Michael Jackson's possible son and the first Intervision participant from the USA. 5 facts about Brandon Howard

Singer Brandon Howard will represent the United States at the Intervision Song Contest. The hip-hop artist, known for the tracks Dancefloor and Super Model, will compete for the top prize of 30 million rubles. What the first American participant is known for is in the Izvestia article.

Fact 1. He was born into a family of famous musicians

Howard was born in Los Angeles into a family deeply immersed in musical culture. His mother Miki Howard is a famous soul singer and songwriter who worked with Joe Jackson, the father of the legendary Michael Jackson. His grandmother Josephine Howard was a vocalist in The Caravans, one of the first American gospel groups to have religious songs played on secular radio stations. His grandfather Clay Graham performed gospel music as part of The Pilgrim Jubilees.

• Young Brandon was very impressed by the video clips of A-ha and Tears for Fears on MTV. It was they who prompted him to abandon the idea of a career in finance in favor of music. He took his first steps in the musical craft under the pseudonym Sonik, collaborating with singer and producer Gerald Levert in Cleveland, which allowed him to master the basics of music production.

Fact 2. He has been featured in the Billboard 200 several times.

Howard began his musical career in 2003 as a songwriter and producer. His first significant achievement was his participation in the creation of the song I Ain't Gotta Tell You for the album Ne—Yo, which topped the Billboard 200 chart in 2006. He later worked on an album by Omarion and Bow Wow, which reached number 11 on the same chart.

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In 2010, Brandon released his debut album Genesis, featuring hits by Dancefloor and Super Model. In 2015, his single Don't Say You Love Me reached 11th place on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Songs chart. In 2017, his song Necesito tu Amor – Version Trap reached number three on the Latin American charts.

Fact 3. Compared to Michael Jackson

Howard is often compared to Michael Jackson because of the similarity in voice and appearance. In 2014, there were rumors about a possible relationship, but there is no confirmed information about this. Nevertheless, celebrities such as Akon and Aaron Carter have expressed the opinion that Brandon could be Michael Jackson's son.

In an interview, Miki Howard categorically rejected such assumptions, emphasizing that she was both a father and a mother to Brandon. Interestingly, the singer was born in 1981, and a year later Michael Jackson released his hit Billie Jean about a young girl who attributes to him the paternity of her child.

Fact 4. Enjoys international recognition

• Brandon has left a noticeable mark outside the United States. So, he participated in the virtual Star Festival in Beijing. As part of his Genesis album, he also recorded the single Dancefloor, which gained popularity in Japan, where he was awarded the title of Prince of pop music by HMV Music.

• The release of the album with the support of Universal Music Japan confirmed that his music is liked not only in the USA. In addition, in 2010, he participated in the recording of the anthem of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Ke Nako, in collaboration with Wyclef Jean and Jazmine Sullivan.

Fact 5. He will become the first participant of Intervision from the USA.

• Howard will become the first U.S. representative at the revived Intervision 2025 competition. It will be held in 2025 in the Moscow region and will have international status. The start of the competition is scheduled for September 20, and the venue will be the "Live Arena" in the village of Novoivanovskoye.

• Russia will be represented on stage by singer SHAMAN. He will perform Maxim Fadeev's composition "Straight to the heart". In total, participants from 21 countries, including BRICS, the CIS, Latin America and the Middle East, will compete for 30 million rubles.