Chuck Willis - American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll singer and songwriter. His biggest hits, "C. C. Rider" and "What Am I Living For", both reached No.1 on the Billboard R&B chart. He was known as The King of the Stroll for his performance of the 1950s dance the stroll. Marvin Junior […]

Rick James - American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, James began his musical career in his teen years. Sadao Watanabe - Japanese jazz musician who plays alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone, and flute. He is known for his bossa nova recordings, although his work encompasses many styles, with collaborations […]

Sonny Stitt - American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Alphonso Jonhnson - American jazz bassist active since the early 1970s. Stan Getz - American jazz saxophonist. Al Mackey - American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He is a former member of The Watts 103rd Rhythm Street Band and Earth, Wind & Fire.  

Dennis Edwards - American soul and R&B singer who was best known as the frontman in The Temptations, on Motown Records. John Handy - American jazz musician most commonly associated with the alto saxophone. Johnny Bristol - American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s […]

Kae Williams - American DJ, record label owner and producer. Florence LaRue -  American singer and actress, best known as an original member of the 5th Dimension.

King Curtis - American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer. A master of the instrument, he played tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone.

Otis Leavill - American R&B singer, songwriter and record company executive. Ron Tyson - First tenor and lead vocalist for the Temptations.  

Barbara Lewis - American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues. Major Harris - American R&B singer, associated with the Philadelphia soul sound and the Delfonics. His biggest hit as a solo artist was the 1975 single "Love Won't Let Me Wait". Carole King - American singer, songwriter, and musician who has […]

Roberta Flack - American singer. She is known for her No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Feel Like Makin' Love"; and "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of her many duets with Donny Hathaway. Smiley Culture - British […]

D'Angelo - American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is associated with the neo soul movement, along with artists like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, and collaborator Angie Stone. Rochelle Fleming - Lead singer from disco group, First Choice. Brandy - American singer, songwriter, model, and actress. Leon Haywood - American funk and soul […]

Clarence Reid - American musician, songwriter and producer, also known by the stage name and alternate persona Blowfly. Maceo Parker - American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s and Prince in the 2000s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of […]

Alvin Cash - American pop singer and actor. Brian Holland - American songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Holland–Dozier–Holland, the songwriting and production team that was responsible for much of the Motown sound, Melissa Manchester - American singer, songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been carried by adult […]

Bill Doggett - American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist. Ted Taylor - American R&B and soul singer. James Ingram - American singer, songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist. Leon Ware - American songwriter, producer, composer, and singer. Marvin Sease - American blues and soul singer-songwriter known for his gospel-infused vocal style and erotic […]

Bobby Taylor - Lead singer from Canadian soul band Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Irma Thomas - American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Randy Crawford - Veronica "Randy" Crawford is an American jazz and R&B singer.  

Nina Simone - American singer, songwriter, musician, arranger, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel and pop. Jose Bertrami - Keyboardist for the Brazilian trio Azymuth Herbie Goins - American rhythm & blues singer. He worked mainly in England in the 1960s, notably with Alexis Korner and […]

Ernie K. Doe - American rhythm-and-blues singer best known for his 1961 hit single "Mother-in-Law", which went to number 1 on the Billboard pop chart in the U.S. Harvey Mason - American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. Diane Charlemagne - British jazz, soul, funk and electronic dance music singer and […]

Hall Overton - American composer, jazz pianist and music teacher. He was born in Bangor, Michigan, the first of the three sons of Stanford and Ruth Overton. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Foster Sylvers - American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for being a member of the family act The Sylvers and his hit single "Misdemeanor".

Barbara Acklin -  American soul singer and songwriter, who was most successful in the 1960s and 1970s. General Crook - American soul musician. Crook was raised in Greenville, Mississippi, and moved to Chicago, Illinois, when he was 17. In 1969 he signed with Capitol Records, recording with an early version of Earth, Wind and Fire. […]

Oliver Sain - American saxophonist, songwriter, bandleader, drummer and record producer, who was an important figure in the development of rhythm and blues music, notably in St Louis, Missouri.

Lawrence Payton - American tenor, songwriter, vocal arranger, musician, and record producer for the popular Motown quartet, the Four Tops. Larry Carlton - American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts such as Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. Bobby Eli - American musician, arranger, composer and […]

Junior Parker - American Memphis blues singer and musician. He is best remembered for his voice which has been described as "honeyed" and "velvet-smooth". One music journalist noted, "For years Junior Parker deserted downhome harmonica blues for uptown blues-soul music".

Bobby Womack - American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Miriam Makeba - South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist.