Famous Songwriters and Composers a to z

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.

An originator of big-band jazz, Duke Ellington was an American composer, pianist and bandleader who composed thousands of scores over his 50-year career.

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.

Melissa Etheridge is a rock singer-songwriter and an environmental activist. Her hit songs include "I’m the Only One" and "Come to My Window."

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.

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.

Composer Stephen Foster is lauded as the progenitor of American popular music, penning classics like “Oh! Susanna” and “Swanee River.”

Lyricist and movie producer Arthur Freed brought us Singin' in the Rain (1952), An American in Paris (1952) and Gigi (1958).

Lefty Frizzell is widely recognized as one of the most influential country singers in history. Willie Nelson and Randy Travis count him among their influences.

Canadian singer Nelly Furtado topped the charts with songs like "I'm Like a Bird" (2000), "Promiscuous" (2006) and "Say it Right" (2007).

Agnetha Fältskog was a singer with the Swedish band ABBA, famous for hits like "Mamma Mia."

British musician Dave Gahan is best known as the lead singer of electronic band Depeche Mode. His voice can be heard on the tracks "Suffer Well" and "Nothing's Impossible," among many others.

Erroll Garner was a virtuosic and popular jazz pianist known for creating one of the best-selling albums in jazz, Concert by the Sea (1958).

Australian singer and political activist Peter Garrett is best known for his considerable contributions to both the environment and the music industry.

Bob Geldof is best known as the singer of the band the Boomtown Rats and for his political activism, particularly anti-poverty efforts in Africa.

George Gershwin was one of the most significant American composers of the 20th century, known for popular stage and screen numbers as well as classical compositions.

Lyricist Ira Gershwin wrote for popular musicals like Porgy and Bess in the 1920s and '30s. He was in the first writing team to win a Pulitzer for songwriting.

A successful singer and songwriter, Barry Gibb has sold millions of records as a member of the Bee Gees.

Singing with two of his brothers as the Bee Gees, Robin Gibb scored numerous hits in the 1970s, including "Stayin' Alive" and "How Deep Is Your Love."

Kathie Lee Gifford won over TV audiences with her on-screen chemistry with co-anchor Regis Philbin on The Morning Show. She now co-anchors the Today show.

Vince Gill is an award-winning country musician known for such hits as 'What the Cowgirls Do' and 'Whenever You Come Around.'

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."

Philip Glass is an American composer often associated with minimalism. He has composed numerous film and theatrical scores, including "Koyaanisqatsi" and "The Hours."

Cuban musician, composer, and bandleader Juan De Marcos González formed Sierra Maestra, a musical group dedicated to traditional Cuban folk music.

Benny Goodman, "The King of Swing", was the clarinetist composer responsible for multiple hit singles as a band leader before World War II.

Kim Gordon is the bass player for the band Sonic Youth as well as an artist and clothing designer.

Lesley Gore is a singer-songwriter best remembered for her 1963 smash single "It's My Party." Gore also scored hits with "Maybe I Know" and "You Don't Own Me."

Martin Gore is best known as the keyboardist and primary songwriter for Depeche Mode. Gore wrote many hit tracks, including "Policy of Truth" and "Personal Jesus."

Ellie Greenwich is best known as the writer of hit songs from the 1960's through the 1980's.

As drummer for Nirvana and founding member of the Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl gave alternative rock its driving beat.

Woody Guthrie was a singer-songwriter, and one of the legendary figures of American folk music.

Originally a troubled youngster who served time in San Quentin prison, Merle Haggard grew to become a country music legend.

Marvin Hamlisch composed more than 40 motion picture scores throughout his career, including 1973's "The Way We Were" and 1975's "A Chorus Line." He is also known for his musical adaptation for 1973's The Sting, and work on such films as Sophie's Choice and Ordinary People.

Lyricist and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II collaborated with Richard Rodgers on the Pulitzer Prize–winning musicals Oklahoma! and South Pacific.

W.C. Handy was an African-American composer and a leader in popularizing blues music in the early 20th century, with hits like "Memphis Blues" and "St. Louis Blues."

