Grammy-winning R&B superstar Usher has finally sold the mansion in Alpharetta, Ga., he bought at the start of his career — a home that wowed him as a young teenager, and a place he vowed to eventually buy when he could afford it.
In late June, the multiplatinum singer sold the house for $1.5 million — $1.1 million less than his original asking price.
Usher first set eyes on the house in 1991, when he was 13. The house belonged to legendary music producer LA Reid, who had turned one of the rooms into a state-of-the-art recording studio for his new label, LaFace.
Usher finally bought the house for $1.2 million in 1999. At the time, the 20-year-old was a supporting character on the UPN sitcom “Moesha” and his first platinum single, “U Make Me Wanna,” was in heavy rotation on the radio.
“I came into this house … and I remember walking through it, just being mesmerized by everything I saw, and it was like, ‘One day, I want to own a house like this,’” Usher recalled in a 2003 episode of “How I’m Living.“ “I ended up buying this house. There’s history in it. My history lies in this house.”
The foyer had black marble columns and an open hallway on the second floor allowed a view of the living room. The living room had a black marble fireplace and built-in mahogany bookcases. The kitchen had a center island with marble countertops.
The master bedroom was “real elegant, yet very warm, yet very sexy,” he recalled. With its black and gold poster bed, gold-colored silk comforter and an animal-print throw, “this room is a representation of my character,” he once quipped.
Over the years, Usher replaced the wrought-iron and glass door with a wooden model and the wrought-iron and mahogany staircase railing with muted gray wood.
The living room now has a rustic wooden mantel that looks like it was pulled from a barn, and herringbone-patterned brick instead of marble. The built-ins have been replaced with floating shelves.
In the kitchen, the center island is now a muted teal with a marble countertop. There’s also a farmhouse sink, sliding metal door, bench seating and a pair of rustic tables. A farmhouse-inspired Dutch door leads to the backyard.
The bathrooms were updated with vintage-style tile, white marble and sleek glass shower doors.
Usher fans will likely be most impressed by his home dance studio, which has floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a serious sound system.
Elsewhere, there’s a home theater, yoga studio, spa and sauna. Outside, there’s a heated pool and summer kitchen.
Usher is still trying to unload a five-bedroom, six-bath home in West Hollywood, which he’s selling for $3.7 million. In late March, burglars broke into the home, making off with $820,000 in cash and jewelry, police say.