Famous Singers a to z

As famous for her unusual outfits as she is for her musical talent, Cher is an American singer and actress who got her start as half of Sonny and Cher in the 1960s.

Melanie Chisholm, also known as "Sporty Spice" and "Mel C," became famous in the mid-1990s with the all-girl British pop group the Spice Girls.

Guitarist and singer-songwriter Eric Clapton's 1992 single "Tears in Heaven" became a top five hit. It was written about the death of his son.

Kelly Clarkson is an American Idol winner who went on to record several top ten hits including "Breakaway," "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "Because of You."

Jamaican musician Jimmy Cliff is best known for introducing reggae to an international audience.

Patsy Cline was a celebrated country singer best known for her crossover hits, including "Crazy" and "Walking After Midnight."

Rosemary Clooney was a popular singer beginning in the 1950s and had a No. 1 hit with "Come On-a My House." She was aunt to actor George Clooney.

A talented, troubled grunge performer, Kurt Cobain became a rock legend with his band Nirvana in the 1990s and committed suicide at his Seattle home in 1994.

Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen is known for his poetic lyrics and baritone voice. He's received acclaim for such songs as "Hallelujah" and "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye."

Singer Cheryl Cole was part of the top-selling British girl group Girls Aloud.

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.

A folk-pop singer, Judy Collins rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s with such hits as "Both Sides Now" and "Send In the Clowns."

Phil Collins was one of the most successful musicians in the world during the 1980s, releasing thirteen U.S. Top Ten hits between 1984 and 1990.

Singer Perry Como is best known for his warm baritone crooning which came to characterize popular music in the 40s and 50s.

Charitable New Orleans heartthrob Harry Connick, Jr. is popularly known as both a jazz musician and an actor.

Grammy-award winning musician Ry Cooder has released multiple American-roots style records under his own name, and has also recorded with musicians worldwide.

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.

Rita Coolidge is an American two-time Grammy Award–winning singer best known for her hits in the 1970s, including the album Anytime...Anywhere.

Considered the Godfather of Shock Rock, singer Alice Cooper came to fame in the 1970s, alarming audiences with his garish, often ghoulish stage performances.

Billy Corgan is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist in the alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins.

David Coverdale founded Whitesnake, a rock band that achieved wide fame in the late 1980s, with the No. 1 song "Here I Go Again."

Graham Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the guitarist and backup vocalist for the alternative rock band Blur.

Singer Nadine Coyle was part of top-selling British girl group Girls Aloud.

Grammy Award-winning musician Wayne Coyne has been the frontman of the Flaming Lips since 1983.

Jim Croce was an American folk singer and songwriter. He released five studio albums between 1966 and 1973, before his untimely death in 1973.

Bing Crosby sang such hit songs as the ever-popular holiday classic "White Christmas." The beloved crooner was also a star of radio, movies and television.

Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow sang backup for stars like Rod Stewart before becoming a star in own right. Her 1996 album Sheryl Crow won two Grammys.

American illustrator and artist Robert Crumb is best known for his distinctive style and satirical tone and creating the cartoon character Fritz the Cat.

Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American singer, best known as one of the most popular salsa performers of all time, recording 23 gold albums. 

British singer-songwriter Taio Cruz is known for the albums Departure and Rokstarr, which includes songs like "Break Your Heart" and "Dynamite."

Cherie Currie is a singer and actress who fronted the influential band The Runaways.

Billy Ray Cyrus is a country singer/songwriter who is perhaps now more famous for his TV and film roles than for his music.

Actress and singer Miley Cyrus is the daughter of '90s country star Billy Ray Cyrus and the star of the Disney series Hannah Montana.

Roger Daltrey is a rock musician and singer who’s the former lead vocalist of The Who. He’s also a film and TV actor.

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.

