The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and features musical performances by various R & B and Soul recording artists interspersed throughout the ceremonies.

The Soul Train Music Awards voting body includes active professionals in the fields of radio programming and music retail and management and recording artists with records that have charted in designated music trade publications in the year prior to proceedings.

Past hosts for the show include such R&B; luminaries as Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, Will Smith, Vanessa Williams, and Gladys Knight.

The Soul Train Music Award trophy has featured an African ceremonial mask since its 1987 introduction. R&B; singer Janet Jackson holds the record for the most Soul Train Awards won.

The 2008 ceremonies were not held due to several factors, including the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, the ill health of Don Cornelius at the time, and ''Soul Train'' distributor Tribune Entertainment terminating operations in the wake of the sale of Tribune Company to Sam Zell. With the rights to ''Soul Train'' acquired by MadVision Entertainment, the Soul Train Music Awards were presented on November 24, 2009 on Centric. MadVision now holds the rerun rights to ''Soul Train''.

The 2009 ceremony was held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, marking the first time in the show's 22-year history it was held outside of the Los Angeles area. The 2010 awards was held on November 10 just outside Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, and aired on BET and Centric on November 28. The 2011 show will once again be held in Atlanta.

Soul Train Music Awards by year

1987 Soul Train Music Awards

1988 Soul Train Music Awards

1989 Soul Train Music Awards

1990 Soul Train Music Awards

1991 Soul Train Music Awards

1992 Soul Train Music Awards

1993 Soul Train Music Awards

1994 Soul Train Music Awards

1995 Soul Train Music Awards

1996 Soul Train Music Awards

1997 Soul Train Music Awards

1998 Soul Train Music Awards

1999 Soul Train Music Awards

2000 Soul Train Music Awards

2001 Soul Train Music Awards

2002 Soul Train Music Awards

2003 Soul Train Music Awards

2004 Soul Train Music Awards

2005 Soul Train Music Awards

2006 Soul Train Music Awards

2007 Soul Train Music Awards

2009 Soul Train Music Awards

2010 Soul Train Music Awards

Award categories

Best R&B;/Soul Album of the Year

Best R&B;/Soul Song of the Year

Best New Artist

The Michael Jackson Award for Best R&B;/Soul or Rap Music Video

Best R&B;/Soul Album, Female

Best R&B;/Soul Album, Male

Best R&B;/Soul Album, Group Band or Duo

Best R&B;/Soul Single, Female

Best R&B;/Soul Single, Male

Best R&B;/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo

Best Gospel Album

Best Jazz Album

Best Rap Album

Special awards

Quincy Jones Award for Career Achievement

Heritage Award - Career Achievement

Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year

Stevie Wonder Award for Outstanding Achievements in Song Writing

Artist of the Decade Award - for Extraordinary Artistic Achievements

Humanitarian Award

Defunct Award Categories

The Sprite Award for Best R&B;/Soul or Rap Dance Cut

Best Rap - Single

Best Gospel Album - Solo

Best Gospel Album - Group or Band

Best Jazz Album - Solo

Best Jazz Album - Group, Band or Duo

Most Wins/Nominations

Most Wins

Rank	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
Artist	Janet Jackson	Alicia Keys	R. KellyMichael JacksonAnita Baker
Total Wins	13 wins	9 Wins	8 wins	6 wins	5 wins

Most Nominations

Rank	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
Artist	R. KellyJanet Jackson	Mary J. Blige	Whitney HoustonLuther Vandross	Boyz II MenMichael Jackson
Total Nominations	19 nominations	18 nominations	16 nominations	15 nominations	13 Nominations

References

External links

2009 Soul Train Awards Official Site

Soul Train Awards official site

Category:American music awards Category:Awards established in 1987

de:Soul Train Music Award fr:Soul Train Music Awards it:Soul Train Music Award ja:ソウル・トレイン・ミュージック・アワード pt:Soul Train Music Awards sv:Soul Train Music Awards tr:Soul Train Müzik Ödülleri

''Soul Train'' was an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B;, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.

As a nod to ''Soul Train'''s longevity, the show's opening sequence (during later seasons) contained a claim that it was the "longest-running, first-run, nationally syndicated program in television history," with over 1,100 episodes produced from the show's debut through the 2005-06 season.

The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first host and executive producer, and aired first-run episodes from 1971 to 2006. Production was suspended following the 2005-2006 season, with a rerun package (known as ''The Best of Soul Train'') airing for two years after that. Despite this, in years on air, ''Soul Train'' will continue to hold the honor of the longest, continuously running first-run syndicated program in television history until at least 2016, if and when its nearest competitor, ''Entertainment Tonight'', completes its 35th season. (If ''ET'' does not complete a 35th season, ''Wheel of Fortune'' would pass in 2017 if it continues to air.)

History

Chicago origins

The origins of ''Soul Train'' can be traced to 1965, when WCIU-TV, an upstart UHF station in Chicago, began airing two youth-oriented dance programs: ''Kiddie-a-Go-Go'' and ''Red Hot and Blues''. These two programs—specifically the latter, which featured a predominantly African American group of in-studio dancers—would set the stage for what was to come to the station several years later. Don Cornelius, a news reader and backup disc jockey at Chicago radio station WVON, was hired by WCIU in 1967 as a news and sports reporter. Cornelius also was promoting and emceeing a touring series of concerts featuring local talent (sometimes called "record hops") at Chicago-area high schools, calling his travelling caravan of shows "The Soul Train". WCIU-TV took notice of Cornelius's outside work and in 1970, allowed him the opportunity to bring his road show to television.

After securing a sponsorship deal with the Chicago-based retailer Sears, Roebuck and Co., ''Soul Train'' premiered on WCIU-TV on August 17, 1970, as a live show airing weekday afternoons. The first episode of the program featured Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites, and the Emotions as guests. Cornelius was assisted by Clinton Ghent, a local professional dancer who appeared on early episodes before moving behind the scenes as a producer and secondary host.

Move to syndication

Its immediate success attracted the attention of another locally based firm—the Johnson Products Company (manufacturers of the Afro Sheen line of hair-care products)—and they later agreed to co-sponsor the program's expansion into national syndication. Cornelius and ''Soul Train''s syndicator, Syndicast Services, targeted 24 markets outside of Chicago to carry the show, but stations in only seven other cities—Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco—purchased the program, which began airing on a weekly basis on October 2, 1971. By the end of the first season, ''Soul Train'' was on in the other seventeen markets. In Chicago, the syndicated version was picked up by CBS-owned WBBM-TV; the program moved to WGN-TV later in the decade and remained there for the balance of its run. When the program moved into syndication, its home base was also shifted to Los Angeles, where it remained for the duration of its run. Syndicast Services handled the syndication until 1985, when Chicago-based Tribune Entertainment took over those responsibilities.

Though Don Cornelius moved his operations west, ''Soul Train'' continued in Chicago as a local program. Cornelius hosted the local Chicago and Los Angeles-based national programs simultaneously, but soon focused his attention solely on the national edition. He continued to oversee production in Chicago, where Clinton Ghent hosted episodes on WCIU-TV until 1976, followed by three years of once-weekly reruns.

Later years

Don Cornelius ended his run as host at the end of the show's 22nd season in 1993, though he remained the show's main creative force from behind the scenes. The following fall, ''Soul Train'' began using various guest hosts weekly until comedian Mystro Clark began a two-year stint as permanent host in 1997. Clark was replaced by actor Shemar Moore in 1999. In 2003, Moore was succeeded by actor Dorian Gregory, who hosted through 2006.

Production of first-run episodes was suspended at the conclusion of the 2005-06 season, the show's thirty-fifth, though several episodes were apparently produced for a thirty-sixth season that never aired. Instead, for two seasons starting in 2006-07, the program aired archived episodes (all from between 1974 and 1987) under the title ''The Best of Soul Train''. This was because in recent years, Nielsen ratings dropped to below 1.0; however, the classic episodes seemed to revive interest in the series and received a mostly positive response. In the process, some of the stations that used to air ''Soul Train'' on Saturday afternoons started burying it to middle-of-the-night time slots. The future of ''Soul Train'' was uncertain with the announced closing of Tribune Entertainment's syndication division on December 18, 2007, which left Don Cornelius Productions to seek a new distributor for the program. Cornelius soon secured a deal with Trifecta Entertainment & Media.

In May 2008, the rights to the ''Soul Train'' library were purchased by MadVision Entertainment, whose principal partners come from the entertainment and publishing fields. The price and terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, by the start of the 2008-09 television season, the Tribune-owned stations (including national carrier WGN America) that had been the linchpin of the show's syndication efforts dropped the program, and many others followed suit. ''Soul Train''s website acknowledged that the program had ceased distribution on September 22, 2008.

