Spanning jazz to soul to funk, to more contemporary genres like R&B, rap and pop, African-American musicians are responsible for chart-topping hits like "I Feel Good," "Respect," "Georgia on My Mind," "Let The Good Times Roll," "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "Thriller." Explore our collection of famous black musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, B.B. King, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Little Richard, Beyoncé Knowles, and more.
With its roots in the blues, jazz has been referred to as America's classical music, yet has also become a major global phenomenon, branching off into a variety of forms. Earlier pioneers like Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton paved the way for the swinging big-band sounds of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. In contrast, contemporaries Dizzie Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk developed bebop, with its speedy, dissonant harmonies and improvisations. And Miles Davis heralded the birth of cool jazz, modal jazz and fusion at different points in his career. Famous jazz instrumentalists have tended to be male, yet women have been at the forefront of the genre when it comes to vocalization, from the brassy blues of Bessie Smith to the haunting eclecticism of Nina Simone.
Explore full biographies, and view photos and videos, of some of the most famous alumni of the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, founded by famous entrepreneur and philanthropist Augustus Juilliard. Alumni of the school include Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Richard Rodgers, Val Kilmer, Marcia Cross, Kelsey Grammer, Bernard Herrmann, Jessica Chastain, Yo-Yo Ma, Jessica Chastain and Viola Davis.
Meet famous people who were born in May. John F. Kennedy, Adele, George Carlin, Audrey Hepburn, Mr. T, Bob Dylan are some of the people who share a May birthday.
Take a look at famous people named Davis, such as Glenn Davis, Kristin Davis, and Ernie Davis.
View famous people who died in 1991 such as Freddie Mercury, Martha Graham, and Miles Davis.
Meet famous people such as Johnny Cash, Dorothy Dandridge, James Dean, Grace Kelly, Jimi Hendrix, and Steve Irwin, who died in the month of September.
Browse notable songwriters and composers such as Irving Berlin, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Leonard Bernstein.
Browse notable trumpet players such as Rex Stewart, Cootie Williams, and Henry Allen.