CeeLo Green

**Thomas DeCarlo Callaway** (born May 30, 1975),[1] better known by his stage name **CeeLo Green** (sometimes rendered as **Cee Lo Green** or **Cee-Lo Green**), is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman.

Green came to initial prominence as a member of the southern hip hop group Goodie Mob and later as part of the soul duo Gnarls Barkley, with record producer Danger Mouse. Subsequently he embarked on a solo career, partially spurred by YouTube popularity.[2]

Internationally, Green is best known for his soul work: his most popular was Gnarls Barkley's 2006 worldwide hit "Crazy", which reached number 1 in various singles charts worldwide, including the UK. In the United States, "Crazy" reached number two on the *Billboard* Hot 100. Its parent album *St. Elsewhere* (2006), was also a hit, peaked at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and number 4 on the US*Billboard* 200 albums chart. Gnarls Barkley's second album, *The Odd Couple* (2008), charted at number 12 on the *Billboard* 200.

In 2010, Green took a hiatus from working with Danger Mouse, and released a solo single titled "Fuck You!", on August 19. The song became a successful single, with the radio-edit version "Forget You", reaching the top spot in the UK and the Netherlands and peaked at number 2 on the US *Billboard* Hot 100. Its parent album, *The Lady Killer* (2010), saw similar success, peaking within the top five of the UK Albums Chart and debuting within the top 10 on the *Billboard* 200 albums chart, receiving a Gold certification from the BPI in the UK. His next two singles, "It's OK" and "Bright Lights Bigger City" were also hits in Europe. From 2011 to 2014, Green was a judge and coach on American reality television singing competition *The Voice*, appearing on four of its seasons.[a] In 2013, Green reunited with the rest of Goodie Mob, to release their fifth studio album *Age Against the Machine*.

He has ventured into work as a voice actor in the animated feature *Hotel Transylvania* (2012) and also made appearances in a few television programs and films, including his own show *The Good Life* on TBS. Green has endorsed 7 Up, Duracell, M&M’s and sakebrand TY KU. His work has earned numerous awards and accolades, including five Grammy Awards, a BET Award, a Billboard Award and a Brit Award.

==Early life==

At the time of his mother's death, Green's career with [[Goodie Mob]] had just begun taking off. He sank into a deep [[clinical depression|depression]], which he later wrote about in various songs throughout his career, including "Free" by Goodie Mob, "Just a Thought" on ''[[St. Elsewhere (album)|St. Elsewhere]]'', and "She Knows" and "A Little Better" on ''[[The Odd Couple (album)|The Odd Couple]]''.<ref name=nytimes040608/><ref>rollingstone.com

[http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/gnarlsbarkley/articles/story/11123198/gnarls\_barkley\_the\_summers\_weirdest\_breakthrough "The Acid Nerd Gangsters"] (reprint of an interview originally published in ''[[Rolling Stone]]''), published August 9, 2006</ref> Green also wrote about his mother in the song "Guess Who" from Goodie Mob's album ''[[Soul Food (Goodie Mob album)|Soul Food]]''. In an excerpt of ''CeeLo Distilled'', a documentary produced by [[Absolut]] and [[The Fader]], Green explained that his mother's death was a defining moment that led him toward "crossing that threshold over into a career".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSn7LeJ0-Jo Cee Lo Distilled Part 1], YouTube Mini Documentary released June 24, 2011.</ref>

==Music career==

===1991–1998: Early career with Goodie Mob===

Goodie Mob released their debut album, ''[[Soul Food (Goodie Mob album)|Soul Food]]'', in 1995. The album received much critical praise as a pioneering record for the emerging [[Southern rap]] scene. It featured a distinctive soulful southern sound by production team [[Organized Noize]].

===1999–2003: Move to Arista===

In around 1999, during the making of the album ''World Party'', Green left the group to pursue a solo career under [[Arista Records|Arista]] and the remaining members continued to perform together under the Goodie Mob name with [[Koch Records]]. They did however collaborate in combinations in the [[Dungeon Family]] album ''[[Even in Darkness]]''.

