Gil Scott Heron - American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. Jimmy Cliff - Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor.
Marvin Gaye - American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, earning him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul".
Phillipe Wynne - American singer. Best known for his role as a lead singer of The Spinners. Wynne scored notable hits such as "How Could I Let You Get Away", "The Rubberband Man", and "One of a Kind". Jimmy McGriff - American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Eddie Murphy - American […]
Hugh Masekela - South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Jill Scott - American singer-songwriter, model, poet and actress. Her 2000 debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, went platinum, and the follow-ups Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 […]
Tony Williams - Lead singer of the Platters from 1953 to 1960. Nicholas Caldwell - American singer and musician, and original member of R&B vocal group The Whispers.
Donald Myrick - American saxophonist. He played alto, tenor and soprano sax and was a member of Earth, Wind & Fire's original horn section, The Phenix Horns Esq. from 1975 through 1982. Previously, Myrick had been a member of the musical group The Pharaohs. Richard "Popcorn" Wylie - American pianist, bandleader, songwriter, occasional singer, and […]
Billie Holiday - American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop singing. Ron Kersey - American keyboardist, songwriter, producer and arranger most known for writing the music to "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps. Freddie Hubbard - […]
Deke Richards - American songwriter and record producer who was affiliated with Motown. He was a member of both The Clan and The Corporation, the latter a production team that wrote and produced some of The Jackson 5's early hits.
Steve Gadd - American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the most well-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1984.
Babyface - American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has written and produced over 26 number-one R&B hits throughout his career and has won 12 Grammy Awards. He was ranked number 20 on NME's 50 of The Greatest Producers Ever list. Bobby Smith - American R&B singer notable as the principal lead singer of the […]
Jimmy Lewis - American double bassist who worked with the Count Basie Orchestra and sextet in the 1950s and with Duke Ellington, Cootie Williams, Billie Holiday and Ivory Joe Hunter before moving to bass guitar during his time with King Curtis. He provided the basslines for the musical Hair. Cleotha Staples - Founding member of […]
Herbie Hancock - American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer, and actor.
