At Joanne's suggestion, Kelly sang backup for a local church choir that performed in storefronts. However, the young Kelly eluded the aversive lures of his environment, thanks largely to the spiritual guidance of his mother and the introduction of music into his life. Even before he had reached adolescence, Kelly was assailed by negative peer pressures and the violent seduction of teen crime.

One of four children, Kelly was raised by a struggling single mother and schoolteacher, Joanne, in Chicago's housing projects. Born Robert Kelly on January 8, 1968, in the south side of Chicago, Kelly was surrounded by hardship and poverty from the beginning. Kelly's story is a familiar rags-to-riches ascent. Many critics predicted the damaging allegations would be the end of his career Kelly, however, continued to churn out hit single after hit single while dealing with the lawsuit. As Essence writer Gordon Chambers asserted, 'Like many of our great soulmen, Kelly sings about the needs of both the flesh and the spirit.' In 2002, Kelly was accused of child pornography when a videotape surfaced that allegedly showed him involved in sexual acts with a minor. Some critics and listeners have found the marriage of sexuality and religion to be troubling, but that barrier has already been broken by once shocking but now revered acts such as Marvin Gaye and Prince. On the other hand, the spiritual lyrics and powerful vocal delivery of Kelly's performances are clearly marked by the influence of gospel, another cornerstone in African-American music and culture. Kelly's music often explores sexual themes, both openly and through sly innuendo-an aspect to be found in one of the very sources of contemporary R&B, the blues. Kelly arrived on the music scene in the early 1990s with a sound reminiscent of traditional R&B music. Singer, songwriter, and music producer R. Addresses: Record company-Jive Records, 137-139 West 25th St., New York, NY 10001. Kelly on January 8, 1968, in Chicago, IL son of Joanne Kelly (a schoolteacher) married Aaliyah (a singer), 1994 (annulled) married Andrea Lee (a dancer), 1996 children: Joanne and Jaya.

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