- H.E.R is a famous R&B singer.
- Her real name is Gabi Wilson.
- She’s won five Grammy Awards.
- She’s playing Belle in the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ ABC special.
H.E.R. had everyone’s attention after she performed “America the Beautiful” at the 2021 Super Bowl. Now, the 25-year-old singer, who already has five Grammys, is going to show off her talented vocals again on Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. H.E.R is playing Belle in the ABC special, which airs December 15, and also features Josh Groban as The Beast. The cast will come together to celebrate the iconic Disney movie that came out over 30 years ago.
Many may be asking, ‘Who is H.E.R.?’, since the mysterious singer is known for keeping a low profile. But, we’ve got you covered! HollywoodLife has 5 quick facts to know about H.E.R.
1. H.E.R.’s real name is Gabi Wilson.
She’s an American singer-songwriter from California, who signed to RCA records under Sony at the age of 14. H.E.R. burst onto the R&B scene in September 2016 with her debut EP, H.E.R. Vol. 1, which generated a huge buzz due to her amazing voice and mysterious persona (see No. 2). H.E.R. dropped the follow-up “second half” of her EP, H.E.R. Vol. 2 in June 2017 to rave reviews. The 8-song compilation album won Best R&B Album and received four other nominations at the 2019 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist. H.E.R. went on to receive five more Grammy nominations at the 2020 awards show.
2. In the beginning of her career, H.E.R. preferred to keep her identity a secret.
When RCA Records sent out early streams of her debut EP, H.E.R. Vol. 1 in 2016, the label said they couldn’t “tell [people] much about H.E.R,” in a one-line press release at the time. The latter caused confusion amongst fans and critics, who couldn’t understand why RCA would promote an artist with no biography. But, there was a method to the madness.
“The mystery is a metaphor for who I am, or who I was at the time of creating the project,” H.E.R. told the Los Angeles Times in her first interview about Vol. 1. “I feel like oftentimes we don’t like to be open as people about our emotions or things that we are going through,” she continued, recalling, “At the time [of recording], I was very closed off except for when I was writing or when I was in the studio.”
3. H.E.R. actually stands for something, which may surprise you.
While her name is not the easiest to Google, there’s a reason why she took on the moniker “H.E.R.”. It’s actually an honest acronym for “Having Everything Revealed.” Wait, a person named “Having Everything Revealed” wanted to keep her identity a secret? “It’s kind of ironic, right?,” she said during the same LA Times interview.
4. Some music legends are huge fans of H.E.R.
When Vol. 1 dropped, some major music stars immediately fell in love with H.E.R.’s voice. Alicia Keys absolutely raved about it online, as did Wyclef Jean and Bryson Tiller. Interestingly enough, H.E.R. joined Bryson on his “Set It Off” tour in August 2017. Other artists and celebs who’ve showed her love include Rihanna, Taraji P. Henson and Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Add Adele to the list, especially after she had this reaction to H.E.R. joining SNL as the musical guest when she hosted: “I am besides myself that H.E.R will be the musical guest!! I love her SO much I can’t wait to melt into a flaming hot mess when she performs,” Adele wrote on Instagram at the time.
5. H.E.R. participated in Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing in 2009.
Radio Disney shared a YouTube video labeled “Home Movies with Gabi Wilson” on September 22, 2009. She was introduced as Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing artist and took viewers into her home to see what her life is like behind the scenes.