The song "Hold On" from [[Big Boi]] of [[OutKast]]'s ''[[Got Purp? Vol. 2]]'' album was the first newly recorded Goodie Mob song with all four members since ''World Party''. ([[Khujo]] later revealed to fans at an album signing{{Or|date=January 2012}} for his new album "Mercury", that the song "Hold On" was originally recorded in 1995 before ''[[Soul Food (Goodie Mob album)|Soul Food]]'' was released.)

Green was one of ten guest musicians who contributed to the 1999 [[Santana (band)|Santana]] album ''[[Supernatural (Santana album)|Supernatural]]''. [[Lauryn Hill]] wrote "Do You Like The Way," and she and Green both provided lead vocals.

Green's Arista career was short-lived, as he was dropped after two albums due to low record sales. His first album, ''[[Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections]]'' (2002), was heavily in the vein of various other Dungeon Family releases, with southern soul/funk/jazz backings produced by Green and boasting appearances by fellow Dungeon Fam members [[Big Gipp]] and [[Dungeon Family#Backbone|Backbone]]. The album did not sell very well, but Green achieved some airplay with the single "Closet Freak".

===2004–2008: Second solo album and formation of Gnarls Barkley===

[[File:Gnarls Barkley.jpg|thumb|right|Green (front) with Danger Mouse (back)]]

===2009–2011: ''The Lady Killer'' and tours===

Green toured during 2010 and 2011 with an [[all-female band|all-female]] [[backing band]] named "[[Scarlet Fever (band)|Scarlet Fever]]" (made up of [[Sharon Aguilar]], [[Brittany Brooks]], [[Theresa Flaminio]], and [[Regina Zernay Roberts]]), performing for

''[[Taratata]]'',<ref name="2010Sep21">

{{cite web

 |url=http://video.mytaratata.com/video/iLyROoafZxh2.html

 |title=Taratata N°369

 |date=September 21, 2010

 |publisher=Air Productions

 |work=Taratata

 |accessdate=April 1, 2011

}}</ref>

the [[BBC]],<ref name="2010Sep25">

{{cite web

 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00twvpy

 |title=Live from Wembley Arena

 |date=September 25, 2010

 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]

 |work=1Xtra

 |accessdate=March 4, 2011

}}</ref><ref name=2010Oct06>

{{cite web

 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00v8rs8

 |title=Series 37, Episode 4

 |date=October 8, 2010

 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]

 |work=Later... with Jools Holland

 |accessdate=March 1, 2011

}}</ref><ref name="2010Oct26">

{{cite web

 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vfhph

 |title=Cee-Lo Green Session

 |date=October 26, 2010

 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]

 |work=1Xtra

 |accessdate=February 14, 2011

}}</ref><ref name="2010Nov03">

{{cite web

 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/sessions/2010-11-03\_ceelo

 |title=Cee Lo in the Live Lounge

 |date=November 3, 2010

 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]

 |work=Live Lounge

 |accessdate=February 14, 2011

}}</ref>

''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'',<ref name="2010Nov08">

{{cite web

 |url=http://www.tv.com/late-show-with-david-letterman/late-show-with-david-letterman-11-08-2010/episode/1362973/summary.html

 |title=Late Show with David Letterman

 |date=November 8, 2010

 |accessdate=February 14, 2011

}}</ref>

W's ''Symmetry Live Concert Series'',<ref name="2010Nov11spin">

{{cite journal

 |url=http://www.spin.com/articles/cee-lo-rocks-some-nasty-sht-new-york-city-party

 |title=Cee-Lo Rocks Some Nasty Sh\*t at New York City Party

 |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]

 |last=Goodman

 |first=Lizzy

 |date=November 12, 2010

 |accessdate=January 27, 2011

}}</ref><ref>

{{cite journal

 |url=http://www.rap-up.com/2010/11/12/cee-lo-green-lights-up-new-york-city/

 |title=Cee Lo Green lights up New York City

 |journal=[[Rap-Up]]

 |last=D. O’Garro

 |first=Felicia

 |date=November 12, 2010

 |accessdate=January 27, 2011

}}</ref>

''[[Saturday Night Live]]'',<ref name="2011Jan15">

{{cite web

 |url=http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/episodes/#vid=1270113/?\_\_source=recent-eps-module

 |title=Gwyneth Paltrow hosts Saturday Night Live with musical guest Cee Lo Green!