Lorenz Hart was an American lyricist best known for his collaborations with Richard Rodgers, including "My Funny Valentine" and "Blue Moon."

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

Over the course of his 106 symphonies, Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn became the principal architect of the classical style of music.

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

Don Henley is a musician who was a founding member of the Eagles and later went on to great solo success with such songs as "Boys of Summer."

Jill Hennessy is an actress, singer, musician and restaurateur known for her work in TV series like Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.

Bernard Herrmann was an American composer best known as the author of scores for Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock films including Citizen Kane and Psycho.

James Hetfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for heavy metal band Metallica, known for hits like "Enter Sandman" and "The Memory Remains."

Musician Frederick "Toots" Hibbert helped define reggae with his band Toots and the Maytals. Their 2004 album, True Love, won a Grammy in 2005.

Taylor Hicks is an American singer-songwriter who rose to fame after his win on the fifth season of American Idol.

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.

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.

Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish singer known for several hit songs, including "Bailamos," "Rhythm Divine," "Be With You," "Escape" and "Hero." He is the son of Spanish singer Julio Iglesias.

Alejandro Gonzales Iñárritu is a Mexican film director whose 1999 feature film, Amores Perros, won an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

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.

As the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger has become a rock legend for his gritty, blues-influenced songs and for his charismatic stage presence.

Jazz pianist, composer and saxophonist Keith Jarrett is considered one of the most original and prolific jazz musicians to emerge during the late 20th century.

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician whose band, the Fugees, hit it big in the mid-1990s with The Score.

Musical rebel Waylon Jennings is best remembered for helping to popularize a grittier and more rock-influenced style of outlaw country music.

Jewel is a multi-platinum singer-songwriter, poet and actress. Her debut album Pieces of You yielded the hit single "Who Will Save Your Soul."

Singer Billy Joel topped the charts in the 1970s and '80s with hits like "Piano Man," "Uptown Girl" and "We Didn't Start the Fire."

Elton John is a British singer, pianist and composer who was one of the most popular musicians of the 20th century. Along with selling more than 250 million records he has found success on Broadway, composing the music score for the Tony award winning hit Billy Elliot (2008).

J.J. Johnson was a 20th century jazz musician and composer regarded as one of the greatest trombonists in history.

James Johnson was an influential African-American jazz pianist and a key figure in musical transition from ragtime to jazz. He's known for his hit "Carolina Shout."

James Weldon Johnson was an African-American writer, politician, educator and lawyer. He was also an early civil rights activist and leader of the NAACP.

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.

Al Jolson was a Russian-born U.S. singer, songwriter, and blackface comedian who performed in vaudeville and minstrel shows and starred in The Jazz Singer.

Folk-rock musician Diana Jones released My Remembrance of You in 2006, which led to a Folk Alliance Award nomination (for best emerging artist), and later released the albums Better Times Will Come (2009) and High Atmosphere (2011).

Country singer and songwriter George Jones was born into poverty, but became a successful musician later in life. His first hit was the 1955 song "Why Baby Why."

English musician Mick Jones was a guitarist and singer for the punk rock band The Clash.

Quincy Jones is best known as a composer and record producer for legendary musicians such as Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Celene Dion and Aretha Franklin.

Viewed as the "King of Ragtime," Scott Joplin was the foremost composer of the genre in the early 20th century, known for works like "The Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer."

Stan Kenton was an American pianist, composer and bandleader associated with the swing movement in jazz.

American composer Jerome Kern penned the scores to several wildly successful Broadway musicals including Show Boat, which was later performed by the New York Philharmonic.

Ke$ha is and American singer-songwriter whose big break came from an uncredited and unpaid cameo on rapper Flo Rida's 2009 No. 1 hit "Right Round."

New Zealand–born singer Kimbra is known for her fusion of musical styles and for her vocals on Gotye's hit "Somebody That I Used to Know."

"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."

American singer and songwriter Carole King has written or co-written over 400 songs that have been recorded by more than 1,000 artists.