Cee-Lo Green

Cee-Lo Green (born Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, 30.5.1974)

Cee-Lo Green is an American hip-hop and soul artist. As well as being a singer, rapper and songwriter, he is also a record producer. He is known as a solo artist, as well as a member of Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley.

Cee-Lo Green: Childhood

Cee-Lo Green was born in Atlanta, Georgia, where he studied at Benjamin E. Mays High School. Both of his parents were ministers and he cut his musical teeth at church. Cee-Lo's father died when he was just two years old and his mother was paralysed in a car accident, eventually dying two years later. At the time, Cee-Lo was 18 and his career with Goodie Mob was just taking off. He wrote a number of songs about his mother, including 'Free', as well as 'A Little Better' and 'She Knows' from their album The Odd Couple.

Cee-Lo Green: Music Career

Cee-Lo formed Goodie Mob with Big Gipp, T-Mo and Khujo. However, he left the group during the making of their World Party album. However, they continued to collaborate together, such as on the Dungeon Family album, Even In Darkness. The title of one of their albums, One Monkey Don't Stop No Show, was considered by many to be a dig at Cee-Lo for leaving the group.

In 2005, it was reported that the group had been reunited and had recorded 'Hold On', by Big Boi of OutKast, though Khujo later stated that they had recorded that track almost 10 years earlier.

Cee-Lo's first stab at a solo career with Arista Records was short-lived and he was dropped after two albums, after they failed to sell well. His debut album, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections, was a self-produced effort and featured appearances from Backbone and Big Gipp. Although the album did not sell very well, the track 'Closet Freak' did get Cee-Lo some much-needed airplay. His second album for Arista was Cee-Lo Green. Is This the Soul Machine, featured performances from Timbaland, Pharrell, Ludacris and The Neptunes.

His track 'What Part of Forever' was included on the soundtrack to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

In August 2010, Cee-Lo released 'F*ck You!' on YouTube before his planned album release. The song became an instant internet hit and eventually debuted at number one in the UK charts, followed by the release of the album, The Lady Killer.

Cee-Lo has also had success as one half of Gnarls Barkley, with DJ Danger Mouse. They first met in 1998 when Danger Mouse came second in a talent contest and got to open for OutKast and Goodie Mob at a gig in Georgia. Danger Mouse later gave Cee-Lo a mixtape and suggested they work together in the future. It wasn't until Cee-Lo featured in a remix of the Danger Mouse and Jemini song 'What U Sittin' On' that the pair actually worked together. In 2005, they worked together again on the Danger Doom album (MF Doom and Danger Mouse), when Cee-Lo sang on the track 'Benzi Box'.

The debut album from Gnarls Barkley was St. Elsewhere, released in 2006. The track 'Crazy' was a hit in the UK, reaching number one on download sales alone. The track has sold over 3 million copies around the world. The pair's second album, The Odd Couple, was released in 2008.

Cee-Lo went on to work with Jazze Pha, releasing an album entitled Happy Hour. The title track (remixed by Snoop Dogg, Bun B and Tone Tone), as well as 'Disco Bitch', featuring Pussycat Dolls, were both released as singles.

2010 saw Cee-Lo recording a song for the soundtrack of Sex and the City 2, with T-Pain. The track was entitled 'Language of Love'. It was rumoured that he would be appearing on a new Paul Oakenfold album, along with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and One Republic's Ryan Tedder.

Cee-Lo Green: Personal Life

Cee-Lo has two daughters, Sierra and Kalah, from his former marriage to Christina Johnson. He also has a son, Kingston. Sierra appeared in the MTV series My Super Sweet 16.