Ne-Yo tells his story on VH1’s Behind The Music documentary

Ne-Yo opened up on love, life and his emotional journey to the top of the charts on VH1’s documentary Behind the Music.

The self-described “hopeless romantic” also spoke about meeting his soulmate, getting a call from Michael Jackson and performing at the Apollo, with commentary from L.A. Reid, Mario and his family.

While the Closer star sings about living the “Champagne Life” these days, the R&B superstar’s life wasn’t always picturesque.

Shaffer Chimere Smith grew up in Arkansas and witnessed his father abuse his mother. After showcasing his talent at a high school talent show, he joined a boy-band called Envy and moved to L.A. in pursuit of a record deal.

After they disbanded in 2000, a then 20-year-old Ne-Yo focused on songwriting before eventually signing a lucrative deal with Def Jam.

He went on to write hits for super-stars like Beyoncé and Rihanna and went platinum with his 2006 debut In My Own Words.

Ne-Yo said: “I had heard so many different times that what I wanted to do wasn’t good enough, but I stuck to my guns. I gotta do what feels good and this is what feels good.”