Ne-Yo’s mum is his "biggest influence".
The 32-year-old singer has praised his mother for being his "hero" because although she has had a difficult life she still has a positive attitude.
He admitted: "My mum was and still is the biggest influence on me, she’s my absolute hero. As far as I’m concerned, she’s the strongest person on the planet. She’s really been through the wringer, from not being appreciated to guys who weren’t there for her. She’s been through a lot and came out on the other side."
The ‘Let Me Love You’ hitmaker – who recently released his sixth studio album ‘Non-Fiction’ – continued to praise his mum by explaining it was her musical taste which first made him want to sing.
He continued: "I used to hate my singing voice because I didn’t sound like Teddy Pendergrass or the O’Jays, the guys my mum used to love listening to. I wanted to sound like the guys she liked but I couldn’t, so she introduced me to Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder and said: ‘Listen to what they do and you’ll be more comfortable in what you do.’ That’s pretty much why I’m here."
However, the R ‘n’ B musician added Sammy Davis Jr. was his musical hero as a youngster because it made him feel "cool to be black".
He told Metro newspaper: "I loved what he stood for and the Rat Pack era. It really meant something to me and I wanted to be him in high school. He was one of my heroes and made it cool to be black."
Ne-Yo’s mum is his ‘biggest influence’
