Background and career
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway-Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green or simply Cee-Lo), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he gained initial prominence as a member of the Southern hip-hop group Goodie Mob in 1991. After three albums with the group, Green signed with Arista Records to release his solo albums Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections (2002) and Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine (2004). He is known for his soul-infused delivery in hip-hop and R&B, displayed in his signature song "Crazy" (with Danger Mouse as "Gnarls Barkley") and his solo single "Fuck You". Green formed Gnarls Barkley, a collaborative duo with record producer Danger Mouse, in 2003. Their 2006 single, "Crazy", peaked within the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and UK singles chart, as well as 18 other international charts; it preceded the duo's debut album, St. Elsewhere (2006), which was followed by their second album, The Odd Couple (2008).
In 2010, Green resumed his solo career with his funk-inspired third album The Lady Killer, which spawned his biggest solo hit, "Fuck You" (more commonly censored as "Forget You"). The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, entered the top ten of 13 countries, and won Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. He has since released three further solo albums: Cee Lo's Magic Moment (2012), Heart Blanche (2015), and CeeLo Green Is Thomas Callaway (2020), as well as two reunion albums with Goodie Mob: Age Against the Machine (2013) and Survival Kit (2020). From 2011 to 2013, Green was a judge and coach on the American reality television competition The Voice, appearing on four of its seasons. He voiced Murray the Mummy in the 2012 animated feature film Hotel Transylvania, and also appeared in numerous television programs and films including his own short-lived series, CeeLo Green's The Good Life on TBS. Green has appeared in various commercials, including for 7 Up, Duracell, M&M's, and sake brand TYKU.
His work has earned a number of accolades, including five Grammy Awards, a BET Award, a Billboard Music Award, and a Brit Award.
Green was born on May 30, 1975, in Atlanta, Georgia. Both of his parents were firefighters. His father died when Green was two years old. He attended Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia. Green's mother was paralyzed in a car crash when Green was 16 and died in 1993 when Green was 18. Green started his music career in church. At the time of his mother's death, Green's career with Goodie Mob had just taken off. He subsequently struggled with suicidal thoughts, which Green later wrote about in various songs throughout his career, including Goodie Mob's "Free" and Gnarls Barkley's "Just a Thought". He would specifically address the deaths of his parents in "She Knows" and "A Little Better", from Gnarls Barkley's The Odd Couple (2008), and "Guess Who", from Goodie Mob's Soul Food (1995). In an excerpt of CeeLo Distilled, a documentary produced by Absolut and the Fader, Green explained that his mother's death led him toward "crossing that threshold over into a career".
How CeeLo Green makes money
After three albums with the group, Green signed with Arista Records to release his solo albums Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections (2002) and Cee-Lo Green... Green has appeared in various commercials, including for 7 Up, Duracell, M&M's, and sake brand TYKU.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth, in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
