Famous Black Singers a to z

Signed to a recording contract at the age of 12, Aaliyah became an overnight R&B sensation. At the height of her stardom, a fatal plane crash ended her life.

Marian Anderson was an African American singer, one of the finest contraltos of her time, and recipient of the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor known for his work as part of the hip-hop duo OutKast.

Louis Armstrong was a trumpeter, bandleader, singer, soloist, film star and comedian. Considered one of the most influential artists in jazz history, he is known for songs like "Star Dust," "La Via En Rose" and "What a Wonderful World."

Tichina Arnold is best known for portraying Pam James, opposite Martin Lawrence, on the sitcom Martin and Rochelle on the show Everybody Hates Chris.

Ashanti is best known for adding her R&B vocals to hit songs by popular rappers, including Fat Joe's "What's Luv" and Ja Rule's "Down 4 U."

Josephine Baker was a dancer and singer who became wildly popular in France during the 1920s. She also devoted much of her life to fighting racism.

American singer LaVern Baker helped pioneer the R&B sound in the 1950s and released multiple hits with Atlantic Records, including the famous "Tweedle Dee."

Singer Florence Ballard formed The Supremes in 1961 with childhood friends Mary Wilson and Diana Ross. She sang on 16 different Top 40 hits.

Lead Belly was a folk-blues singer, songwriter and guitarist whose ability to perform a vast repertoire of songs and notoriously violent life made him a legend.

Chuck Berry was one of the most popular and influential performers of rhythm-and-blues and rock 'n' roll music during the 1950s, '60s and '70s. He's known for songs like "Johnny B. Goode" and "My Ding-a-Ling."

"Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" Mary J. Blige has influenced a generation of artists with hits like "Real Love" and "Be Without You." She has also had a successful acting career, including playing Betty Shabazz in the TV movie Betty & Coretta.

R&B singer Brandy rose to fame as a 15-year-old with her No. 1 hit, "I Wanna Be Down."

Singer Bobby Brown, known for hits including "Don't Be Cruel" and "Humpin' Around," is also famous for his troubled marriage to Whitney Houston.

Blues Singer Charles Brown belonged to John Moore’s Three Blazers and gained fame when the band released “Driftin’ Blues.”

Chris Brown is a Grammy Award-winning R&B and dance music entertainer who has pleaded guilty to assaulting former girlfriend Rihanna.

Chuck Brown, known as the "Godfather of Go-Go," played with Jerry Butler and The Earls of Rhythm in the early 1960s, and later joined Latin-American band Los Latinos. His hit songs include "I Need Some Money" and "Bustin' Loose."

James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," was a prolific singer, songwriter and bandleader, as well as one of the most iconic figures in funk and soul music from 1956 to 2006.

Rebbie Jackson is the eldest child of the famous Jackson musical family and has had a long career as a R&B solo artist.

Rhythm and blues singer Ruth Brown signed with Atlantic Records at a young age and recorded a number of hit songs throughout the 1950s.

American mezzo-soprano and soprano Grace Bumbry is considered one of the leading opera singers of her generation.

Solomon Burke was an African-American soul singer who released a number of hits in the 1960s, including "Cry to Me" and "Got to Get You off My Mind."

Jazz singer and dancer Cab Calloway performed in Harlem’s Cotton Club in the 1930s. He also appeared on stage and in films, such as 1979’s The Blues Brothers.

With hits such as "Vision of Love" and "I Don't Wanna Cry," pop diva Mariah Carey holds the record for most No. 1 debuts in Billboard Hot 100 history.

Ray Charles was a pioneer of soul music, integrating R&B, gospel, pop and country to creat hits like "Unchain My Heart," "Hit the Road Jack" and "Georgia on My Mind." A blind genius, he is considered one of the greatest artists of all time.

Chubby Checker was an early rock 'n' roller who had a hit with the song and dance sensation, "The Twist."

Nat King Cole became the first African-American performer to host a variety TV series in 1956. He's best known for his soft baritone voice and for singles like "The Christmas Song," "Mona Lisa" and "Nature Boy."

Actress and singer Zendaya Coleman first came to fame in 2010 as one of the stars of the television comedy Shake It Up.

Sam Cooke, commonly known as the King of Soul, was an African-American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer and songwriter. He had 29 top-40 hits from 1957-1964.

Dorothy Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for best actress.

Sammy Davis Jr. was an actor, comedian, singer and dancer, and part of the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, with whom he starred in several films.

American singer and pianist Fats Domino was a rhythm-and-blues star who became one of the first rock-and-roll stars and who helped define the New Orleans sound.

Missy Elliott is a Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist. A rapper and producer, she won the BET Award for best female hip-hop artist numerous times.

Ella Fitzgerald, known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist who interpreted much of the Great American Songbook.

Roberta Flack is a Grammy-winning singer and pianist known for hits like “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”

Multiple Grammy winner and "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin is known for such hits as "Respect," "Freeway of Love" and "I Say a Little Prayer."

Marvin Gaye was a soul singer-songwriter with Motown in the 1960s and 1970s. He produced his own records and often addressed controversial themes.

A jazz trumpeter and composer, Dizzy Gillespie played with Charlie Parker and developed the music known as "bebop." His best-known compositions include "Oop Bob Sh' Bam," "Groovin' High," "Salt Peanuts" and "A Night in Tunisia."

