R. Kelly

Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), known professionally as R. Kelly, is an American former singer, songwriter and record producer from the South Side of Chicago. Nicknamed "the King of R&B", he began by performing in the subway under the Chicago "L" tracks and later released 18 studio albums, with hits including "I Believe I Can Fly", "Bump N' Grind", "Ignition (Remix)" and the hip hopera Trapped in the Closet. He won three Grammy Awards in 1998 for "I Believe I Can Fly".

His songwriting and production work was credited on records by Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Janet Jackson, Aaliyah, Usher and others. He received a Grammy nomination for "You Are Not Alone", written for Jackson in 1995, the first song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Wikipedia says he sold over 75 million albums and singles worldwide and was named the most successful R&B artist of the previous 25 years by Billboard in 2011.

He was long the subject of accusations of sexual abuse, including of minors, dating to the 1990s. He was prosecuted on child pornography charges in 2002 and acquitted on all counts in 2008. The 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly led RCA Records to end his contract and prompted new investigations and indictments.

In 2021 and 2022 he was convicted on multiple charges involving child sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Wikipedia states his career ended after those convictions and that, as of 2026, he is serving a combined 31-year sentence at FCC Butner Medium I in North Carolina.