Happy birthday, Ne-Yo! The singer is celebrating his special day today and to kick off the festivities, let's take a look at his personal life, and his earnings, and find out how he became one of the most sought-after musicians of his generation.
Born Shaffer Chimere Smith on October 18, 1979, in Camden, Arkansas, the R&B singer is now 44 years old! The singer grew up being surrounded by his talented parents as both of his father and mother were musicians back in the day.
Unfortunately, his parents separated at a young age so his mother was the one who took care of him. They later moved from their small town to the big city of Las Vegas, Nevada.
An amazing night for an amazing cause. Great work @michaelrubin and @REFORM! 📸: @shareifz pic.twitter.com/uux5v8yryq
— NE-YO (@NeYoCompound) October 1, 2023
Ne-Yo Career Beginnings, Net Worth
Later in life, Ne-Yo studied at the Las Vegas Academy, and at the time, he used the stage name "GoGo." He found his rhythm in music and joined a group called Envy. They made it big as they were able to appear on television programs, but the group decided to disband in 2000.
Despite the group being separated, the R&B star went on to have a successful career as a solo musician and a producer named Big D Evans gave him the stage name Ne-Yo, derived from the character Neo from the movie "the Matrix."
In 2006, Ne-Yo went on to release his first album ever titled "In My Own Words" under Def Jam and he was able to gain traction from millions of fans from around the globe.
READ ALSO: Real Reason Why Ne-Yo's Ex-Fiancee Broke Up With Him Revealed
Since then, the singer has been known for his songs like "Because of You," "So Sick," "Sexy Love," "Miss Independent," and many more.
Ne-Yo has been working in the music industry for decades now and as of 2023, his estimated fortune is worth up to a whopping $9 million. (via Sportskeeda)
Ne-Yo Declared as the Legal Father of Youngest Children
In other updates about the singer, as of September 2023, the musician was declared as the legal father of his two youngest children with his new kids named Braiden and Brixton.
According to a news outlet, a judge found that it was best if the singer was declared as the natural and biological father of the kids, and since the label was changed, every right and privilege are applicable to them under the law.
In addition, the two kids' last names will be changed from Bagnerise to Smith since it's the singer's legal name.
Prior to his relationship with his current girlfriend, Sade, the singer's ex-partner, Crystal, filed for divorce last year. They had three children together named Isabella, Shaffer, and Roman.
READ MORE: Ne-Yo Gives 'Advice' To Parents Those With Kids Having Gender Identity And Social Media Is Divided
