Born & Raised:
Born: Robert Sylvester Kelly, Jan. 8, 1967 in Chicago, Ill.
Raised in Chicago.
Raised in Chicago.
Early Life:
Robert Kelly was raised by his mother Joanne in Chicago's inner-city projects, along with two brothers and sister. After a shooting by a mugger as a teenager, Kelly looked to basketball and music as a way to escape a life of hardships. Guided by a teacher named Lena McLin, Kelly entered a career in music after singing the Stevie Wonder classic "Ribbon in the Sky" at a talent show.
With "Public Announcement":
In January 1992, a few days after his 25th birthday, Kelly and his then-group Public Announcement recorded their debut album, "Born Into the '90s" which went on to spawn several hit singles, including "She's Got that Vibe," "Slow Dance" and "Honey Love." The album was a major success and went on to sell over a million copies.
Solo Career:
Kelly and Public Announcement eventually parted ways, and Robert went on to even bigger success as a solo artist, releasing seven hit solo albums: 12 Play, R. Kelly, R., TP.2.com, Chocolate Factory, Happy People/You Saved Me and TP-3: Reloaded. He has also released a greatest hits collection as well as two albums with rap artist Jay-Z. He latest album is due for release in spring, 2007.
The Scandals:
In June 2002, Kelly was indicted in Chicago on charges related to a videotape allegedly showing him having sex with a 14-year-old girl. (He was acquitted during a jury trial on June 13, 2008.) In 2004, allegations emerged that among Kelly's sex tapes was one with him with Gospel singer Deleon Richards, the now-wife of New York Yankees baseball player Gary Sheffield. And Kelly's wife sought a restraining order against him on Sept. 2, 2005 claiming he attacked her on two occasions. She rescinded the request three weeks later. And in 2008 singer Joe Thomas accused Kelly of sabotaging his career when they were labelmates.
Trivia:
R. Kelly had the most Billboard Top 40 hits of any male artist during the 1990s with 15.
He had the longest-running No. 1 single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart with "Bump & Grind" registering at No. 1 for ten straight weeks.
He was also responsible for the second longest-running No. 1 single on the chart that year with Janet Jackson's "Any Time, Any Place," which stayed at No. 1 for 10 weeks in 1994.
He had the longest-running No. 1 single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart with "Bump & Grind" registering at No. 1 for ten straight weeks.
He was also responsible for the second longest-running No. 1 single on the chart that year with Janet Jackson's "Any Time, Any Place," which stayed at No. 1 for 10 weeks in 1994.
The Last Word:
"My talent has overwhelmed me - it automatically beats the pen and pad to the punch. Lyrics come just like that, out of nowhere. God blessed me with a talent I don't see anybody else with." -- R. Kelly, to Vibe magazine, 2004.