Bobby Darin was an American singer, songwriter and actor who became a ubiquitous presence in pop entertainment in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Lead singer for The Kinks, Ray Davies is known for his decades-long career in rock, hits like ‘Lola,’ and ongoing feuds with brother and bandmate Dave Davies.

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.

Madame de Pompadour became the mistress of French King Louis XV in the mid-1700s. She greatly influenced French culture during this time, including decorative arts, architecture and statecraft.

John Denver was one of the most successful singer-songwriters of the 1970s. His hits include "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy."

Actress Zooey Deschanel has appeared in such films as (500) Days of Summer, and on the hit TV sitcom New Girl.

In 2009, singer Lee DeWyze beat out the American Idol judges' clear choice, Crystal Bowersox, thanks to the audience's majority vote.

Singer and songwriter Neil Diamond wrote "I'm A Believer" for The Monkees, and peformed his own pop hits, including "Heartlight" and "Sweet Caroline."

French-Canadian singer Celine Dion dominated the pop charts in the 1990s. She remains a popular entertainer and is the second-highest earning musician in history.

Denny Doherty was an original member of the 1960s harmonizing rock group the Mamas and the Papas.

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.

Tanya Donelly is a musician who was influential in the alternative music scene in the 1980s and 1990s with bands such as Throwing Muses.

Howie Dorough, the Backstreet Boys singer with the smoldering looks, is also a solo artist, actor and advocate for raising awareness for lupus.

Actress Hilary Duff came to fame as the title character on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire. Her debut pop record, Metamorphosis, went triple-platinum.

Jimmy Durante was an American comedian whose career in every major entertainment performance medium spanned more than six decades.

Controversial musician Fred Durst came to fame in the mid-1990s as the front man for the "nu metal" band Limp Bizkit.

Bob Dylan is a folk rock singer-songwriter whose career began in the early 1960s with songs that chronicled social issues like war and civil rights.

Steve Earle is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter whose albums seamlessly blend rock, folk and country. He has also appeared on the HBO series The Wire and Treme.

Grammy Award–winning singer Sheena Easton is recognized for such hits as "Morning Train," "For Your Eyes Only" and "Sugar Walls."

As lead singer of the grunge rock band Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder belted out hits like "Evenflow," "Alive" and "Jeremy."

Cass "Mama Cass" Elliot was known for her heavyset figure, and was one of four members of the late 1960s pop sensation The Mamas and the Papas.

Joe Elliott is known for his singing career with metal band Def Leppard, made popular by such songs as "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Love Bites."

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.

Irish singer Enya performed with her family's band Clannad before making it big with her solo album Watermark in 1988.

Dale Evans was the longtime screen partner and wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers. She wrote several hit songs, including "Happy Trails to You."

American Country music singer-songwriter Sara Evan made the hit albums Real Fine Place and Stronger. Her song "Born to Fly," won a 2001 Country Music Award.

Rupert Everett is a British actor known for roles in the films My Best Friend’s Wedding, Shakespeare in Love and a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Joey Fatone sang in the hit boy band 'N Sync. He also hosts a cooking show, and has competed on Dancing with the Stars.

Kevin Federline, best known for his marriage to superstar Britney Spears in 2004, has performed as a backup dancer for such pop stars as Michael Jackson.

Fergie is the lead singer of The Black Eyed Peas. Her solo album The Dutchess was also a hit. Her eclectic work ranges from ballads to dance tracks.

Ibrahim Ferrer was a singer and Cuban musician who performed as part of the Grammy Award-winning Buena Vista Social Club.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was an opera singer known for his deep baritone and preeminence in the lieder.

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.”

Lita Ford is a British-born, American musician, who was the lead guitarist in the all-girl hard rock band The Runaways.

Tennessee Ernie Ford was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop and gospel musical genres.

English musician Peter Frampton began his career with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. He is best known for his hit album Frampton Comes Alive!.

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."

Evelyn "Billie" Frechette fell in love and lived with bank robber John Dillinger. She was arrested and served two years in prison for harboring a criminal.