Revival

When Don Cornelius Productions still owned the program, clips of the show's performances and interviews were kept away from online video sites such as YouTube due to copyright infringement claims. Cornelius also frowned upon unauthorized distribution of ''Soul Train'' episodes through the sale of third-party VHS or DVD compilations.

Following the purchase of the program's library by MadVision Entertainment, the ''Soul Train'' archives were exposed to new forms of distribution. In April 2009, MadVision launched a ''Soul Train'' channel on YouTube. Three months later, the company entered into an licensing agreement with Time–Life to distribute ''Soul Train'' DVD sets. MadVision then came to terms with Viacom-owned Black Entertainment Television to relaunch the ''Soul Train Music Awards'' for BET's new spin-off channel, Centric, in November 2009, a move that may be one step into reviving the program. Centric, which launched on September 28, 2009, is currently broadcasting archived episodes of the program.

Influence

During the heyday of ''Soul Train'' in the 1970s and 1980s, the program was widely influential among younger African Americans, many of whom turned to it not only to hear the latest songs by well-known African-American artists, but also for clues about the latest fashions and dance trends. Moreover, for many white Americans in that era who were not living in areas that were racially diverse, ''Soul Train'' provided a unique window into African-American culture. Some commentators have called ''Soul Train'' a "black ''American Bandstand''", another long-running program with which ''Soul Train'' shares some similarities. Cornelius, however, tended to bristle at the ''Bandstand'' comparison.

Dick Clark, host and producer of ''American Bandstand'', attempted to steal ''Soul Train'''s market share with a similarly themed program called ''Soul Unlimited'', whose brief run on ABC in 1973 was controversial for its pronounced racial overtures. Clark ended ''Soul Unlimited'' after a handful of airings and agreed to work with Cornelius on a series of network specials featuring African-American artists.

Cornelius was relatively conservative in his musical tastes and was admittedly not a fan of the emerging hip hop genre. Even though he would feature rap artists on ''Soul Train'' frequently during the 1980s, he publicly would admit (to the artists' faces) that the genre was one that he did not understand; as rap continued to move further toward hardcore hip hop, Cornelius would admit to be frightened by the antics of groups such as Public Enemy. Rosie Perez testified in a ''Soul Train'' documentary that Cornelius also disliked seeing the ''Soul Train'' dancers perform sexually suggestive "East Coast" dance moves. Cornelius admittedly only had rap artists on the show because the genre was becoming popular among his African-American audience, though the decision alienated middle-aged, more affluent African-Americans like himself. This disconnect eventually led to Cornelius stepping down as host in the early 1990s and the show losing its influence.

Program elements

Within the structure of the program, there were two enduring elements. The first was the "Soul Train Scramble Board", where two dancers are given sixty seconds to unscramble a set of letters which form the name of that show's performer or a notable person in African-American history. In describing the person's renown, the host concluded their description with the phrase "...whose name you should know". There was also the popular "Soul Train Line", in which all the dancers form two lines with a space in the middle for dancers to strut down and dance in consecutively. Originally, this consisted of a couple - with men on one side and women on the other.

In later years, men and women had their own individual line-ups. Sometimes, new dance styles or moves were featured or introduced by particular dancers. In addition, there was an in-studio group of dancers who danced along to the music as it was being performed. Rosie Perez, Carmen Electra, Nick Cannon, MC Hammer, Jermaine Stewart, Fred "Rerun" Berry, Laurieann Gibson, Pebbles, and NFL legend Walter Payton were among those who got noticed dancing on the program over the years. Two former dancers, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel, enjoyed years of success as members of the R&B; group Shalamar after they were chosen by ''Soul Train'' talent booker/record promoter Dick Griffey to replace the group's original session singers in 1978.

Each guest usually performed twice on each program; after their first number, they were joined by the program host on-stage for a brief interview. The show was also known for two popular catchphrases, referring to itself as the "hippest trip in America" at the beginning of the show and closing the program with "...and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace... and SOUL!"

Spin-offs

In 1987, ''Soul Train'' launched the ''Soul Train Music Awards'', which honors the top performances in R&B;, hip-hop, and gospel music (and, in its earlier years, jazz music) from the previous year. ''Soul Train'' later created two additional annual specials: The ''Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards'', first airing in 1995, celebrated top achievements by female performers; and the ''Soul Train Christmas Starfest'', which premiered in 1998, featured holiday music performed by a variety of R&B; and gospel artists.

The ''Lady of Soul Awards'' and ''Christmas Starfest'' programs last aired in 2006. In April 2008, Don Cornelius announced that year's ''Soul Train Music Awards'' ceremony had been canceled. Cornelius cited the three-month-long strike by the Writers Guild of America as one of the reasons, though a main factor may have been the uncertainty surrounding ''Soul Train'''s future. Cornelius also announced that a motion picture based on the program was in development. However, new owner MadVision appears to be following their own agenda for the program, which included reviving the ''Soul Train Music Awards'' in 2009.

Theme music

''Soul Train'' used various original and current music for theme songs during its run, including:

1971-1973: "Hot Potatoes" by King Curtis and later redone by the Rimshots

1973-1975: "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", composed by Gamble and Huff and recorded by Philadelphia soul studio group MFSB with vocals by the Three Degrees. Released as a single, this song became a pop and R&B; radio hit in 1974 and the show's best-known theme.

1975-1976: "Soul Train '75" by the Soul Train Gang, which was later released as a single for the newly formed Soul Train Records

1976-1978: "Soul Train '76 (Get on Board)", also by the Soul Train Gang

1978-1980: "Soul Train Theme '79", produced by the Hollywood Disco Jazz Band with vocals by the Waters

1980-1983: "Up on Soul Train", first by the Waters and later by the Whispers, whose version appears in their 1980 album ''Imagination'' 1983-1987: "Soul Train's a Comin'" by R&B; artist O'Bryan

1987-1989: "TSOP '87", a remake of the original "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", composed and produced by George Duke

1989-1993: "TSOP '89", a remixed version of "TSOP '87", also by George Duke

1993-1999: "Soul Train '93" (Know You Like to Dance)" by the hip-hop group Naughty by Nature with a saxophone solo by Everette Harp

1999-2006: "TSOP 2000", with rap vocals by hip hop artist Samson and music by Dr. Freeze, and again featuring an Everette Harp saxophone solo. However, a portion of "Know You Like to Dance" was still used in the show's second-half opening segment during this period.

References in popular culture

Film

In the film ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'', the lead character, Jack Spade, and his ex-girlfriend have a flashback about their experience of dancing on ''Soul Train''. They dance down the ''Soul Train'' line (to the song "Dancing Machine" by The Jackson 5) but are so terrible they knock out all the other participants.

In Spike Lee's film ''Crooklyn'' (1994), the kids are watching and dancing to an episode of ''Soul Train'' on TV.

In the film ''Dead Presidents'' (1995), Chris Tucker's character overdoses on heroin while watching an episode of ''Soul Train'' on TV.

Don Cornelius made a cameo appearance in the 1998 comedy ''Mafia!''. He appears during the funeral of Vincenzo Cortino, portrayed by Lloyd Bridges.

A sequence in the movie ''Charlie's Angels'' featured actress Cameron Diaz dancing on ''Soul Train''.

Songs

Johnnie Taylor's No. 1 hit "Disco Lady", from 1976, contains the line "Girl, you oughta be on TV... on ''Soul Train''!"

In 1974, Junior Walker recorded a song called "Dancin' Like They Do on Soul Train".

Marvin Gaye's "After the Dance" includes the line, "You were looking good on ''Soul Train''."

Archie Bell & the Drells' "I Could Dance All Night" includes the line, "See those kids on that ''Soul Train'' show."

Aaliyah's "Back and Forth from 1994 contains the line "I got jazz personality, G mentality...beats of ''Soul Train''."

Eric B. & Rakim's "I Know You Got Soul", from 1987, includes the line, "Grab the mic like I'm on ''Soul Train''."

Dennis Coffey was the first white lead act to appear on the show, performing "Scorpio" on January 8, 1972.

Elton John was the second white lead act to appear on the show, performing "Philadelphia Freedom" and "Bennie and the Jets" on May 17, 1975.

David Bowie refers to ''Soul Train'' twice in "Young Americans":

* "''Sit on your hands on a bus of survivors/Blushing at all the Afro-Sheeners''": A reference in "Young Americans" to one of the primary sponsors of ''Soul Train''.