Al Green is known for the hit song "Let's Stay Together," and for leaving his musical career at its height in the 1970s to become a reverend at his own church.

Adelaide Hall was an American-born jazz singer whose improvisational wordless rhythms ushered in what became known as scat.

Richie Havens was an American folk singer who opened the 1969 Woodstock Festival, and covered numerous pop and folk songs over his long career.

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was a blues/soul singer known for his over-the-top theatricality and the hit “I Put a Spell on You.”

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Jimi Hendrix delighted audiences in the 1960s with his outrageous electric guitar playing skills and his experimental sound.

When singer, songwriter and actress Lauryn Hill released her solo debut album, she became the first woman or hip-hop artist to win five Grammy Awards.

Billie Holiday was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time. She had a thriving career for many years before she lost her battle with addiction.

Actress and singer Lena Horne was one of the most popular performers of her time, known for films such as The Wiz and her trademark song, "Stormy Weather."

Whitney Houston was an American singer and actress whose first four albums, released between 1985 and 1992, amassed global sales in excess of 86 million copies.

Brittany Howard is the lead singer for the popular rock group Alabama Shakes.

Howlin’ Wolf was a singer and musician famous for his Mississippi Delta style blues singing, guitar and harmonica playing, which he performed in Chicago clubs.

Jennifer Hudson is an Oscar and Grammy-winning actress and singer known for roles in Dreamgirls and Sex and the City.

Jackie Jackson was the oldest member of the group Jackson 5, which included his four brothers Michael, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon Jackson.

The younger sister of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson is one of the best-selling artists in contemporary history. Her albums include Control and Rhythym Nation.

Jermaine Jackson was a member of the Jackson 5 music group and brother to Michael Jackson.

20th century recording artist Mahalia Jackson, known as the Queen of Gospel, is revered as one of the greatest musical figures in U.S. history.

Marlon Jackson scored platinum records singing with his famous family, including little brother Michael. The Jackson 5 was one of Motown's biggest acts.

Singer-songwriter Michael Jackson's award-winning career as the King of Pop transformed the face of pop music and popular culture. He released the best-selling album in history, Thriller, in 1982. He died unexpectedly in 2009.

Record producer and musician Randy Jackson is notable mostly as a judge on the talent-search TV show American Idol

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Singer and musician Randy Jackson came to fame as a member of the Jacksons, a hit R&B and pop group of the 1970s and '80s.

T.J. Jackson began performing with the group 3T in the 1990s. In 2012, he won temporary guardianship of his cousins Prince Jackson, Paris Jackson and Blanket Jackson.

Etta James is a Grammy Award-winning singer known for hit songs like "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "At Last."

African American musician Rick James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and is best known for hits such as "Super Freak", "Mary Jane" and "You and I".

Lonnie Johnson was a musician, singer and songwriter, and one of the first major blues and jazz guitarists. His innovative style has influenced many blues, jazz and rock musicians.

Musician Robert Johnson is best known as one of the greatest blues performers of all time, a recognition that came largely after his death at age 27.

R. Kelly is a popular American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer best known for his gospel-tinged vocals and highly sexualized lyrics.

Alicia Keys is a multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter whose debut album, Songs in A Minor, went platinum five times over.

"King of the Blues" B.B. King began as a disc jockey in Memphis before finding fame as an R&B guitarist, with hits like "The Thrill Is Gone."

Singer Gladys Knight has given voice to multiple R&B hits (with and without her Pips), including "Midnight Train to Georgia."

Beyoncé Knowles is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning recording artist who's acclaimed for her thrilling vocals, videos and live shows.

Grammy Award-winning rock musician Lenny Kravitz made the albums Let Love Rule, Mama Said and Are You Gonna Go My Way. He's also acted in such films as Precious and The Hunger Games.

Singer-songwriter John Legend won his first Grammy Award with 2004's Get Lifted. The album went platinum, thanks in part to the hit single "Ordinary People."

Singer Kimberley Locke made a hugely successful run on American Idol and ended up placing third (behind runner-up Clay Aiken and winner Ruben Studdard).

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was a singer and rapper known for her work with the 1990s group TLC.

Singer Darlene Love sang backup for hit artists including Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin but struggled to gain fame for her solo endeavors.

Michael Lynche was a contestant on the ninth season of American Idol. He was the second finalist to receive the "judge's save."

Taj Mahal is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music blends various folk traditions and was influential in the creation of the world music genre.

Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter Bob Marley served as a world ambassador for reggae music and sold more than 20 million records throughout his career—making him the first international superstar to emerge from the so-called Third World.

Singer and songwriter Ziggy Marley is the oldest son of the reggae giant Bob Marley, and is best known as a talented reggae musician in his own right.

Curtis Mayfield was a singer-songwiter known for his racially conscious soul and funk who had a number one album with his score for the film Superfly.

Philadelphia's Michael McCary is known for his deep bass voice as part of the boy band Boyz II Men, which he quit in 2003 because of problems from scoliosis.

Clyde McPhatter was a popular rhythm-and-blues singer in the 1950s. One of the most dramatic vocalists of his generation, his style anticipated soul music.