Composer, Blues pianist, and singer Clarence “Frogman” Henry was born Clarence Henry II on March 19, 1937, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Clarence Henry, an L&N railroad porter, and Ernestine Henry. They had six children and reared them in the Algiers neighborhood on the West … Read MoreClarence “Frogman” Henry (1937- 2024)
R&B lyricist, singer, and dancer Jermaine Stewart was born William Jermaine Stewart in Columbus, Ohio, on September 7, 1957, to Eugene Stewart and Ethel M. Stewart. His parents moved the family to Chicago, Illinois, in 1972. Stewart had four siblings Eugene, Jr., Sondra, Leandra, and … Read MoreJermaine Stewart (1957-1997)
Composer, guitarist, and Reggae singer Eddy Grant was born Edmond Montague Grant on March 5, 1948, in Plaisance, Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana, to Patrick Alexander Grant, a trumpeter. He has one brother, Rudy Grant. In 1960, he emigrated to London where he studied at Acland Burghley Secondary … Read MoreEddy Grant (1948- )
Hip-hop performer and entertainment lawyer Tracey Lee was born on October 22, 1970, in Buffalo, New York. Lee was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by his mother as his parents never lived together. He visited his father, however, and siblings on his father’s side every summer … Read MoreTracey Lee (1970- )
Adah Isaacs Menken was an American actor and poet who performed in New York, San Francisco, London, and Paris and was widely known for her title role in the play Mazeppa, or the Wild Horse of the Tartary. She also wrote poems for magazines and … Read MoreAdah Isaacs Menken (1835-1868)
Eve Jihan Jeffers Cooper is a rapper and actress best known as Eve, the First Lady of Ruff Ryders Entertainment, and for her appearances in the Barbershop movie series. Jeffers was born on November 10, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father, Jerry Jeffers, was a … Read MoreEve/Eve Jihan Jeffers Cooper (1978- )
Professional bare-knuckle boxer Peter Jackson, better known as the Black Prince and Peter the Great, was born on July 3, 1861, in Water Gut, Christiansted, Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands) to Peter Jackson Sr., a warehouseman from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Information regarding … Read MorePeter Jackson (1861-1901)
Tacky’s War, also known as Tacky’s Rebellion, was an uprising among Jamaica Akan enslaved people from Ghana that occurred in St. Mary Parish, Jamaica, against the British from 1760 to 1761. Other ethnic groups from Ghana including the Akyem, Nzema, Fanti, and Ashanti took part … Read MoreTacky’s War (1760-1761)
R&B singer and lyricist Gary U.S. Bonds was born Gary Levohn Anderson Jr. on June 6, 1939, in Jacksonville, Florida, to Irene Anderson, a piano teacher, and Gary Anderson Sr., a professor at Hampton Institute. The family moved to Norfolk, Virginia, when he was 2 … Read MoreGary U.S. Bonds/Gary Levohn Anderson, Jr. (1939- )
The rapper and record producer best known by his stage name, Slick Rick, was born Richard Martin Lloyd Walters on January 14, 1965, in London, England. His parents were immigrants from Jamaica. His mother’s name is Veronica but his father’s name is unknown. Walters was … Read MoreSlick Rick/Richard Walters (1965- )
