Bobby McFerrin is a popular folk-jazz vocalist known for his vocal percussion and a cappella singing, as well as his hit song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” He was born Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. in Manhattan, New York, on March 11, 1950, to Robert McFerrin Sr., … Read MoreBobby McFerrin Jr. (1950- )
Booker T. & The MGs (the Memphis Group), a biracial jazz ensemble, was formed in 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee. The group’s original members were Booker T. Jones (organ, piano), born December 11, 1944; Lewie Steinberg (bass), born September 13, 1933; Al Jackson, Jr. (percussions), born … Read MoreBooker T & the MGs (1962-2017)
Curtis DuBois Fuller was a renowned Jazz trombonist whose career spanned over 68 years as a musician, composer, and educator. His musical genre was steeped in hard-bop jazz with the driving force of blues and gospel. Curtis DuBois Fuller was born on December 15, 1932 … Read MoreCurtis DuBois Fuller (1932-2021)
Opera composer, librettist, composer, violinist, pedagogic, and activist Daniel Bernard Roumain was born on May 3, 1971 in Skokie, Illinois. He was reared, however, in Margate, Florida, His parents are Haitians, and he has one son, Zachary. Roumain began playing the violin at the age … Read MoreDaniel Bernard Roumain (1971- )
Jazz keyboardist James Oscar (Jimmy) Smith was born on December 8, 1928, in Norristown, Pennsylvania to Willie and Agnes Smith who were pianists. He had two sisters, Janet and Anita. Smith was taught piano by his parents at four, and by six he was performing … Read MoreJimmy Smith (1928 – 2005)
Raised with strong southern gospel influences, piano prodigy Michael D’Angelo Archer spent his music career restoring R&B music to its former glory. His creative blend of funk and jazz music incorporated the popular hip-hop styles of the late 1990s and early 2000s while earning him … Read MoreD’Angelo (1974- )
Osborne Hemsley Winfield is considered the first African American modern dancer a pioneer of “Negro concert dancing.” Founder of the New Negro Art Theatre Dance Group, Winfield was a contemporary of Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman and active during the Harlem Renaissance. Born … Read MoreHemsley Winfield (1907-1934)
The Negro String Quartet was founded by Felix Weir in 1920 and remained active until 1933. The Quartet performed in musical programs at churches and community organizations in Harlem and at Columbia University. The Quartet was composed of Felix Weir and Arthur Boyd, first and … Read MoreNegro String Quartet (1920-1933)
The Shady Rest Golf & Country Club in Scotch Plains, New Jersey is the oldest African American golf club in the United States. It was the mecca of black middle-class society in New Jersey from the 1920s to the 1960s with members traveling from as … Read MoreThe Shady Rest Golf and Country Club (1921- )
African Americans began a migration up the island of Manhattan in the early 1800s. Starting in Five Points, which is now New York City’s Chinatown, they moved in succession to Washington Street on the Lower West Side, then the Tenderloin in the West 20s and … Read MoreSan Juan Hill, New York City (ca. 1895-1940)
