim Kardashian, whom he had been dating.

3. In 2008, Ray J's hit, Sexy Can I, ranked #9 in the Top Ten ringtone downloads.

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