R. Kelly
A singer and producer who shaped the sound of 90s R&B with massive hits, before his career was obliterated by convictions for horrific sexual crimes.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American singer·Birthday: January 8·Generation X
Biography
Robert Kelly emerged from Chicago's housing projects with an undeniable musical gift, a soaring tenor and a knack for lush, sensual production. In the 1990s, he became a hitmaking juggernaut, writing and producing for himself and others, crafting anthems like 'I Believe I Can Fly' and the explicit, slow-jam saga 'Trapped in the Closet.' His influence on contemporary R&B was profound, blending gospel fervor with hip-hop beats and unabashedly carnal themes. For years, his professional success persisted alongside swirling allegations of misconduct with minors. That duality collapsed in the 2020s when a series of high-profile trials resulted in multiple convictions for racketeering and sex trafficking, leading to a decades-long prison sentence that permanently redefined his legacy from musical innovator to convicted predator.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
R. was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When R. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
R.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won three Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Song for 'I Believe I Can Fly' in 1998.
- His album 'R.' (1998) sold over 8 million copies in the United States.
- Wrote and produced the multi-platinum single 'I Believe I Can Fly' for the 'Space Jam' soundtrack.
- Produced and co-wrote Michael Jackson's hit 'You Are Not Alone' in 1995.
- Had his album 'TP-2.com' (2000) debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
Did You Know?
He was a member of the short-lived group Public Announcement before his solo career took off.
He taught himself to play piano by ear as a child.
The music video for his song 'Ignition (Remix)' was filmed in one continuous shot.
He was married to the singer Aaliyah in 1994 when she was 15 and he was 27; the marriage was later annulled.
He once owned a recording studio complex in Chicago called 'Rockland Studios.'
“My mind's telling me no, but my body, my body's telling me yes.”