* "''Black's got respect, and white's got his "Soul Train"'': A self-deprecating remark in "Young Americans" about how a white musician such as him could get on ''Soul Train'' to do blue-eyed soul.

David Bowie performed "Golden Years" and "Fame" on the show on November 4, 1975.

Zapp & Roger's "In the Mix" includes the line, "Don Cornelius, Hey, ''Soul Train'', I love to see your body talk."

Greg Phillinganes's "Lazy Nina" includes the chorus line "Back in the maze with Lazy Nina, walkin' the dog and watchin' ''Soul Train''."

Television

The sketch comedy show ''In Living Color'' parodied ''Soul Train'' in 1990 with a sketch called "Old Train". Keenen Ivory Wayans portrayed Don Cornelius as a very elderly and forgetful host of a show that featured dancing elderly people. Participants in the "dance line" included a nurse pushing an old person in a wheelchair, and a casket being carried by pallbearers. Playing on elderly senility, the "Soul Train Scramble Board" had the contestants unscramble the words "Mr. DE".

The improvisational comedy show ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' once featured a game in which one of the actors pretended he was the host of ''Soul Train'', repeatedly morphing into a "goofy white guy" and back again.

In the "Arthur Plays the Blues" episode of the PBS Kids ''Arthur'' cartoon series, Arthur's piano teacher, Dr. Fugue, says to Arthur after giving Arthur a second chance at piano lessons, "I have a few minutes before ''Soul Train''."

''Soul Train'' was referenced in an episode of ''The Golden Girls''. Blanche asserts that she believes that all men are created equal, but Rose disagrees and suggests that those who do not believe her should "watch a white person dance down the line on ''Soul Train''."

On the television show ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', it is revealed that Philip proposed to Vivian on an episode of ''Soul Train'' in the 1970s. They are asked to return on a special anniversary show. Don Cornelius played himself in the episode.

As Regina was rehearsing a dance routine on an episode of ''The Steve Harvey Show'', she told Steve that when she was younger, she told herself that she could "be that Asian girl" who danced regularly on ''Soul Train''. (The Asian dancer, Cheryl Song, appeared in several music videos throughout the years and was one of the most popular dancers on the show.)

On an episode of ''Sanford and Son'', Aunt Esther tells the family that she will be on television, to which Fred Sanford replies, "''SOUL TRAIN''!"

On an episode of ''The Cosby Show'', Claire explains to the family that she will appear on television to which Cliff exclaimed "''Soul Train''!"

A ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch with Eddie Murphy playing Mr. Robinson (a spoof of ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'') had a scramble board similar to that on ''Soul Train''. The word "SCUMI" was actually a scramble of the word "MUSIC".

On the first-season episode of ''Saved by the Bell'', Zack Morris pulls a prank on A.C. Slater by putting ants inside the back of his shirt. Slater gets up and moves around to get them off. The teacher replies, "Hey, this is study hall not ''Soul Train''!

On the fourth season of ''Moesha'', Security Guard (played by Kelvin Brown) asked Niecy, "Is ''Soul Train'' still on?" in the season premiere, "Moesha Meets Brandy", which aired in October 1998.

An episode in the 36th season of ''Saturday Night Live'' parodied ''The Best of Soul Train'' by advertising a collection titled ''The Worst of Soul Train,'' featuring various bizarre or spoof performances.

In the ''Simpsons'' fourth-season episode "Rosebud", one of the TV shows that Mr. Burns interrupts is a parody of ''Soul Train'' entitled ''The Soul Mass Transit System''.

On a Truth commercial, actor Wesley Jonathan portrayed Shemar Moore about ammonia on a ''Soul Train'' scramble board that is on a PSA.

A ''MAD'' sketch parodied ''Soul Train'' with the movie ''Tron''.

Miscellaneous

IGT acquired the rights to create a slot machine based on the series.

Hibernian F.C.'s defender Sol Bamba is affectionately known by fans as "Sol Train".

See also

Lists of Soul Train episodes

Guests on Soul Train

SOLAR Records

Soul Train Music Awards

''Showtime at the Apollo''

''The Midnight Special''

''Don Kirshner's Rock Concert''

References

External links

''Soul Train'' DVD from Time-Life

Category:1971 television series debuts Category:2006 American television series endings Category:1970s American television series Category:1980s American television series Category:1990s American television series Category:2000s American television series Category:American music television series Category:American variety television series Category:Dance television shows Category:English-language television series Category:First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Category:Metromedia Category:Pop music television series Category:Television series by Tribune Entertainment Category:African-American culture Category:History of Chicago, Illinois

ja:ソウル・トレイン (テレビ番組) pt:Soul Train

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Angie Stone
background	solo_singer
birth name	Angela Laverne Brown
birth date	December 18, 1961
birth place	Columbia, South Carolina, United States
instrument	Singing, keyboards
genre	R&B;, soul, neo soul
occupation	Singer-songwriter, keyboardist, record producer, actress
years active	1979–present
label	Arista, J, Stax
associated acts	The Sequence, Vertical Hold, Mantronix, Devox, Joss Stone, Anthony Hamilton
website	www.angiestoneonline.net }}

Angie Stone (born Angela Laverne Brown on December 18, 1961) is an American R&B; and soul singer-songwriter, keyboardist, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B; charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B; chart, including a Top 10. She sold over 1.4 millions albums in U.S. and sold over 5 millions albums worldwide.

Biography

Stone was born in Columbia, South Carolina, where she began singing gospel music at First Nazareth Baptist Church, under the leadership of Reverend Blakely N. Scott.

She has a daughter and son. Her daughter Diamond (born 1984) is from her marriage to Rodney Stone (also known as Lil' Rodney C!, from the hip hop group Funky Four Plus One). Diamond contributed background vocals to her 2007 song "Baby", and gave birth to Stone's grandson in 2008. During the 1990s Stone dated neo soul singer D'Angelo. Their son Michael was born in 1998. Stone lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her son and fiancé Ashanti, an airline auditor who has two children of his own.

Musical career

In the early 1980s, Stone (then known as Angie B.) was a member of The Sequence, a female hip hop/funk trio consisting of Cheryl The Pearl and Blondie. They were the second rap group signed to the Sugar Hill Record Label after auditioning for Sylvia Robinson backstage at a Sugar Hill Gang concert in South Carolina. They had a hit in 1980 with "Funk You Up", which reached number fifteen on the U.S. Top Black Singles chart, and a minor hit with "Monster Jam" featuring rapper Spoonie Gee. The Sequence enjoyed a series of rap hits as the first female rap group during the early years of Hip Hop. Such hits as "Funky Sound (Tear The Roof Off)" kept The Sequence touring with many of the Soul Bands of the day. She then worked with Mantronix, before singing background on Lenny Kravitz's fifth studio album, ''5''. The Sequence faded into obscurity as Hip Hop changed from its original party sound to a more gritty street art form.

Stone emerged during the 1990s as part of the R&B; trio Vertical Hold which released the popular single "Seems You're Much Too Busy" as well as two albums: ''A Matter of Time'' (1993) and ''Head First'' (1995).

In 1996, she teamed up with Gerry DeVeaux (Lenny Kravitz's cousin) and together with Charlie Mole they formed Devox. They recorded one album, ''Devox Featuring Angie B. Stone''. Released in Japan by Toshiba EMI and selected cuts featured on Gerry DeVeaux's ''Front Of The line'' via the UK Expansion Records, which also included Stone-penned material.

Stone shared songwriting credits on D'Angelo's first two studio albums, ''Brown Sugar'' (1995) and ''Voodoo'' (2000), as well as providing backing vocals on tour with him.

Her solo debut album, ''Black Diamond'', was released on September 28, 1999 on Arista Records; the album would eventually be certified gold by the RIAA. She has since also released, on Clive Davis' J Records, ''Mahogany Soul'' on October 16, 2001 (which also went gold), and ''Stone Love'' on July 6, 2004.

Much of Stone's solo material has significant soul influences and features notable samples. For example, her first solo single, "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" samples Gladys Knight & the Pips' 1972 song "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)", while "Wish I Didn't Miss You" samples The O'Jays' 1972 song "Back Stabbers".

Stone sings the theme song for the UPN/The CW's sitcom ''Girlfriends''.

During an interview to BBC 1Xtra on August 27, 2006, Stone announced that she had signed to the reworked Stax Records. Her fourth studio album |- ''The Art of Love & War'' was released on October 15, 2007. The lead single is "Baby" and features Betty Wright. Its music video features cameo appearances by comedian Mike Epps and ''America's Next Top Model, Cycle 3'' winner Eva Pigford. The song was nominated for Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 2008 Grammy Awards.

