Known For
Acting
Birthday
January 8, 1967 (age 59)
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Also Known As
- Kellz
- King of R&B
- The Pied Piper
- Robert Sylvester Kelly
R. Kelly
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.
Known For - Movies
Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 23-33
as Narrator / Sylvester / Pimp Lucius / Dr William T. Perry / Reverend Mosley James Evans / Beeno / Interviewer
Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1-22
as Sylvester / Narrator / Pimp Lucious / Reverend Mosley James Evans / Randolph
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 13-22
as Narrator / Sylvester / Pimp Lucious / Reverend Mosley James Evans / Randolph
R. Kelly: The R. in R&B - The Video Collection
as Self
Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1-12
as Sylvester / Narrator
Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact
as Self (archive footage)
Estonia Dreams of Eurovision!
as Self (archive footage)
IMPACT x Nightline: Diddy: Drugs, Lies, & Freak Offs
as Self (archive footage)
The Gayle King Interview with R. Kelly
as Himself
