R. Kelly

R. Kelly
Kelly in 2017
Born
Robert Sylvester Kelly

(1967-01-08) January 8, 1967 (age 57)
Other names
  • Pied Piper
  • Kellz
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • multi-instrumentalist
  • record producer
  • actor
Years active1989–2019
Works
Spouses
  • (m. 1994; ann. 1995)
  • (m. 1996; div. 2009)
Children3
AwardsFull list
Musical career
OriginChicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • keyboards
  • guitar
Labels
Criminal information
Criminal statusImprisoned
Criminal charge
Penalty31 years imprisonment[2][3]
Websiter-kelly.com

Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with prolific commercial success in R&B, hip hop, and pop music recordings, earning nicknames such as "the King of R&B", "the King of Pop-Soul",[4][5] and "the Pied Piper of R&B".[6] Kelly's career ended in 2019 following his arrest and subsequent convictions on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges involving sexual abuse of minors, for which he is currently serving a 31-year prison sentence.

Kelly has released 18 studio albums which yielded a number of hit singles, including "I Believe I Can Fly", "Bump N' Grind", "Your Body's Callin'", "Fiesta (Remix)", "Ignition (Remix)", "Step in the Name of Love (Remix)", "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time", "The World's Greatest", "I'm a Flirt (Remix)", and the hip hopera Trapped in the Closet. In 1998, he won three Grammy Awards for "I Believe I Can Fly".[7]

In addition to his own music, Kelly's extensive writing credits and production discography include songs for famous artists such as Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson, Chris Brown, The Notorious B.I.G., Lady Gaga, Aaliyah, Usher, Ciara, Toni Braxton, Luther Vandross, Mary J. Blige, and Ty Dolla $ign. Kelly received a Grammy Award nomination for his songwriting and production on Jackson's 1996 single, "You Are Not Alone", which also earned a Guinness World Record as the first song to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100 in the chart's history.[7] Kelly's 1998 collaboration with Dion, "I'm Your Angel" did so once more.

Kelly has sold over 75 million albums and singles worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time,[8][9] and the most successful R&B male artist of the 1990s. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has recognized Kelly as one of the best-selling music artists in the United States with 40 million albums sold.[10] In March 2011, Kelly was named the most successful R&B artist of the last 25 years by Billboard.[11][12][13] Throughout his career, Kelly has been awarded Grammy Awards, BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and American Music Awards.

Kelly had long been the subject of accusations of sexual abuse, including that of minors, dating back to the 1990s. Following leaked video recordings, Kelly was prosecuted on child pornography charges in 2002, leading to a controversial trial that ended with his acquittal in 2008 on all charges. The 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly reexamined Kelly's alleged sexual misconduct with minors, prompting RCA Records to terminate his contract. Renewed interest in the allegations resulted in additional investigations by law enforcement beginning in 2019, which led to multiple convictions and Kelly's arrest. In 2021 and 2022, he was convicted on multiple charges involving child sexual abuse. As of 2023, he is serving a 31-year combined sentence at FCI Butner Medium I.

  1. ^ "R. Kelly convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking by a federal jury in New York". CNN. September 27, 2021. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "R. Kelly, already serving 30 years for sex trafficking, sentenced to 20 years in federal child porn case". CNN. February 23, 2023.
  3. ^ "U.S. prosecutors ask for 25 more years in prison for R. Kelly". NPR. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. December 28, 1998 – January 4, 1999. p. 56. Retrieved October 27, 2014 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Holden, Stephen (December 17, 1995). "Pop Briefs". The New York Times. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  6. ^ "Who Is The Pied Piper? The Mysterious Fairytale That Inspired R. Kelly". Oxygen Official Site. January 11, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "R. Kelly". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. March 17, 2014. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  8. ^ "Spotify joins the growing chorus to #MuteRKelly". Asia Pacific Daily. May 11, 2018. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  9. ^ "Top 90's R&B/Hip-Hop Artists". December 25, 1999 – January 1, 2000. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  10. ^ "Top Selling Artists - September 10, 2012". RIAA. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  11. ^ Date: November 18, 2010 9:19:22 PM (November 18, 2010). "Billboard Names R. Kelly The #1 R&B Artist Of Past 25 Years". Singersroom.com. Retrieved February 20, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "The Juice Presents Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years — The Juice". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  13. ^ "Music — News — R Kelly named best-selling R&B artist". Digital Spy. November 19, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2011.

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