Nikki Giovanni - American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Billy Butler - American soul singer and songwriter active in the 1960s and 1970s. Prince - American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actor, and director. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, he worked across multiple genres and often played most or all […]

Boz Scaggs - American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He became prominent for his series of albums in the late 1970s, and songs "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown" from Silk Degrees, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Scaggs continues to write, record music, and tour. Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins - Former singer with 1950s and […]

Jackie Wilson -  American soul singer and performer. A tenor with a four-octave range, Wilson was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Kenny Barron - American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz […]

Shirley Alston - American soul singer who was the main lead singer of the hit girl group the Shirelles. In addition to Owens, the Shirelles consisted of classmates of hers from Passaic High School, New Jersey: Doris Kenner Jackson, Addie "Micki" Harris McPhadden and Beverly Lee.

Pretty Purdie - American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul, funk, and jazz musician. He is known for his precise musical time keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie Shuffle." He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013. Glenn Leonard - American R&B and soul […]

Eban Brown - Lead singer of R&B group, The Stylistics. Marcus Miller - American film composer, jazz composer, record producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a bassist. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, among others.

Errol Garner - American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad "Misty", has become a jazz standard. Scott Yanow of Allmusic calls him "one of the most distinctive of all pianists" and a "brilliant virtuoso." Eddie Hinton - American songwriter and session musician, best known for […]

Lamont Dozier - Singer, songwriter, and producer that hails from Detroit, Michigan. Eddie Levert - American singer–songwriter and actor. Levert is best known as the lead vocalist of The O'Jays. He is the father of Gerald Levert. Ivan Lins - Latin Grammy-winning Brazilian musician. He has been an active performer and songwriter of Brazilian popular […]

Jerome Smith - American guitarist at TK Records in Miami, Florida, who was a member of KC and the Sunshine Band from their inception in 1973 until his death in 2000.

Brenda Holloway - American singer and songwriter, who was a recording artist for Motown Records during the 1960s. Her best-known recordings are the soul hits, "Every Little Bit Hurts", "When I'm Gone", and "You've Made Me So Very Happy." Deodato - Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger, and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been […]

Ruby Turner - British Jamaican R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and actress. In a music career spanning more than 30 years, Turner is best known for her album and single releases in Europe and North America. Verne Allison - Second tenor & background vocalist for American R&B vocal group, The Dells. The Dells were an […]

Lee John - British musician, singer, and actor of St Lucian descent. He was born in Hackney, London, and educated in New York City, later studying drama at the Anna Scher Theatre School. Rosetta Hightower - American singer, and the lead singer of the 1960s girl group The Orlons. She was born in Philadelphia. Anthony […]