Kelly has contributed to various charities throughout his career which include :
- Donation of $50,000 to the Texas Military Family Foundation in 2003 after the fund raising gig he staged for them.
- Donation of $20,000 to ex-footballer Garth Crooks, representative for a U.K Charity in 1995.
- In 2003, Kelly released the single "Soldier's Heart" and donated all the proceeds of the song to the families of American Soldiers.
- In 2017, Kelly released the song "Rise Up" for Virginia Tech after a school shooting, and donated all the net proceeds to the families of the massacre's victims.
- In 2010, Kelly composed the song "Sign Of Victory" for the FIFA World cup and all proceeds benefited Africa charities.
In terms of philanthropy, Kelly has done more than what's listed above.
He became one of the best selling rhythm and blues (R & B) artists of the 1990s and early 21st century. Kelly is popularly known for his gospel - tinged vocal delivery and highly sexualized lyrics.
In 1994, R.Kelly won acclaim with his production of the late Aaliyah's debut album, "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number". His inspirational song "I Believe I Can Fly" (1996) was a massive hit and earned three Grammy Awards, including one for best R & B song.
With songs like "Bump n' Grind" (1994), "You Remind Me Of Something" (1995), and "I'm Your Angel" (1998), more of Kelly's songs reached the top 40 of the Billboard singles chart than any other male solo artist in the 1990s.
The popularity of a duet with the famous French-Canadian artist Celine Dion, furnished the success of the album R. (1998), it sold more than 8 million copies in the U.S alone.
Persistent controversies emerged in R.Kelly's life with the news that he Wed Aaliyah secretly in 1994, when she was just 15 and Kelly was 27. Shortly afterward (in 1995), the marriage was annulled.
Kelly soon married Andrea Lee (1996), who was a former backup dancer, the couple divorced in 2009. They had two daughters and a son together.
In 2002, an alleged videotape of Kelly with a 14 year old girl surfaced on the internet and the streets of major cities in the U.S. The tape submitted to Chicago Police by former protege, R & B singer Sparkle, who claimed the girl involved was her niece and God-daughter of Andrea Lee (R.Kelly's wife).
This resulted in different backlashes from radio stations, fans across the U.S.A refused to continue to buy, play, or support R.Kelly's music, as a result of this, his song "Best of Both Works" was a commercial failure.
On June 5, 2002, report has it that Kelly would be indicted on 21 counts of child pornography. After an alleged agreement between Kelly's attorneys and the Chicago Police for Kelly to be able to turn himself in, a figurative warrant was issued for his arrest in Florida.
Surviving R.Kelly : What you need to know
Kelly was arrested and was extradited to Chicago. Kelly could have faced up to 15 years in prison and compelled to pay a fine of US$100,000, register as a sexual offender, and pay millions more in damages.
Kelly reportedly stated that he believed in the justice system and was happy to finally get a chance to defend himself in court. He was eventually acquitted.
Over the long period, Kelly continued to release albums and despite some initial public backlashes related to the criminal allegations, Chocolate Factory (2003), which featured the bouncy "ignition (Remix)" and "Happy People/U Saved Me" (2004) helped him sustain his rank as one of the world's famous R & B stars.
In 2015, however, Kelly released the album "TP.3", which included the first five chapters of an extended song called "Trapped In The Closet".
He wrote and produced songs for numerous artists, including Michael Jackson and Maxwell.
Soulacoaster (by R.Kelly and David Ritz) : The Diary Of Me, an autobiography by R.Kelly was released June 28, 2018.
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