R. Kelly Is Alive

ORIGIN
R. Kelly is an American R&B singer/songwriter and music producer. He’s a former member of the ‘Public Announcement’ R&B group. Known for his sexualized lyrics, Kelly has released 14 studio albums and 100+ singles. Standout projects include 12 Play (1993), R. Kelly (1995), and R. (1998). He’s one of the top-selling recording artists of all time with north of 75 million records sold. His accolades include 3 Grammys, 2 AMAs, and a BET Award. In addition to his music, Kelly has been the subject of sex scandals, abuse, and misconduct. He was indicted on multiple counts of child pornography in 2002 but was acquitted of all charges in 2008.

Robert Sylvester Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised by a single mother, Joanne (d. 1993), in the housing project of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. He’s 1 of 4 siblings, including younger brother Carey. Kelly attended Kenwood Academy High School. He played professional basketball from 1997 to 1999. A standout shooting guard, he won the USBL championship 3 consecutive times.

CAREER
Kelly found his voice while singing at his local church. He was also inspired by his high school music teacher to pursue music. One of his first recordings “Why You Wanna Play Me” was released in 1990 as a member of the Musically Gifted Men (MGM). Kelly signed with Jive Records in 1991. His joint R&B album, Born into the 90’s (with Public Announcement), was released in January 1992. It was supported by singles “Honey Love”, “Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)” and “Dedicated.”

12 Play, Kelly’s debut album, arrived in November 1993. It topped the US R&B chart and peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200. The album was led by singles “Sex Me”, “Bump N’ Grind”, “Your Body’s Callin'” and “Summer Bunnies.” It was executive produced by Barry Hankerson. Kelly’s second album, R. Kelly (1995), fused R&B, soul, and gospel. The album produced 3 platinum singles and featured guest appearances from The Notorious B.I.G. and The Isley Brothers.

His 3rd and most successful album, R., premiered in November 1998. The album sold 200,000+ copies during opening week and was later certified 8x Platinum by the RIAA. R. was spearheaded by the single “I’m Your Angel” featuring Celine Dion. The track-list also includes “I Believe I Can Fly”, “When a Woman’s Fed Up”, “If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time” and “Gotham City.” The 2-disc project featured guest appearances from Foxy Brown, Jay-Z and Cam’ron among others.

Kelly’s other albums include TP-2.com (2000), The Best of Both Worlds (2002) with Jay-Z, Chocolate Factory (2003), Happy People/U Saved Me (2004), TP.3 Reloaded (2005), and Black Panties (2013). His first holiday album, 12 Nights of Christmas, was released in 2016 by RCA Records. He’s also known for the “Trapped in the Closet” opera series. Kelly’s production credits include the albums Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number (1994) for Aaliyah, and Body Kiss (2003) for The Isley Brothers. He’s produced songs for the likes of Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson, Michael Jackson and Charlie Wilson to name a few.

PERSONAL
R. Kelly’s height is 6ft 1in and he’s of African-American descent. His current net worth is estimated at -$2 million. That figure peaked at around $150 million at the height of his career. Kelly married R&B singer ‘Aaliyah‘ in August 1994. However, the marriage was annulled in February 1995, less than 6 months later. Kelly’s first legit married was to dancer ‘Andrea Lee’ in 1996. Their union resulted in 3 children: Joann, Jay, and Robert, Jr. The couple separated in 2006 and their marriage was finalized in January 2009.

In 2002, Kelly’s first major sex scandal surfaced. A video reportedly showed the R&B singer engaging in sexual activities with an underage girl. He was charged with multiple counts of child pornography but charges were later dropped. Kelly was thrown back into the spotlight with the release of the documentary series R Kelly: Sex, Girls & Videotapes (2018). The “I Admit” singer began making headlines again following the release of Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly (2019).

R. Kelly Bio, Net Worth, Height