Angie released her fifth studio album titled "''Unexpected''" in the UK on February 8, 2010 on Stax Records. Speaking to noted UK R&B; writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul in January 2010, she explained her ideas behind 'Unexpected': "Being as I've delivered four decent albums already, I felt it was safe to switch up and do something different this time. And musically overall I just wanted to have FUN! I wanted to do something that embodied a jam kinda feel, so that we could have some fun in concert and show people everything doesn't always have to be so serious."

Tours

Stone recently finished a stand-up theatre play tour entitled ''Issues: We've Got Them All'' in which she had a leading role. She appeared on the VH1's reality television series ''Celebrity Fit Club'' for the fourth season, which began on August 6, 2006. While on the show, Stone lost eighteen pounds, the second lowest loss in the history of the show.

Stone has had various Summer Festival dates lined up across America and also three headlining American shows in June and another two in the Netherlands in August.

Stone toured with ''Sisters in the Spirit'' in 2007; toured in Europe in May/June 2008; toured on various Summer Festivals in the U.S. in summer 2008 (including three headlining June shows); and two in the Netherlands in August 2008.

Discography

;Studio Albums

1999: ''Black Diamond''

2001: ''Mahogany Soul''

2004: ''Stone Love''

2007: ''The Art of Love & War''

2009: ''Unexpected''

Filmography

Films

!Year

|	Title	Role
2002	''The Hot Chick''
2003	''The Fighting Temptations''
2008	''Caught on Tape''
2009	''Pastor Brown''
2010	''School Gyrls''
2011	''Dreams''

Television

!Year ''Moesha'' ''Girlfriends'' ''One on One (TV series) ''Lincoln Heights (TV series)

|	Title	Role	Notes
2000	|	Herself	"D-Money Loses His Patience" (season 5, episode 22)
2002	|	Darla Mason	"Blinded by the Lights" (season 3, episode 51)
2004	One on One'' ||	Herself	"It's a Mad, Mad Hip Hop World" (season 3, episode 92)
2008	Lincoln Heights'' ||	Octavia	"Prom Night" (season 3, episode 9)"The Ground Beneath Our Feet" (season 3, episode 10)

Theatre

!Year

|	Title	Role
2003	Chicago (musical)>Chicago''

Awards and nominations

Wins

2000 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best R&B;/Soul Single, Solo for "No More Rain (In This Cloud)"

2000 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best R&B;/Soul or Rap New Artist, Solo

2004 Edison Award for ''Stone Love''

Nominations

2003 Grammy Awards: Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "More Than a Woman" (with Joe)

2004 Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance for "U-Haul"

2008 Grammy Awards: Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Baby" (with Betty Wright)

2008 BET Awards: BET J Award

2008 BET J Virtual Awards: Album of the Year for ''The Art of Love & War''

References

External links

Official website

t

Category:1961 births Category:Actors from South Carolina Category:African American actors Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues keyboardists Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul keyboardists Category:American soul singers Category:American television actors Category:Celebrity Fit Club participants Category:English-language singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from South Carolina Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Columbia, South Carolina Category:Sony/ATV Music Publishing artists Category:Concord Records artists

de:Angie Stone et:Angie Stone es:Angie Stone fr:Angie Stone id:Angie Stone it:Angie Stone nl:Angie Stone pl:Angie Stone pt:Angie Stone ru:Стоун, Энджи fi:Angie Stone zh:安琪·史東

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Chaka Khan
background	solo_singer
birth name	Yvette Marie Stevens
alias	Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi Khan, Queen of Funk
born	March 23, 1953Chicago, Illinois, United States
instrument	Vocals
occupation	Musician, songwriter
genre	R&B;, jazz, funk, soul, disco, adult contemporary
years active	1964–present
label	ABC (1972–1978) Warner Bros. (1978–1998)MCA (1979–1982)NPG (1998–2001) Burgundy (2005–present)
associated acts	Rufus, Prince
website	}}

Chaka Khan (born Yvette Marie Stevens; March 23, 1953) is an American singer and composer who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career. Her signature hits, both with Rufus and as a solo performer, include "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Ain't Nobody", "I'm Every Woman", "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire".

Biography

Early life: 1953-1972

Khan was born Yvette Marie Stevens in 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. Raised in Chicago's rough Southside projects, Khan was the eldest of five children to Charles Stevens and Sandra Coleman. Her sister Yvonne Stevens later became a successful musician in her own right under the name Taka Boom. Her only brother Mark Stevens, who formed the funk group Aurra, also became a successful musician. She has two other sisters, Kathleen Burrell and Tammy McCrary, who is her current manager. Unlike many of her musical contemporaries, Khan was raised as Roman Catholic. Khan attributed her love of music to her grandmother, who introduced her to jazz music as a child. Khan became a fan of R&B; music as a preteen and at eleven formed her first all-female singing group the Crystalettes, which also included her sister Taka. In the late 1960s, Khan and her sister formed the vocal group Shades of Black and joined the Black Panther Party after befriending fellow member, activist and Chicago native Fred Hampton in 1967. While a member, she was given a name change to Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi by an African shaman. In 1969, she left the Panthers, dropped out of high school, having attended Calumet High School, and married Indian bassist Hassan Khan in 1970; Khan later said she married Hassan to sign a recording contract. After this marriage ended, Khan kept her ex-husband's surname as a stage name. Khan briefly sung lead for her ex's band Lyfe, before she replaced the late Baby Huey as a member of the rock-soul group, the Babysitters, before the group disbanded in 1971. Khan then was contacted by friend Paulette McWilliams to replace her in the rock/soul ensemble Ask Rufus, a group formed by The American Breed members Kevin Murphy and Al Ciner. Alongside Andre Fischer, whom she met while performing in Chicago, and Ron Stockert, they would join the group in 1972 and the band shortened its name to simply Rufus. The band relocated to Los Angeles and soon got a deal with ABC. Khan was nineteen at the time of the band's signing to the label.

Early career and success: 1973-1978

In 1973, Rufus released their self-titled debut album. Despite their fiery rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Maybe Your Baby" from Wonder's acclaimed ''Talking Book'' and the modest success of the Khan-led ballad "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)", the album failed to garner attention. That changed when Wonder himself collaborated with the group on a song he had written for Khan. That song, "Tell Me Something Good", became the group's breakthrough hit, reaching number-three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 later winning the group their first Grammy Award. The single's success and the subsequent follow-up, "You Got the Love", which peaked at number-eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 helped their second parent album, ''Rags to Rufus'', go platinum selling over a million copies. Between 1974 and 1979, Rufus would release six platinum-selling albums including ''Rufusized'', ''Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan'', ''Ask Rufus'', ''Street Player'' and ''Masterjam''. Hits the group would score during this time included "Once You Get Started", "Sweet Thing", "Hollywood", "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)" and "Do You Love What You Feel".

The band gained a reputation as a live performing act with Khan becoming the star attraction, thanks to her powerful vocals and stage attire, which sometimes included Native American garb and showing her midriff. Most of the band's material was written and produced by the band itself with few exceptions. Khan has also been noted for being an instrumentalist playing drums and bass, she also provided percussion during her tenure with Rufus. Most of Khan's compositions were often collaborations with guitarist Tony Maiden. Relations between Khan and the group, particularly between Khan and group member Andre Fischer, became stormy. Several group members left with nearly every release. While Khan remained a member of the group, she signed a solo contract with Warner Bros in 1978. While Khan was busy at work on solo material, Rufus released three albums without Khan's participation including 1979's ''Numbers'', 1980's ''Party 'Til You're Broke'' and 1983's ''Seal in Red''.

Early solo career and final years with Rufus: 1978-1983

In 1978, Warner Bros. Records released Khan's solo debut album, which featured the crossover disco hit, "I'm Every Woman", written for her by songwriters Ashford & Simpson. The success of the single helped the album go platinum, selling over a million copies. Khan also was a featured performer on Quincy Jones' hit, "Stuff Like That", also released in 1978.

In 1979, Khan reunited with Rufus to collaborate on the Jones-produced ''Masterjam'', which featured their hit, "Do You Love What You Feel", which Khan sung with Tony Maiden. Despite her sometimes-acrimonious relationship with some of the group's band mates, Khan and Maiden have maintained a friendship over the years. In 1979 she also duetted with Ry Cooder on his album ''Bop Till You Drop''. In 1980, while Rufus released their second non-Khan release, ''Party 'Til You're Broke'', Khan released her second solo album, ''Naughty'', which featured Khan on the cover with her six-year-old daughter Milini. The album yielded the minor disco hit "Clouds" and went gold. Khan released two albums in 1981, the Rufus release, ''Camouflage'' and the solo album, ''What Cha' Gonna Do for Me''. The same year, Khan appeared on three tracks on Rick Wakeman's concept album ''1984''. In 1982, Khan issued two more solo albums, the jazz-oriented ''Echoes of an Era'' and a more funk/pop-oriented self-titled album. The latter album's track, the jazz-inflected "Bebop Medley", won Khan a Grammy and earned praise from Betty Carter who loved Khan's vocal scatting in the song.

