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Tag: Musician-Composer

Andy Razaf (1895-1973)

Andy Razaf was a philosopher–poet, composer, and prolific musical lyricist of over five hundred songs, comprising some of the greatest hits from the Tin Pan Alley (New York) era. During his professional lifetime, Razaf worked with composers such as Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Don Redman, … Read MoreAndy Razaf (1895-1973)

Posted on November 29, 2015September 20, 2021by contributed by: Olga Bourlin
African American History: African American History: People

Ulysses S. Kay (1917-1995)

Image Ownership: G.D. Hackett/Pictorial Parade (Fair Use) Ulysses Simpson Kay, Jr., was one of the leading black composers in the classical music industry in the 20th Century. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Kay grew up in a musically talented family. His mother, Elizabeth Kay, was a … Read MoreUlysses S. Kay (1917-1995)

Posted on February 1, 2013November 8, 2021by contributed by: Lee S. Perkins
African American History: African American History: People

Saint Yared (505-571)

Composer, scholar, and pioneer of musical notation, Saint Yared was born in Axum, Ethiopia on April 25, 505 AD.  Little is known regarding his family background but scholars suggest he was part of the Axum priesthood. Yared studied intermittently throughout his life starting at the … Read MoreSaint Yared (505-571)

Posted on April 5, 2011May 20, 2021by contributed by: Charles L. Chavis
Global African History: Global African History: People

James Reese Europe (1881-1919)

James Reese Europe, one of the first African Americans to record music in the United States, was born on February 22, 1881 in Mobile, Alabama to Henry and Lorraine Europe.  When he was ten, his family moved to Washington D.C. where he began to study … Read MoreJames Reese Europe (1881-1919)

Posted on March 23, 2008May 19, 2021by contributed by: Ashley Jones
African American History: African American History: People

Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (1925-2007)

Oscar Peterson was born on August 15, 1925 in Montreal, Quebec. He grew up in Place St-Henri, a bustling Montreal district with a small but close knit black community. Considered by many to be one of the great jazz piano players of all time, Peterson … Read MoreOscar Emmanuel Peterson (1925-2007)

Posted on January 14, 2008May 20, 2021by contributed by: Gail Arlene Ito
Global African History: Global African History: People

Bernice Johnson Reagon (1942- )

Bernice Johnson Reagon, singer/ composer, cultural historian, author, and producer, was born on October 4, 1942 in Dougherty County, Georgia, to Reverend Jessie Johnson and Beatrice Johnson. The third child of eight, she began singing at the age of five in her father’s church. As … Read MoreBernice Johnson Reagon (1942- )

Posted on March 13, 2007September 20, 2021by contributed by: Erica Anderson
African American History: African American History: People

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)

Born on August 15, 1875 to a physician from Sierra Leone and an Englishwoman, musical composer and conductor Samuel Coleridge-Taylor grew-up in Holborn, England.  He revealed his musical talents at the age of five, began studying the violin at the age of seven, and entered … Read MoreSamuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)

Posted on February 25, 2007September 20, 2021by contributed by: Clarence Spigner
Global African History: Global African History: People

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