By Jay Connor, The Root
As R. Kelly’s air of invincibility continues to erode in the aftermath of the “Surviving R. Kelly” docuseries, Illinois officials have announced that a permit for an upcoming concert hosted by the embattled crooner has been denied.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Illinois Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Denise Albert cited security concerns as the reasoning behind the cancellation. The concert was scheduled to take place on April 6 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
“They had just submitted an application, and unfortunately we can’t control when an organizer begins promoting an event,” said Albert.
Of the 13 IDOA Administrative Code criteria that applicants must meet in order to lease space, Albert said that Kelly’s concert failed to meet the following:
- “The security of both the physical premises and persons upon the premises of the State Fairgrounds”
- “Reasonably foreseeable problems with security caused by either the nature of the usage or the identity of the proposed lessee or his/her patrons”
- “The welfare of the general community”
This serves as the latest blow to the Chicago native’s dwindling legacy, which has been hammered by friends, family (his daughter Buku Abi took to social media to excoriate him as a “monster”), and one-time fans since Lifetime’s disturbing docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” aired.
On Friday, women’s rights activist group UltraViolet even commissioned a plane to fly over Sony Music’s Culver City, Calif. offices demanding the company “drop sexual predator R. Kelly” from its roster of artists.
Thankfully, after nearly 30 years of terror, it looks like the “I Wish” singer’s reign is finally coming to an end.
This article originally appeared in The Root.
