Charles Drain - American singer. Marlo Henderson - American guitarist and saxophonist, who played in mainly blues and R&B genres. As a session musician he played on albums such as Off the Wall by Michael Jackson, Them Changes by Buddy Miles, Face to Face by Evelyn "Champagne" King, I Am. He also played on the […]
Nelson Riddle - Â American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s.
Jimmy Jones - American singer-songwriter who moved to New York City while a teenager. According to Allmusic journalist Steve Huey, "best known for his 1960 R&B smash, 'Handy Man,' Jones sang in a smooth yet soulful falsetto modeled on the likes of Clyde McPhatter and Sam Cooke." Lee Andrews - Â Lead singer of the Philadelphia […]
Leroy Hutson - American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist, best known as former lead singer of R&B vocal group The Impressions. His music concerns '70s soul, as noted in the June 29, 2006 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. He is the father of producer JR Hutson. El Debarge - American singer-songwriter, […]
Ronnie Dyson - American soul and R&B singer and actor. Kenny G - American smooth jazz saxophonist. His 1986 album Duotones brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75 million records. Brian McKnight - American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and […]
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 - Â 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 […]
Marvin Smity Smith - Â American jazz drummer and composer. Marvin Smith was born in Waukegan, Illinois, where his father, Marvin Sr., was a drummer. "Smitty" was exposed to music at a young age, receiving formal musical training at the age of three.
Eddie Floyd - American soul-R&B singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s including the No. 1 R&B hit song "Knock on Wood". Mel Waiters - Â American R&B singer born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, United States. In the early 1970s, he began singing […]
Dave Grusin - American composer, arranger, producer, and pianist. He has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy Award and ten Grammy Awards. He is the co-founder of GRP Records. Billy Davis Jr. - American musician, best known as a […]
Jimmy Munday - American jazz tenor saxophonist, arranger, and composer, best known for his arrangements for Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Earl Hines. Joe "Fox" Smith - American jazz trumpeter.
Little Eva - American pop singer. Although some sources claim that her stage name was inspired by a character from the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, she stated in an interview that she was named after her aunt, which prompted her family to call her "Little Eva".
Florence Ballard - American singer and a founding member of the Motown vocal female group the Supremes. She sang on 16 top 40 singles with the group, including ten number-one hits. Ronald Winans - American Gospel singer who gained fame as a member of The Winans. Stanley Clarke - American bassist, film composer and founding […]
Bobby Day - American rock and roll and R&B singer, multi instrumentalist, music producer and songwriter. He is best known for his hit record "Rockin' Robin", written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas. Syl Johnson - American blues and soul singer and record producer. Andre Couch - American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record […]
Ahmad Jamal - American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and educator. For six decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. Paul Williams (The Temptations) - American baritone singer and choreographer. Williams was noted for being one of the founding members and original lead singer of the Motown group The Temptations. […]
