Ne-Yo Age, Height, Ex-Wife & Biography

Ne-Yo is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and dancer who first became famous as a songwriter before launching a successful career as a recording artist. Born in Arkansas in 1979, he wrote the hit Let Me Love You for Mario and Irreplaceable for Beyoncé before releasing his own debut album in 2006. His smooth voice and polished songwriting have made him one of the most successful R&B artists of his generation, with three Grammy Awards to his name.

Quick Facts

Who Is Ne-Yo?

Ne-Yo is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer known for his smooth voice, his fedora and his polished R&B songs. He is best known for the hits So Sick, Closer, Miss Independent and Mad, and for writing songs for other stars, including Irreplaceable for Beyoncé and So Sick for himself. He has won three Grammy Awards and has sold millions of records worldwide.

Ne-Yo has also worked in television, serving as a judge on the NBC dance competition World of Dance from 2017 to 2020, and he has acted in films. He is known for his stage name, which was inspired by the character Neo from the film The Matrix, and for his songwriting, which has shaped the sound of modern R&B.

Early Life & Background

Ne-Yo was born Shaffer Chimere Smith on 18 October 1979 in Camden, Arkansas. He was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, by his mother, and he began writing songs as a teenager. While still at school he joined the R&B group Envy, and he later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a songwriter.

His breakthrough as a songwriter came in 2004, when he wrote Let Me Love You for the singer Mario. The song spent nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and brought Ne-Yo to the attention of record labels. He signed to Def Jam Recordings and released his debut album, In My Own Words, in 2006.

Career

Ne-Yo’s debut album, In My Own Words, was released in 2006 and reached number one in the United States, driven by the single So Sick, which also topped the Billboard Hot 100. He followed it with Because of You in 2007, which won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2008, and Year of the Gentleman in 2008, featuring the hits Closer and Miss Independent.

Miss Independent won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2009, and the song also won Best R&B Song. Ne-Yo continued to release albums, including Libra Scale in 2010, R.E.D. in 2012, Non-Fiction in 2015, Good Man in 2018 and Self Explanatory in 2022. He also continued to write songs for other artists, including Take a Bow for Rihanna.

Ne-Yo served as a judge on the NBC dance competition World of Dance from 2017 to 2020, alongside Jennifer Lopez and Derek Hough, and he has continued to tour and record. He was married to Crystal Renay from 2016 to 2023, and he is the father of seven children. His songwriting for artists such as Beyoncé and Rihanna has left a lasting mark on popular music, and he remains one of the most respected figures in R&B.

Facts About Ne-Yo

• He wrote Let Me Love You for Mario, which spent nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• He wrote Irreplaceable for Beyoncé, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks.
• Because of You won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2008.
• Miss Independent won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2009.
• He served as a judge on the NBC dance competition World of Dance from 2017 to 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions