50 Interesting Facts About Chris Brown: How He Got His Big Break

Chris Brown is a Grammy Award winning singer who is known for his dancing and singing style. Here are 50 interesting facts about him.

1. Chris Brown was born on May 5, 1989 in Tappahannock, Virginia, U.S.

2. His full name is Christopher Maurice Brown.

3. His parents are Clinton Brown and Joyce Hawkins. He is one of two children; he has a sister. Brown's mom worked as a day care centre director and his dad, Clinton Brown, was a corrections officer at a local prison.

4. In elementary school, he starred in a school play called 'Elfis' (inspired by Elvis).

5. He was raised in a small town with a population of just 2,000 people. He discovered his love for singing after he enjoyed the church choir and could not get enough of singing.

7. Unfortunately, his stepfather was abusive while he was growing up. "He made me terrified all the time... I remember one night he made [my mother's] nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, 'I'm just gonna go crazy on him one day...' I hate him to this day," Brown shared.
8. Before he really made it as a singer, he tried his hand at rapping and even appeared on tracks like 'Look At Me Now.'

9. While growing up, he said his all time celebrity crush was on Ciara.

10. Before he was famous, Chris Brown used the stage name C-Syzle. It's probably a good thing he stuck to just using his real name.

11. When he was in school Chris Brown handed out the first song that he recorded, it's thought to be titled 'When He Went' and on it his name is stamped C-Syzle. You can hear the track on the internet, Breezy sounds almost exactly the name, just his voice hadn't quite cracked yet.

12. Brown dropped out of high school in 10th grade and moved to New York in 2005, age 16, to pursue music career and found success when he started releasing singles that same year.

13. Chris Brown was discovered by Tina Davis, who was working for Def Jam Recordings at the time. "The first thing that hit me was his unique voice," Davis told Billboard magazine. "I thought 'This kid is a star.'"

14. He was signed to Jive Records in 2004. The record label was also behind teen acts such as Britney Spears and 'N Sync and is home to other hip-hop and R & B stars such as R. Kelly, Usher and Kanye West.

15. Some of his musical influences include Sam Cook, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Usher, Kim Burrell, Donnie Hathaway, and Marvin Gaye.

16. When it comes to his dance moves, he says he seeks inspiration from the legendary Michael Jackson and Usher.

17. Brown's self-titled album was released in November 2005 and quickly found its way into the charts. The album garnered a No. 1 hit with "Run It!."

18. Chris Brown self-titled debut album was originally going to be called 'Young Love'. The idea was scrapped as it was decided it was "too kiddie."

19. He apparently recorded up to 50 songs for the album before the final 14 were chosen. The album was produced and recorded in just 8 weeks.

20. Chris Brown sang a song Keri Hilson penned for him on his first album called 'Young Love.'

21. He received two Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best R&B Contemporary Album. Unfortunately, he did not win, but the album did catapult him to international stardom.

22. That same year, he won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Music Breakout Artist Male.

23. Chris celebrated his 18th birthday with two parties and bought himself a swanky Lamborghini. One party was in a New York club exclusively for friends, and the other fans were invited to attend.

24. Chris Brown describes himself as a creative, humble, and talented person.

25. In 2007, Brown branched out into acting. He had a small role in the box office hit "Stomp in the Yard" which was a movie based on a dance competition.

26. He also appeared in the hit TV show at the time, "The O.C." as as Kaitlin Cooper's band-geek love interest 'Will Tutt.'

27. Later that year, Brown returned to the big screen with a more substantial role in the holiday-themed dramatic comedy, "This Christmas."

28. In 2007, Chris founded the record label CBE (Chris Brown Entertainment or Culture Beyond Your Evolution), under Interscope records.

29. He became good friends with singer Rihanna in 2005. They began dating in 2008 and also collaborated musically.

30. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst in 2009 when he infamously assaulted Rihanna in a car following a Pre-Grammy Awards party. Rihanna was left with visible facial injuries which required hospitalization. Brown turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department and was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats.

31. On June 22, 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to a felony and accepted a plea deal of community labor, five years' formal probation, and domestic violence counseling.

32. In June 2010, Brown's application for a visa to enter the UK was refused on the grounds of him "being guilty of a serious criminal offence" due to his assault on Rihanna.

33. Chris Brown co-wrote Rihanna's 2008 hit 'Disturbia' with Andre Merritt, Brian Kennedy and Rob.

34. He is a talented artists and his main form of expression is through graffiti. He often shares photos of his work via Instagram.

35. Chris' on again-off again girlfriend Karrueche Tran was the muse for his 2011 artwork titled 'Falling in Love.'

36. They broke up in 2012 when he began to see Rihanna again.

37. In January 2013, Rihanna confirmed that she and Brown had resumed their romantic relationship, stating, "When you add up the pieces from the outside, it's not the cutest puzzle in the world. You see us walking somewhere, driving somewhere, in the studio, in the club, and you think you know. But it's different now. We don't have those types of arguments anymore. We talk about shit. We value each other. We know exactly what we have now, and we don't want to lose that." Speaking of Brown, Rihanna also said, "He's not the monster everybody thinks. He's a good person. He has a fantastic heart. He's giving and loving. And he's fun to be around. That's what I love about him - he always makes me laugh. All I want to do is laugh, really - and I do that with him." However, she also declared that she would walk away if Brown showed a hint of his past violent behavior towards her again.

38. In a May 2013 interview, Brown stated that he and Rihanna had broken up again.

39. Chris Brown has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

40. His nickname is Breezy.

41. Brown starred in and was one of the producers for the movie "Takers" released in 2010. He starred alongside Matt Gillon, Idris Elba and T.I as bank robber Jesse Attica.

42. He has two Pitbulls and one is named Diamond.

43. Brown loves to collaborate with other talented musicians. He has appeared on 90 songs as either a guest or featured artist.

44. Chris Brown has reportedly dated 'Basketball Wives' star Draya.

45. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award 12 times but has only managed to pick one up once, back in 2012 he won 'Best R&B album' for 'F.A.M.E.'

46. Have you ever wondered why Chris Brown's 10th studio album is called 'X'. He gave this reason in an interview with Ebony: "It's the Roman numeral for 10. 5/5/89 is my birthday: 5 plus 5 is 10, and this is my tenth year since I got into music. 'X' is the 24th letter in the alphabet, and I will turn 24 when this album comes out. 'X' is also a metaphor, as in 'ex-girlfriend': it implies you're progressing and moving on in life, not holding on to the past and your old ways."

47. Karrueche Tran ended the relationship with Brown in 2015 after Brown had an affair with Nia Gonzalez that resulted in a daughter named Royalty.

48. According to TMZ, Karrueche, Brown and the baby's mother, Nia Gonzalez, partied together in May 2013, when Brown met Gonzlaez.

49. His net worth is $30 million.

50. He is 6'1 tall.