Born Robert Sylvester Kelly on Jan. 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, R. Kelly was writing and recording with the Chicago-based group Public Announcement. Kelly's big break came on the heels of the release of his 1993 solo album 12 Play, which yielded his first No. 1 hit, "Bump N' Grind." His most popular song to date is "I Believe I Can Fly," which was originally released as part of the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam.
Kelly received his first GRAMMY nominations for 1995 for Album Of The Year as a producer on Michael Jackson's Past, Present And Future Book I and Song Of The Year for his own "You Are Not Alone." Kelly's first three career GRAMMY wins came for "I Believe I Can Fly" for 1997. He performed the song at the 40th GRAMMY Awards in 1998, marking his first GRAMMY stage performance.
Did you know? One of Kelly's first public gigs was performing Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon In The Sky" at a junior high school talent show.
In 2003 Kelly released the song "Soldier's Heart" and donated the proceeds to the families of American soldiers in need. Proceeds from his song "Sign Of A Victory" benefitted African charities. Kelly has also donated to groups raising awareness of breast cancer, to families affected by the Flint, Michigan, water crisis and to Clara's House, a Chicago charity that specializes in local housing, education and employment projects.
R. Kelly
Born Robert Sylvester Kelly on Jan. 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, R. Kelly was writing and recording with the Chicago-based group Public Announcement. Kelly's big break came on the heels of the release of his 1993 solo album 12 Play, which yielded his first No. 1 hit, "Bump N' Grind." His most popular song to date is "I Believe I Can Fly," which was originally released as part of the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam.
Kelly received his first GRAMMY nominations for 1995 for Album Of The Year as a producer on Michael Jackson's Past, Present And Future Book I and Song Of The Year for his own "You Are Not Alone." Kelly's first three career GRAMMY wins came for "I Believe I Can Fly" for 1997. He performed the song at the 40th GRAMMY Awards in 1998, marking his first GRAMMY stage performance.
Did you know? One of Kelly's first public gigs was performing Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon In The Sky" at a junior high school talent show.
In 2003 Kelly released the song "Soldier's Heart" and donated the proceeds to the families of American soldiers in need. Proceeds from his song "Sign Of A Victory" benefitted African charities. Kelly has also donated to groups raising awareness of breast cancer, to families affected by the Flint, Michigan, water crisis and to Clara's House, a Chicago charity that specializes in local housing, education and employment projects.