In 1967, legendary composers/lyricists Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland left Motown Records to establish the Invictus/Hot Wax record labels in Detroit, Michigan. Over the years they had composed 130 charting songs for Motown Records, but they felt Berry Gordy did not compensate them … Read MoreThe Chairmen of the Board (1968-1976)
Antonio “Big Daddy Kane” Hardy is an American rapper who was originally a member of the New York City hip-hop group the Juice Crew. Hardy was born on September 10, 1968, to unnamed parents in Brooklyn, New York City. His father was a truck driver … Read MoreBig Daddy Kane/ Antonio Hardy (1968- )
The Dazz Band, which scored more than 20 hits on Billboard’s rhythm and blues and pop charts, was founded in 1976 in Cleveland, Ohio. It was led by clarinet player, saxophonist and vocalist Bobby Harris and included Kenny Pettus (lead vocalist, percussion), Isaac “Ike” Wiley … Read MoreThe Dazz Band (1976- )
The R&B novelty records artist Frankie Smith was born Franklyn Leon Smith in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 29, 1953, to Mary Josephine Smith, who worked at the commissary of the Philadelphia Naval Hospital. He began playing the piano in 1961 at the age of 8 … Read MoreFrankie Smith (1953-2019)
Adolph Robert “Young Dolph” Thornton Jr was an American rapper. Thornton was born on July 27, 1985, to Adolph Thornton Sr and an unnamed mother in Chicago, Illinois. He also had two sisters and two brothers. He was a second cousin to rapper Jarad Anthony … Read MoreYoung Dolph/ Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. (1985-2021)
Shep and the Limelites were a doo-wop group of the early 1960s. Doo-wop groups became popular among Black singers in major urban areas like New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Baltimore because many young singers at the time didn’t have access to instruments or music lessons. They … Read MoreShep and The Limelites (1961- )
The Contours were a talented early Motown Records group that began as a quartet called the Blender in Detroit, Michigan in 1958. They had brilliant choreography of splits and fouetté turns that Motown founder Berry Gordy first thought was too much for a stage act … Read MoreThe Contours (1958-1971)
Rose Royce is an R&B group founded during the 1970s in Los Angeles, California. Original members of the group were Henry Garner (drums), Kenny Copeland (lead vocals, trumpet), Kenji Brown (lead vocals, guitar), Terral “Terry” Santiel (congas), Lequeint “Duke” Jobe (bass), Michael Moore (saxophone), Freddie … Read MoreRose Royce (1970- )
The R&B and soul music ensemble Debarge, named for their shared surname, comprises the children of Robert Louis DeBarge, Sr. from Chicago, Illinois, and Etterlene Louise Abney DeBarge Rodriguez, a singer from Royal Oak, Michigan. The seven brother and sister individual members of the ensemble … Read MoreDeBarge (1979–1989)
Niggaz Wit Attitudes, also known as NWA, is a West Coast Hip-Hop group who became one of the most influential groups in Hip-Hop history. NWA included Eric “Eazy-E” Wright, Andre Ronell “Dr. Dre” Young, O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson Sr, Lorenzo “MC Ren” Jerald Patterson, Antoine … Read MoreNiggaz Wit Attitudes (NWA) (1987-1991)
