Acting
R. Kelly
Also Known As: Kellz, King of R&B, The Pied Piper
Birth Date
January 8, 1967
(59 years old)
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Popularity
trending_up1
Biography
Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American former singer, songwriter, record producer, and convicted sex offender. Known professionally as R. Kelly, he is credited with prolific commercial success in R&B, hip hop, and pop music recordings, earning nicknames such as 'the King of R&B', 'the King of Pop-Soul', and 'the Pied Piper of R&B'. In 2025, Billboard ranked him 9th on their list of the 'Best R&B Artists of All Time'. In 2023, Kelly was convicted of multiple charges of child sexual abuse—three of thirteen charges of production of child pornography and three charges of enticing a child, effectively ending his career. As of 2025, he is serving a 31-year combined sentence at FCI Butner Medium I in North Carolina.
Photos
Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Musical Guest
1993 • 1 episode
Saturday Night Live
Self - Musical Guest
1975 • 1 episode
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
2003 • 1 episode
MTV Video Music Awards
Self
1984 • 1 episode
American Music Awards
Self - Musical Guest
1974 • 1 episode
Surviving R. Kelly
Self (archive footage)
2019 • 15 episodes
Trapped in the Closet
2005 • 33 episodes
Estonia Dreams of Eurovision!
Self (archive footage)
2002
IMPACT x Nightline: Diddy: Drugs, Lies, & Freak Offs
Self (archive footage)
2024
R Kelly: Sex, Girls and Videotapes
Himself (archive Footage)
2018
R. Kelly: The R. in R&B - The Video Collection
Self
2003
Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1-33
Sylvester/Pimp Lucius/William Perry
2012
Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1-12
Sylvester / Narrator
2005
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
2002
Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1-22
Sylvester / Narrator / Pimp Lucious / Reverend Mosley James Evans / Randolph
2007
Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 23-33
Narrator / Sylvester / Pimp Lucius / Dr William T. Perry / Reverend Mosley James Evans / Beeno / Interviewer
2012
R. Kelly: Live - The Light It Up Tour
CANTOR
2007
Teen Choice Awards
Self
1999 • 1 episode
Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact
Self (archive footage)
2019
The Gayle King Interview with R. Kelly
Himself
2019