In 1983, following the release of Rufus' final studio album, ''Seal in Red'', which did not feature Khan, the singer returned with Rufus on a live album, ''Stompin' at the Savoy - Live'', which featured the studio single, "Ain't Nobody", which became the group's final charting success reaching number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B; chart, while also reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom. Following this release, Rufus separated for good.

Solo success: 1984-1996

In 1984, Khan released her sixth studio album, ''I Feel for You'', which featured the title track. The title track, originally written and recorded by Prince for his eponymous follow-up to his debut album in 1979, had been previously recorded by The Pointer Sisters and Mary Wells. Khan's version, which featured Stevie Wonder and rapper Melle Mel, reached number-three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one in the United Kingdom. Other singles from the album included "This is my Night" and "Through the Fire" and all three singles helped the album to go platinum. Khan followed that success with albums such as 1986's ''Destiny'' and 1988's ''CK''. Khan was the featured performer on Steve Winwood's number-one hit, "Higher Love", in 1986. Khan found more success in the UK in the late 1980s as a remix album, ''Life is a Dance - The Remix Project'', reached the top ten on the UK albums chart. Khan reacted to the success by performing in the United Kingdom, where she maintained a strong fan base.

In 1990, she was a featured performer on another major hit when she collaborated with Ray Charles and Quincy Jones on a new jack swing cover of The Brothers Johnson's "I'll Be Good to You", which was featured on Jones' ''Back on the Block''. The song reached number-eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B; chart, later winning Charles and Khan a Grammy for Best R&B; Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group. Khan returned with her first studio album in four years in 1992 with the release of ''The Woman I Am'', which went gold thanks to the R&B; success of the songs "Love You All My Lifetime" and "You Can Make the Story Right". Khan also contributed to soundtracks and worked on a follow-up to ''The Woman I Am'' which she titled ''Dare You to Love Me'', which was eventually shelved. In 1995, she and rapper Guru had a hit with the duet "Watch What You Say", in the UK. That same year, she provided a contemporary R&B; cover of the classic standard, "My Funny Valentine", for the ''Waiting to Exhale'' soundtrack. In 1996, following the release of her greatest-hits album, ''Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1'', Khan abruptly left Warner Bros. after stating the label had neglected her and failed to release ''Dare You to Love Me''.

Later career and current work: 1998-present

In 1998, Khan signed a contract with Prince's NPG Records label and issued ''Come 2 My House'', followed by the single "Don't Talk 2 Strangers", a cover of a 1996 Prince song. Khan later went on a tour with Prince as a co-headlining act. In 2000, Khan departed from NPG and in 2004 released her first jazz covers album in twenty-two years with 2004's ''ClassiKhan''. Three years later, after signing with Burgundy Records, Khan released what many critics called a "comeback album" with ''Funk This'', produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

The album featured the hit, "Angel", and the Mary J. Blige duet, "Disrespectful". The latter track went to number one on the U.S. dance singles chart, winning the singers a Grammy Award, while ''Funk This'' also won a Grammy for Best R&B; Album. The album was notable for Khan's covers of Dee Dee Warwick's "Foolish Fool" and Prince's "Sign o' the Times". In 2008, Khan participated in the Broadway adaptation of ''The Color Purple'' playing Ms. Sofia to Fantasia Barrino's Celie.

In 2009, Khan hit the road with singers Anastacia and Lulu for Here Come the Girls. In 2010, Khan contributed to vocals for Beverley Knight's "Soul Survivor", collaborated with Clay Aiken on a song for the kids show ''Phineas and Ferb'', and performed two songs with Japanese singer Ai on Ai's latest album "The Last Ai". Khan continues to perform to packed audiences both in her native United States and overseas.

On May 19, 2011, Khan was given the 2,440th Hollywood Walk of Fame star plaque on a section of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Her family was on hand to see the singer accept the honor, as was Stevie Wonder, who wrote her breakout hit "Tell Me Something Good".

Personal life

Khan has been married three times and has two children. Khan married her first husband, Hassan Khan, in 1970. They divorced in 1971. The birth of Khan's daughter Milini was the result of a relationship between Khan and a man named Rahsaan Morris. In 1976, Khan married Richard Holland. Their marriage produced a son, Damien, who was born three years later. In 1980, the couple divorced. In 2001, Khan married a third time to Doug Rasheed,although having an on and off relationship with Donny Maxwell the owner of the now defunct production company the Review Productions, which ended in divorce three years later. Khan is also the grandmother of two. In 2006 Khan's son Damien Holland was accused of murder after 17-year-old Christopher Bailey was shot to death. Khan testified on her son's behalf defending her son's innocence. Holland claimed the shooting was an accident and was found not guilty.

Khan has struggled with drug abuse, alcoholism and weight over the years. She had addictions to heroin and cocaine, which she kicked in the early nineties. After an on-again and off-again bouts with alcoholism, in 2005, Khan declared herself sober. Though she sang at both the 2000 Democrat and Republican conventions, Khan says that she is more of a "Democratic-minded person". In 1990, Khan emigrated to the United Kingdom where she had a steady relationship. She splits her time between Los Angeles, Germany and London but has been living mainly in London since 2006.

In a 2008 interview Khan said that she, unlike other artists, feels very optimistic about the current changes in the recording industry, including music downloading. "I'm glad things are shifting and artists – not labels – are having more control over their art. My previous big record company (Warner Music) has vaults of my recordings that haven't seen the light of day that people need to hear. This includes Robert Palmer's original recording of "Addicted to Love" – which they took my vocals off of! We are working on getting it (and other tracks) all back now."

Awards

Grammy Awards

To date, Chaka Khan has won 10 Grammy Awards, including two as a member of Rufus. She has received 22 Grammy Award nominations, including three as a member of Rufus.

Year	! Award category	! Nominated artist(s)	! Nominated work	! Track from	! Result
rowspan="2"	2008		Chaka Khan
	Chaka Khan, Mary J. Blige	"Disrespectful"	''Funk This''
	2007		Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams, Carl Thomas	"Everyday (Family Reunion)"
	2003	Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance	Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance	Chaka Khan, The Funk Brothers
	1998	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Chaka Khan
		Brandy, Tamia, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan
	Chaka Khan, Meshell Ndegeocello	"Never Miss The Water"
	Luke Cresswell, Fiona Wilkes, Carl Smith, Fraser Morrison, Everett Bradley, Mr. X, Melle Mel, Coolio, Yo-Yo, Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, Shaquille O'Neal, Luniz		''Q's Jook Joint'' (Quincy Jones)
	1996	Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media	Best Song Written Specifically For A Motion Picture Or Television	Bruce Hornsby, Chaka Khan	"Love Me Still"
	1993	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan
	1991	Grammy Award for Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals	Best R&B; Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal	Ray Charles, Chaka Khan
	1987	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	1986	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	1985	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan
		Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	Arif Mardin, Chaka Khan	"Be Bop Medley"
	Rufus	"Ain't Nobody"
	1983	Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female	Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	1982	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	1979	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	"I'm Every Woman"
	1978	Grammy Award for Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals	Best R&B; Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus	Rufus
	1975		Rufus	"Tell Me Something Good"

BET Awards

2006 BET Lifetime Achievement Award (Recipient)

2008 BET Awards: BET Awards (nominated)nominated

Soul Train Awards

1998 Lena Horne Award (Career Achievement) (Recipient)

2009 Legends Award (Career Achievement) (Recipient)

United Negro College Fund Award

2011 UNCF: Award of Excellence (Recipient)

American Music Award nominations

To date, she has had four American Music Award nominations. Favorite Female Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Tina Turner) Favorite Female Video Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Tina Turner) Favorite Female Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Stephanie Mills) Favorite Female Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Diana Ross) References:

Discography

References

External links

Chaka Khan official website

Chaka Khan Foundation

Chaka Khan at Wenig-Lamonica Associates

Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:African American female singers Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:African American singers Category:American contraltos Category:American dance musicians Category:American emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:American expatriates in Germany Category:Black Panther Party members Category:British people of Native American descent Category:English people of African-American descent Category:American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American funk singers Category:American jazz singers Category:Women in jazz Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:Grammy Award winners Category:People from Lake County, Illinois Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:Illinois Democrats Category:Rufus (band) members

da:Chaka Khan de:Chaka Khan et:Chaka Khan es:Chaka Khan fr:Chaka Khan gl:Chaka Khan id:Chaka Khan it:Chaka Khan lv:Čaka Hāna nl:Chaka Khan ja:チャカ・カーン no:Chaka Khan pl:Chaka Khan pt:Chaka Khan ru:Хан, Чака fi:Chaka Khan sv:Chaka Khan th:ชากา คาน tr:Chaka Khan uk:Чака Хан yo:Chaka Khan

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	R. Kelly
background	solo_singer
birth name	Robert Sylvester Kelly
birth date	January 08, 1967
origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
genre	R&B;, soul, hip hop soul, gospel, hip hop
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, executive producer, record executive, remixer, multi-instrumentalist, music video director
instrument	Vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar
years active	1989–present
label	Jive, Zomba Recording
associated acts	Ron Isley, Fat Joe, Kelly Price, Aaliyah, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Twista, Usher, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion
website	}}

Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), better known by his stage name R.Kelly, is an American R&B; singer-songwriter, arranger, performer and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album ''12 Play''. He is known for a collection of major hit singles including "Bump n' Grind", "Your Body's Callin'", "I Believe I Can Fly", "Gotham City", "Ignition (Remix)", "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time", "The World's Greatest", "I'm a Flirt", and the hip-hopera "Trapped in the Closet". In 1998, Kelly won three Grammy Awards for "I Believe I Can Fly".

Kelly has also written, produced and remixed songs for many artists including Ronald Isley and The Isley Brothers, Quincy Jones, Luther Vandross, N-Phase, Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, Gerald LeVert, Britney Spears, Usher, Ray J, B2K, Ciara, Mary J. Blige, and Jennifer Lopez among others.

Early life

Born on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Kelly was the third of four children. Kelly's single mother, Joanne, was a singer and a Baptist. Kelly's father was absent throughout most of Kelly's life. Kelly began singing in church at age eight. In Chicago, Kelly's family lived in the projects at 63rd Street before relocating to a small house at 107th and Parnell Streets. Kelly entered Kenwood Academy in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood in the fall of 1980 where he met his music teacher Lena McLin, who encouraged Kelly to perform the Stevie Wonder classic Ribbon in the Sky in a highschool talent show. As a teenager, Kelly began street performing (or busking) under the Chicago 'L' trains before he eventually formed a group with his friend Marc McWilliams. In 1989, Kelly and McWilliams formed the group MGM (Musically Gifted Men). Along with Vincent Corey Walker and Shawnth Brooks, Kelly performed on the TV talent show ''Big Break'', hosted by Natalie Cole, and went on to win the $100,000 grand prize.

Recording career

1992–2000: ''Born into the 90's''–''TP-2.com''

Kelly and the group Public Announcement released their debut album, ''Born into the 90's,'' in early 1992. Released during the new jack swing period of the early nineties, the album yielded the hits "She's Got That Vibe", "Honey Love", "Dedicated", and "Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)", all of which were led by Kelly. During late 1992, Kelly and Public Announcement embarked on a tour called "60653", whose title was the zip code of Kelly's neighborhood. Kelly left Public Announcement in January 1993.

Kelly's solo album, ''12 Play'', was released in the fall of 1993 and yielded the singer's first number-one hit, "Bump n' Grind", which spent a record-breaking 12 weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B; Singles chart. Subsequent hit singles were "Your Body's Callin'" and "Sex Me". ''12 Play'' was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1994, eventually going six times platinum. Kelly also produced ''Age Ain't Nothing But a Number'', the 1994 debut album by R&B; singer Aaliyah. Kelly was attributed to writing "You Are Not Alone" for Michael Jackson for Jackson's 1995 album, ''HIStory,'' but has been faced with allegations of plagiarism. During this time, as well as writing and producing, Kelly also became known for his remixes. He remixed his own songs, "Bump N Grind", "Your Body's Callin" featuring Aaliyah, and "Sex Me", as well as songs for other artists including Aaliyah, Changing Faces, and Toni Braxton. He also produced a remix for Janet Jackson's 1994 hit "Any Time, Any Place" Kelly's success continued with the release of his second solo album, ''R. Kelly'', popular for the singles "You Remind Me of Something", "I Can't Sleep (Baby If I)", and "Down Low", a duet with Ronald Isley. Kelly's self-titled album sold four million copies, thus receiving 4× platinum certification from the RIAA. Kelly promoted the album with a 50-city "Down Low Top Secret Tour" with LL Cool J, Xscape, and Solo. In May 1996 Kelly was featured on the cover of Ebony Man (EM) magazine with the headline proclaiming "R. Kelly The new King of R&B;" where he discussed touring, working with Quincy Jones, Toni Braxton, and Janet Jackson ("When I first met them, I could tell they liked my albums. There was always a certain song they named off my album. They said they wanted something like that." Braxton liked "My Body's Calling".), as well as his influences Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway ("The way he approached the woman he loved in his songs. He didn't hold back" he says of Hathaway. "He was raw with what he had to say. And Marvin Gaye was the same.") and Michael Jackson's dedication to music ("He's another person that I feel is married to his music. That's why we related so well.")

In 1996, Kelly released one of his most successful singles with "I Believe I Can Fly", an inspirational song originally released on the soundtrack for the film ''Space Jam''. "I Believe I Can Fly" reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and No. 1 on the UK charts for three weeks and won three Grammy Awards in 1998. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine named it as the 406th of its top 500 songs of all time. For the film ''Batman & Robin'', Kelly recorded the top ten single "Gotham City".

In 1997, Kelly fulfilled a longtime dream of his and signed a contract to play professional basketball with the Atlantic City Seagulls of the USBL. Kelly wore the number 12 in honor of his album 12 Play. Kelly said "I love basketball enough to not totally let go of my music, but just put it to the side for a minute, and fulfill some dreams of mine that I've had for a long time." Kelly's USBL contract contained a clause that would allow him to fulfill a music obligation when necessary. "If Whitney Houston needs a song written", Gross said, "he would be able to leave the team to do that and come back". Kelly is believed to be the first music artist to play professional basketball.

In 1998, Kelly released ''R.'', his is the fourth studio album and first double album. It was released in the United States on November 17, 1998 (see 1998 in music). It was the first time that Kelly allowed other record producers to produce or co-produce on his album, as opposed to producing the entire album himself, and his first time collaborating with various artists on his album. It is currently Kelly's biggest selling album to date, selling 8 million copies in the US according to RIAA.

''R.'' went to number one on the R&B; albums chart as the third album to do so, and went second place on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. It spawned Kelly's second number one U.S. pop hit, "I'm Your Angel", a duet with Celine Dion. The album also contains the number one R&B; hit, "I Believe I Can Fly", which had been released two years earlier on the Space Jam soundtrack.

In 1998, Kelly wrote and produced the debut album of his new female artist Sparkle, which was released on his Rockland label, distributed through Interscope. The album went platinum due to the success of the first single, "Be Careful", a duet featuring Kelly and Sparkle. Kelly also found success with soundtracks such as "Gotham City" from ''Batman & Robin'', and "The World's Greatest" from ''Ali''. In 1999, Kelly wrote and produced, along with Wyclef Jean, the majority of the soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence film ''Life''. Kelly composed ten songs on the soundtrack, while Jean composed five. Kelly also contributed two songs, "Bad Man" and "Up and Outta Here," to the updated Samuel L. Jackson movie ''Shaft.'' In 2000, Kelly released ''TP-2.com'', which yielded the hits "I Wish" and the remix to "Fiesta", which featured Jay-Z. Because of the success of that song and another Kelly/Jay-Z collaboration, "Guilty 'Til Proven Innocent", from Jay-Z's ''Dynasty'' album, it was announced in early 2002 that the duo would collaborate on a joint album and tour entitled ''The Best of Both Worlds''. Due to controversy surrounding Kelly at the time, however, there was little promotion for the album when it was finally released and Kelly instead refocused his attention on his solo work as both a recording artist and producer.

During late 2001 and early 2002, Kelly began working on the follow-up to his album ''TP-2.com'', titled ''Loveland''. The album was scheduled to be released in November 2002, but as with ''Best of Both Worlds'' before it, heavy bootlegging led to its being delayed. The singer then rerecorded the entire album, titled ''Chocolate Factory'', which featured several of the bootlegged tracks on the bonus Loveland disc.

2003–06: ''Chocolate Factory'', ''Happy People/U Saved Me'', and ''Unfinished Business''

In early 2003, ''Chocolate Factory'' became a runaway success for Kelly, selling over three million copies due to the success of singles such as "Ignition". "Snake" and "Step in the Name of Love" were also popular singles. "Snake", incidentally, became the basis of the dancehall reggae riddim known as Baghdad. Later that year Kelly followed that success by releasing his first greatest hits collection ''The R in R&B; Collection Volume 1'', the album as well as a DVD collection. In 2004, Kelly released the ambitious two-disc set ''Happy People/U Saved Me'', with the first disc including feel-good, stepping-inspired tracks, while focusing on gospel and inspirational material on the second disc. That same year, Kelly performed The Star-Spangled Banner during the introduction of the world championship boxing fight between Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor. His performance, which included a line of dancers doing the "stepping" routine and a prerecorded instrumental track set to the sound of "Happy People", was met with a mixed reaction. In October 2004, Kelly reunited with Jay-Z to do a follow-up to their ''Best of Both Worlds'' album shortly after announcing a tour to coincide with the project after the duo performed together during Jay-Z's "farewell" concert at Madison Square Garden a year before. The duo's ''Unfinished Business'' album was released and peaked at number one on the Billboard chart.

The ''Unfinished Business'' tour was plagued by a rivalry between the two stars and Kelly reportedly showing up late or not at all to gigs. The singer, according to Jay-Z, often complained that the touring lights were not directed towards him and often left during the middle of sets. Another night during the concert, Kelly stayed on his tour bus for two hours before finally coming out to perform an uninspired set. Jay-Z eventually removed R. Kelly halfway through the tour, after a member of Jay-Z's entourage attacked R. Kelly with Mace or pepper spray. On April 25, 2006, it was confirmed that Jay-Z's younger cousin, Tyran (Ty-Ty) Smith confessed in a Manhattan Criminal Court to pepper-spraying R. Kelly and four of his bodyguards at Madison Square Garden in October 2004. Smith had been charged with assault, but was allowed to plead guilty to disorderly conduct for four days of community service. After the original incident, Jay-Z made Smith an executive of Def Jam Records. Kelly also launched a $75 million lawsuit against Jay-Z for removing him from the tour, which received a countersuit by Jay-Z which was thrown out by the judge.

2007–08: ''Double Up''

On May 29, 2007, R Kelly released his eighth studio album ''Double Up'' included the hit single "I'm a Flirt (Remix)", featuring T.I. and T-Pain. The original track entitled "I'm a Flirt", also produced and co-written by R. Kelly, appeared as a hidden track on Bow Wow's ''The Price of Fame'' (2006). However, Kelly never gave the rights for the song to be released as a formal single, although it was played by many radio stations before the remix version. Kelly's first single from ''Double Up'' was "I'm a Flirt (Remix)", Bow Wow was not featured on this version of the song. In Kelly's video for "I'm a Flirt (Remix)", he encourages fans to call a number which flashes up quickly on the screen. Fans who called the number were greeted by a recording of Kelly talking about his upcoming album and playing snippets of new songs in the studio. "I'm a Flirt (Remix)" was successful for Kelly. The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks. Another hit on the album, "Same Girl", was a collaboration between Kelly and Usher. The single peaked at number 20 on the Hot 100 and peaked at number four on the R&B; chart. Other singles such as "Rock Star" featuring Ludacris and Kid Rock, "Sex Planet" and "Freaky in the Club" were R&B; charters, although the latter two were not officially released as singles, nor was the title track featuring Snoop Dogg.

Kelly's other single from ''Double Up'' titled "Rise Up" was a tribute to the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre. The song was officially released as a digital download May 15, 2007. Proceeds were donated to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, a fund that helped family members of the victims of the shootings.

Kelly began his ''Double Up'' tour with Ne-Yo, Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday opening for him. After two shows, promoter Leonard Rowe had Ne-Yo removed from the tour because of a contract dispute. However, Ne-Yo alleges that the reason for the dropout was because Ne-Yo believes he received a better response from critics and fans, even though he only performed at two shows. Ne-Yo filed a lawsuit against Rowe Entertainment. It was shown that Kelly was not mentioned in the lawsuit. In December 2007, Kelly was showing up to another preliminary court hearing on his case due to his tour bus being held up in Utah. The judge threatened to revoke Kelly's bond, but the judge eventually decided not to. In 2008, Kelly released a rap track titled "I'm a Beast" in which he coarsely attacked his detractors, though Kelly himself never mentioned by name who the song was directed to.

In 2008, ''Billboard'' reported that Kelly had plans to release his newest album titled ''12 Play: Fourth Quarter'' in the summer of that year but the album was postponed. ''Billboard'' also named Kelly among the most successful artists ever for its 50th Anniversary List. In the spring, the first promotional single "Hair Braider", peaked at No. 56 on Billboard's R&B; chart. On July 28, the entire album leaked online. The album was then pushed back to be released in the fall. On September 18, Kelly released the video to the second promotional single "Skin". However, the album still has no official release date. Though Kelly has not released an album, he has kept busy in the studio doing featured guest spots on numerous remixes including "Lookin Boy" remix by Hotstylz, Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" remix, a verse for a remix to Kanye West's single "Love Lockdown", Raheem DeVaughn's "Customer" remix, Beyoncé Knowles' "If I Were a Boy" remix, T-Pain's "Chopped 'n' Skrewed" remix, among others. A recent track was leaked on the internet titled "I Believe". Kelly states on his official MySpace page that Obama's election inspired him to write the song, which contains an excerpt from Barack Obama's presidential acceptance speech. This song was available on iTunes as a free download the first week it was released.

2009: ''Untitled''

On June 3, 2009, Kelly released his first ever mixtape, ''The Demo Tape (Gangsta Grillz) presented by DJ Skee and DJ Drama'' as a way to reintroduce himself to fans.

While at the Velvet Room in Atlanta in February 2009, Kelly announced that he was out there working on the album and that it would be called ''Untitled''. The album was given a September 29, 2009 release date, but was delayed until October 13, 2009. The album release was again delayed and was released under Jive Records on December 1, 2009. It got mixed to positive reviews from critics. The single "Number One", which features Keri Hilson, peaked at #8 on the US R&B; Chart.

Kelly performed for the first time in Africa headlining the Arise African Fashion Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 20, 2009. Kelly scheduled to perform in Cape Town before heading to Nigeria as part of the annual ThisDay music and fashion festival in July. Kelly also performed in Kampala, Uganda in January 2010. He also scheduled to perform in London as part of his first international tour in eight years, but he did not make his London concert. "I'm very excited about my first visit to Africa, I've dreamed about this for a long time and it's finally here," Kelly said in a statement. "It will be one of the highlights of not only my career but my life. I can't wait to perform in front of my fans in Africa — who have been some of the best in the world."

2010-present: ''Epic'', ''Love Letter'' and ''Black Panties''

Kelly performed the inspirational song "Sign of a Victory" at the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony on June 11, 2010.

On July 13, 2010, a song called "Tongues" surfaced, reportedly the lead single from Kelly's upcoming album ''Zodiac''. The song is produced by Bangladesh and features Ludacris. The first single from ''Love Letter'' is called "When a Woman Loves". The music video for the song was released in August 2010.

In an interview in the September 2010 issue of ''XXL'' magazine, Kelly mentioned that he is currently working on three new albums entitled ''Zodiac'', ''Love Letter'' and ''Epic''.

On September 13, 2010, Kelly released one of his three new albums, ''Epic''. A collection of Kelly's most "epic" ballads, including five new songs; the compilation was only released in Europe.

In March 2011, Kelly was named the #1 R&B; artist of the last 25 years by ''Billboard''.

Kelly collaborated with several African musicians forming a supergroup known as One8. The group features 2Face from Nigeria, Alikiba from Tanzania, Congolese singer Fally Ipupa, 4X4 from Ghana, hip-hop artist Movaizhaleine from Gabon, Zambia's JK, Ugandan hip-hop star Navio and Kenya's Amani, the only female in the group. The first release from the group is "Hands Across the World" written and produced by Kelly.

Kelly is presently working on his memoirs entitled ''Soulacoaster'', expected be released in the fall of 2011. The book is said to be an intimate look at the events of his life and shed some light on how he dealt with life-shaping events like the child molestation charges and being blacklisted by several urban radio stations.

Kelly's latest album ''Love Letter'' was released on December 14, 2010 worldwide. The album includes 15 songs, the latter being a bonus track which is a cover of Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone", which was written and produced by Kelly as well. The next single, "Love Letter" and "A Love Letter Christmas", the Christmas remix to "Love Letter", were released as singles on November 22, 2010. ''Love Letter'' has been critically acclaimed by music critics and highly-praised by critics and fans alike. The first single "When a Woman Loves" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. In promotion of "Love Letter" he performed at the 2010 Soul Train Music Awards and on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''. All songs on the album were written & produced by Kelly.

Legal issues

After a July 1996 brawl at a Lafayette, Louisiana health club involving bodyguard William Robert Savy, Kelly was placed on a year's unsupervised probation starting August 13, 1997. One of the victims, Christopher Mahoney, needed 110 facial stitches.

Kelly was arrested on April 8, 1998 on three misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, including one charge on violating noise ordinance for playing loud music from his car. Prosecutors from the district attorney's office dropped the first two charges on May 7 and the noise charge on July 22 that year.

On February 3, 2002, a video allegedly showing Kelly engaging in sex with, and urinating on, an underage girl, released by an unknown source, was sent to the ''Chicago Sun-Times''; the newspaper that broke the story. Kelly denied that he was the man in the video. Bootleg copies of that tape became widely available on the black market and over file sharing networks. In June 2002, Kelly was indicted in Chicago on 21 counts of having sex with a minor, which were later reduced to soliciting a minor for child pornography, seven counts of videotaping the acts, and seven counts of producing child pornography. After a number of delays, on October 27, 2006, a Cook County, Illinois, court hearing for pre-trial motions set the date of the actual trial to February 7, 2007. On the date of the trial, Kelly's lawyer informed the court that his client was unable to attend because he was "undergoing surgery for a burst appendix". He also announced that Kelly was "in good condition and was expected to be released from the hospital later in the day." His attorney stated that Kelly (who pleaded not guilty) would be in attendance on the next trial date of February 21, 2007. It had previously been announced by the court that the videotape that allegedly showed Kelly performing sex acts with an underage girl would be publicly shown as evidence in the trial. The trial, however, was delayed due to disputes over when the tape was made and to give medical recuperation time to the sitting judge following a fall resulting in broken bones. Later the case was set for a September 17 date. It took more than six years for the case to go to trial. Jury selection began on May 9, 2008, and the trial officially started on May 20 with opening statements from the prosecution and defense. After two weeks, the prosecution's case wrapped on June 3 while the defense's wrapped six days later, on June 9. After less than a day of deliberations, on June 13, 2008, a Chicago jury found Kelly not guilty of all 14 counts.

In January 2003 in Florida, Kelly was arrested again on child pornography charges. In June 2002, authorities searched his house in Davenport, Florida. Officers allegedly found pictures of an underage girl as well as a video of Kelly having sex with an underage girl on a digital camera – wrapped in a towel in a duffel bag. In March 2004 these charges were dropped due to a lack of probable cause for the search warrants.

On October 4, 2006, former employee Henry "Love" Vaughn (who claims to have been a "mentor and guide" to Kelly since he was a teenager) filed a lawsuit against Kelly accusing him of assault, false imprisonment, and a breach of contract that defrauded him of songwriting royalties. Vaughn claims Kelly and his associates dragged him to the basement of Kelly’s Olympia Fields home on February 19, 2006, and Kelly "repeatedly struck him about the face and body with his fists." Vaughn also claims he gave Kelly the "concept" for the song "Steppin". Kelly's spokesman declared that Vaughn was merely trying to extort money and told reporters that a police investigation found no evidence to Vaughn's assault allegations. Olympia Fields police confirmed that they had investigated the matter but would not comment beyond saying "We didn't file any charges on this case."

Discography

;Studio albums

''12 Play'' (1993)

''R. Kelly'' (1995)

''R.'' (1998)

''TP-2.com'' (2000)

''Chocolate Factory'' (2003)

''Happy People/U Saved Me'' (2004)

''TP.3 Reloaded'' (2005)

''Double Up'' (2007)

''Untitled'' (2009)

''Love Letter'' (2010)

''Black Panties'' (2011)

;Collaboration albums

''Born into the 90's'' (1992) (with Public Announcement)

''The Best of Both Worlds'' (2002) (with Jay-Z)

''Unfinished Business'' (2004) (with Jay-Z)

;Compilation albums

''The R. In R&B; Collection, Vol. 1'' (2003)

''Remix City, Volume 1'' (2005)

''My Diary'' (2005)

''Playlist: The Very Best of R. Kelly'' (2010)

''Epic'' (2010)

; Unreleased albums

''Loveland (2002)''

''12 Play: 4th Quarter (2008)''

Filmography

''Trapped in the Closet (1–12)'' (2005)

''Trapped in the Closet (13–22)'' (2007)

''Trapped in the Closet (1–22) The Big Package'' (2007)

''R. Kelly Live the Light It Up Tour'' (2007)

''Trapped in the Closet (22-TBA)'' (TBA)

Official tours

The 12 Play Very Necessary Tour (w/ Salt-N-Pepa) (1994)

The Budweiser Superfest (w/ Coolio, Warren G, & Heavy D) (1995)

The Down Low Top Secret Tour (1996)

The Get Up on a Room Tour (w/ Kelly Price, Nas, Foxy Brown, Deborah Cox, Sparkle) (1999)

The TP-2.com Tour (w/ Sunshine Anderson & Syleena Johnson) (2001)

The Key in the Ignition Tour (w/ Ashanti (entertainer)) (2003)

The Best of Both Worlds Tour (w/ Jay Z) (2004)

The Light It Up Tour (2006)

The Double Up Tour (w/ J. Holiday & Keyshia Cole) (2007)

The Ladies Make Some Noise Tour (w/ K. Michelle, Pleasure P) (2009)

Love Letter Tour (w/ Keyshia Cole, Marsha Ambrosius) (2011)

Awards

American Music Award

*1993: Favorite Soul/R&B; Single ("Honey Love")

*1995: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album (''12 Play'')

*1997: Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist

*2000: Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist

*2005: Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist

*2007: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album (''Double Up'')

BET Awards

*2003: Best Male R&B; Artist

Billboard Awards

*2001: Top R&B;/Hip Hop Artist

*2001: Top R&B;/Hip Hop Album (''TP2.com'')

*2001: Top R&B;/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks ("Fiesta")

*2001: Top R&B;/Hip Hop Artist

*2001: Top R&B;/Hip Hop Album Artist

*2001: Top R&B;/Hip Hop Album Artist – Male

BMI Awards

*1998: Pop Songwriter of the Year (for "I Believe I Can Fly", "I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)", and "I Don't Want To" (recorded by Toni Braxton))

Grammy Awards

*1998: Best R&B; Song ("I Believe I Can Fly")

*1998: Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance ("I Believe I Can Fly")

*1998: Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media ("I Believe I Can Fly")

MOBO Awards

*2001: MOBO Outstanding Achievement

NAACP Image Awards

*2001: Outstanding Male Artist

*2001: Outstanding Music Video ("I Wish")

Soul Train Awards

*1999: Best R&B;/Soul Album, Male (''R.'')

*1999: Sammy Davis Jr. Entertainer of the Year Award

*2000: Best R&B;/Soul or Rap Album (''R.'')

*2001: Best R&B;/Soul Single, Male ("I Wish")

*2001: Best R&B;/Soul Album, Male (''TP2.com'')

*2004: R&B;/Soul Album, Male (''Chocolate Factory'')

*2004: Quincy Jones Award for Outstanding Career Achievements

*2006: Stevie Wonder Award for Outstanding Achievements in Song Writing

Source Hip Hop Awards

*1999: R&B; Artist of the Year

*2001: R&B; Artist of the Year

Vibe Awards

*2003: R&B; Vanguard Award

References

External links

on BlackPlanet

La biographie SoulRnB.com consacrée à R. Kelly

Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:American Christians Category:African-American Christians Category:African American male singers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:African American singers Category:African American musicians Category:African American pianists Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American soul musicians Category:American male singers Category:American record producers Category:American composers Category:African American composers Category:African American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American tenors Category:American soul singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Hip hop singers Category:Jive Records artists Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois

ar:آر كيلي cs:R. Kelly cy:R. Kelly da:R. Kelly de:R. Kelly es:R. Kelly fa:آر. کلی fr:R. Kelly ko:R. 켈리 hr:R. Kelly it:R. Kelly ka:რ. კელი sw:R. Kelly mk:Р.Кели nl:R. Kelly ja:R・ケリー no:R. Kelly pl:R. Kelly pt:R. Kelly ro:R. Kelly ru:R. Kelly simple:R. Kelly fi:R. Kelly sv:R. Kelly th:อาร์. เคลลี tr:R. Kelly zh:劳·凯利