Birthday: January 8, 1967 (Capricorn)
Born In: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R. Kelly to his fans, is an American singer. He is one of the best-selling music artists in the United States and the most successful R&B male artist of the 1990s. A multi-faceted personality, Kelly is a singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and former semi-professional basketball player. He has written, produced, and remixed many songs, several of which became chartbusters, earning him the nickname ‘King of R&B.’ Blessed with a distinctive voice, Kelly has his own innovative style of singing and rapping which distinguishes him from other contemporary musicians. He is one of the best-selling musical artists of all time and has been credited with redefining musical genres, such as R&B and hip hop. He was inclined towards music from a young age and was encouraged by his high school music teacher to pursue his musical interest. As a teenager, he started performing in the streets and formed his own musical group with some of his friends. He got a breakthrough when his group won a television talent show, which in turn, provided him with enough money to launch a musical career. He soon broke off from the group and embarked on a highly successful solo career. As of 2019, Kelly has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. In spite of his success, he remains a controversial figure because of his involvement in sex crimes. In February 2019, he was indicted on ten counts of criminal sexual abuse. In July 2019, he was arrested on federal charges for sex crimes and obstruction of justice. Kelly faced eighteen federal counts, including kidnapping, child pornography, and forced labor. In 2021, the United States Attorney for the Eastern Distrcit of New York found Kelly guilty on a total of nine criminal counts, including racketeering and Mann Act. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison on June 29, 2022. As of June 2022, another federal trial in the Northern District of Illinois awaits Kelly which is scheduled to begin on August 15.
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Also Known As: Robert Sylvester Kelly
Age: 56 Years, 56 Year Old Males
Spouse/Ex-: Aaliyah (m. 1994–1995), Andrea Lee (m. 1996–2009)
mother: Joanne Kelly
siblings: Carey Kelly
children: Jaya Kelly, Joann Kelly, Robert Kelly Jr.
Born Country: United States
Height: 6'1" (185 cm), 6'1" Males
City: Chicago, Illinois
U.S. State: Illinois
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The family lived in poverty and struggled to make ends meet. Kelly started singing as part of the church choir when he was 8.
He had a very difficult childhood as he was often sexually abused by a woman. In his 2012 autobiography ‘Soulacoaster,’ he had penned down his experience and the reason why he never told about his ordeal to anyone. When he was eleven, he was shot in the shoulder while riding his bike home.
Kelly gained recognition in 1989, when he, along with Marc McWilliams, Shawn Brooks, and Vincent Walker, participated in the TV show ‘Big Break,’ where he went on to win the $100,000 grand prize.
Videos of Kelly engaging in sexual acts with a minor girl surfaced in 2002, and he was subsequently indicted in Chicago on 21 counts of child pornography.
In July 2017, Kelly was accused of forcing girls to stay in an ‘abusive cult.’
In May 2018, the ‘Women of Color’ branch of the ‘Time's Up’ movement called for a boycott of Kelly's music and performances over the many allegations against him. The boycott was accompanied by a social media campaign called ‘Mute R. Kelly.’
In February 2019, he was indicted on ten counts of criminal sexual abuse. In July 2019, he was arrested on federal charges for sex crimes and obstruction of justice. Kelly faced eighteen federal counts, including kidnapping, child pornography, and forced labor.
On March 6, 2019, Kelly was taken back to the ‘Cook County Jail’ after failing to pay $161,633 in child support. On March 9, 2019, he was released after someone, who didn't want to be identified, paid off the child support.
In 2021, the United States Attorney for the Eastern Distrcit of New York found Kelly guilty on a total of nine criminal counts, including racketeering and Mann Act.
Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison on June 29, 2022. As of June 2022, another federal trial in the Northern District of Illinois awaits Kelly which is scheduled to begin on August 15.
On August 30, 1994, Kelly illegally married Aaliyah, his underage protégé. On February 7, 1995, their marriage was annulled. He married Andrea, his former backup dancer, in 1996. The couple has three children. They divorced in 2009, after almost thirteen years of marriage.
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