Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois) better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional rapper. He first appeared on the music scene as the founder and lead singer of Public Announcement whose smooth mixture of hip hop beats, soul, and funk propelled the group's 1992 debut album Born into the '90s to platinum status. After leaving the group in 1993, he became one of the top-selling musical acts of the nineties.
Kelly's songs often include explicit sexual references, such as "Bump N' Grind", "Feelin' on Yo Booty", and "Ignition" (Remix). Kelly has also had hits with his inspirational songs, such as "I Believe I Can Fly", "I'm Your Angel" (the Grammy Award-nominated duet with Céline Dion), "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time", "I Wish", "Rise Up", and "Step in the Name of Love" (Remix). He is also famous for the comedic rap soap opera mini-opera/film "Trapped in the Closet." Kelly has released twelve LPs, sold 35 million albums in the U.S., 15 million singles and more than 50 million albums worldwide making him one of the most successful R&B male artists of the 1990s.
On June 6, 2002, Kelly was indicted on 21 counts of having sexual intercourse with a minor. The charges, which were later reduced to soliciting a minor for child pornography, stemmed from a video tape allegedly showing Kelly having sex with a 14-year-old girl. To date, Kelly still faces 14 of the original charges. The judge in his case has set the start of his trial on May 9, 2008.