 |date=January 15, 2011

 |publisher=[[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]]

 |work=Saturday Night Live

 |accessdate=February 14, 2011

}}</ref><ref name="2011Jan15omg">

{{cite web

 |url=http://omg.yahoo.com/news/gwyneth-paltrow-cee-lo-green-are-game-for-anything-on-saturday-night-live/54348

 |title=Gwyneth Paltrow & Cee Lo Green Are Game for Anything on 'Saturday Night Live'

 |first=Valerie

 |last=David

 |date=January 18, 2011

 |accessdate=February 14, 2011

}}</ref>

the ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'' special show following the [[Academy Awards]],<ref name="2011Feb27">

{{cite journal

 |url=http://www.rap-up.com/2011/02/28/video-cee-lo-green-lights-up-jimmy-kimmel-live/

 |title=Video: Cee Lo Green Lights Up 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

 |publisher=[[Rap-Up]]

 |date=February 28, 2011

 |accessdate=February 28, 2011

}}</ref>

and many other venues.

Green also performed "Forget You", a sanitized version of his hit "Fuck You", with [[Gwyneth Paltrow]] and several puppets provided by [[The Jim Henson Company]] at the [[53rd Annual Grammy Awards]] on February 13, 2011. His performance was in part an homage to [[Elton John]], who wore a very similar costume in a Muppet show performance in 1977.<ref>

{{cite news

 |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749\_162-20031723-10391698.html

 |title=Cee Lo Green Takes Flight With Gwyneth Paltrow and The Muppets

 |date=February 13, 2011

 |publisher=[[CBS News]]

 |work=Celebrity Circuit

 |accessdate=February 14, 2011

 |deadurl=yes

}} {{Dead link|date=April 2014|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref>

At the [[2011 BRIT Awards]] two days later, he was joined by British vocalist Joelle Bennett in another duet of "Fuck You".<ref>

{{cite web

 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/12478297

 |title=Brit awards 2011: Stars walk the red carpet at O2 Arena

 |date=February 16, 2011

 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]

 |work=Newsbeat

 |accessdate=April 6, 2011

}}</ref><ref>

{{cite web

 |url=http://www.palomafaith.com/gb/news/article/wow\_at\_paloma\_cee\_lo/

 |title=WOW! At Paloma &amp; Cee-Lo

 |date=February 16, 2011

 |accessdate=April 1, 2011

}}</ref>

===2012–present: Upcoming works and autobiography===

==Acting career==

Green, along with the rest of the Goodie Mob, had a cameo in the 1999 film ''[[Mystery Men]]'' as a member of the Not So Goodie Mob, in which he was credited as "Thomas Burton aka Cee lo". He also has done voice acting work, voicing Prime Cut Miggity-Mo' Macdaddy Gizzabang Doggy Dog Dog on the ''[[The Brak Show|Brak Show]]'' episode "Brakstreet" in 2002, Frank and Buddy Z ''[[Class of 3000]]'''s Christmas special and as Godzilla in the ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' episode "Squaw Bury Shortcake" in 2007, and Rev. Rollo Goodlove in the ''[[The Boondocks (TV series)|Boondocks]]'' episodes "The S-Word" and "The Hunger Strike" in 2008. In 2010, he appeared in [[T-Pain]]'s ''[[Freaknik: The Musical]]'' as Light Skin.

==Other ventures==

==Personal life==

==Controversies==

On September 10, 2013 Green's appearance on [[Sirius Satellite Radio|Sirius Radio]]'s ''[[Opie and Anthony|The Opie and Anthony Show]]'' was cancelled due to the singer's failure to arrive on time. Green was told on arrival that he should leave the studio or he would be escorted from the building.

==Discography==

{{Main|CeeLo Green discography}}

{{see also|Goodie Mob discography|Gnarls Barkley discography}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

; Studio albums

\* ''[[Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections]]'' (2002)

\* ''[[Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine]]'' (2004)

\* ''[[The Lady Killer (album)|The Lady Killer]]'' (2010)

\* ''[[Cee Lo's Magic Moment]]'' (2012)

\* ''TV on the Radio'' (2015)

\* ''Girl Power'' (TBA)

; Mixtapes

\* ''Stray Bullets'' (2010)

==Awards and nominations==

{{See also|List of awards and nominations received by CeeLo Green}}