Sony Music Cuts Ties With R. Kelly

• Sony Music has decided to dissolve its working relationship with R. Kelly, Variety has learned. No external announcement of the move is planned in the immediate future, says a source, who added that the company took its time to wade through the issues “responsibly” and avoid legal ramifications. R. Kelly was removed from the RCA Records website shortly after 10am PT on Friday, Jan. 18. Kelly’s back catalog will reportedly remain with RCA/Sony.

Interestingly, sources told Billboard that Universal Music Publishing Group quietly dropped R. Kelly from its roster last spring. UMPG acquired Kelly’s catalog in 2007, as part of Universal Music Group’s acquisition of BMG Music Publishing. BMG Music Publishing included Zomba, which controlled Kelly’s copyrights. Kelly has 681 songs registered with Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), including such hits as “I Believe I Can Fly,” “Bump N’ Grind” and “Ignition,” as well as tracks for other artists, including “You Are Not Alone,” co-written and recorded by Michael Jackson.

Allegations of sexually abusive behavior by Kelly toward young women date back more than 20 years. Sony’s move comes after years of public calls, and even a petition from members of the #MuteRKelly movement, for the company to part ways with Kelly. Those calls intensified in the wake of the recent Lifetime documentary Surviving R. Kelly, in which multiple women accuse him of sexual misconduct.