Usher

It's official ! - Usher has rehired his mother Jonetta Patton as his manager, ending a year-long relationship with high profile manager to stars like Will Smith and Tyra Banks, Benny Medina. In a statement released Wednesday, Patton has resumed her duties as manager of the R&B star who reportedly fired her just over a year ago. According to a source close to the camp, "He wanted her to come back on board and she decided to. He had really poor management and wanted her back." As reported on Singersroom last month, Usher reportedly blamed Medina who was integral in the launch of his album "Here I Stand" for his low rated performance at the BET Awards and slow album sales. According to Nielsen Soundscan, "Here I Stand" has sold 948,000 copies in the United States to date, a fraction of his 2004 effort "Confessions," which sold 3.77 million copies in its first 10 weeks. In a statement issued via People Magazine, Medina says the split was amicable:" With an artist like Usher, the bar is set really high. Whether it was management, marketing or the music, we achieved a number one single and a number one album. It is a completely new day and time in music now. In four years, his audience, demographic, and musical direction has changed. Records like Lil Wayne's 'Lollipop' are the type of phenomena that 'Yeah' was in 2004. I had a great time and we parted ways amicably." With the split finalized, Usher rejoins his mom's J Pat Management which also manages his brother/producer J. Lack (Lloyd "Get It Shawty"), R&B group Kwiet Storm and R&B singer Dante. In related news, Usher's publicist, Patti Webster resigned August 1st. According to Billboard, this was also an amicable split "both parties still feel the utmost respect for each other." Webster will continue to work with her other clients including Janet Jackson, Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupri.