R. Kelly grew up in a public housing project in one of Chicago’s toughest South Side neighborhoods and built a worldwide musical brand that earned tens of millions of dollars over a nearly 30-year career.
But tax and legal issues — including recently filed charges that he sexually abused three girls and a woman — could leave the Grammy winner who has written songs for some of music’s top stars with next to nothing.
In an emotional interview that aired this week, Kelly told “CBS This Morning” that people stole money from his bank accounts. He offered no details.
His defense attorney said last month that the performer’s finances were “a mess” after Kelly was unable to post $100,000 in bail after his arrest on 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse.
The lack of cash forced Kelly to spend a weekend in a Chicago jail, until a 47-year-old suburban business owner put up the money. She identified herself on the bond slip as “a friend” of Kelly’s.
On Wednesday, Kelly was jailed again because he did not bring enough money to court to pay $161,000 in back child support.
James L. Walker, an Atlanta-based entertainment lawyer, said Kelly should be worth over $100 million based on his publishing catalog alone. At his apex, he was earning at least $150,000 a night from live shows. Since then, he has taken financial hits from being dropped by his record label, Universal Music Publishing Group, and from scrapped concerts and tours, Walker said.
About a year ago, Walker said, he was approached by a Kelly intermediary to represent him on publishing. Walker said he declined because he “knew the profile and just didn’t think it was in our best interest.”
“I’ve represented everyone from Rick James to Aretha Franklin to Shirley Caesar,” said Walker, who wrote the book “This Business of Urban Music.” Kelly “had the talent and the ability to be just as legendary as some of those artists — if he would have handled his personal demons a lot better.”
The latest allegations against Kelly date back as far as 1998 and span more than a decade. The singer, who was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008, has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
For many entertainers, maintaining their income depends on recording, concert or other music-related deals.