The Isley Brothers were a band on the Billboard Top 40 charts for fifty years. Their ability to synthesize R&B, soul, funk, disco, and rock & roll elements into their discography made the group electrifying and interesting. The band was important to the creation of the soul … Read MoreThe Isley Brothers (1957-1984)
The Flamingos are broadly respected as one of the most talented doo-wop and rhythm and blues vocal groups of the 20th Century. Their style made an enormous impact on genres such as pop and soul. Though they were unable to consistently top the charts, the … Read MoreThe Flamingos (1951- )
The Delfonics, an R&B vocal band whose founding members were William “Poogie” Hart, Wilbert Hart, Randy Cain, Ritchie Daniels, and arranger/ producer Thom Bell, formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the late 1960s. They are credited with significantly contributing to the development of the Philadelphia sound … Read MoreThe Delfonics (1966-1975)
Lou Rawls was an award-winning singer and songwriter famous for his luxurious baritone singing voice and four-octave vocal range. He is most well-known for his hit song “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,” and experienced the height of his musical career throughout the 1960s … Read MoreLou Rawls (1933-2006)
The Commodores were a rhythm and blues/ funk group popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s and one of the most successful acts signed to Motown records. They produced numerous chart-topping and award-winning records. Lionel Richie, their lead vocalist, attained superstardom after leaving to pursue a … Read MoreLionel Richie and the Commodores (1967- )
Usher Raymond IV, commonly known by his stage name Usher, is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and actor. Usher rose to superstardom as a rhythm and blues/ pop musician and has established himself as one of the most successful R&B artists of his era and one … Read MoreUsher (1978- )
In 1964, seven friends from Jersey City, New Jersey, including Robert “Kool” Bell on bass and his brother Ronald Bell on keyboards, decided to perform together as an instrumental jazz and soul group named the Jazziacs. The other original members included Robert Mickens on trumpet, … Read MoreKool and the Gang (1964- )
The Coasters began on September 28, 1955, in Los Angeles, California after four of six members from another singing group, The Robins, broke off to start this new group. Bobby Nunn and Carl Gardner, leading vocalists of The Robins, were convinced by the up-and-coming composing/managing … Read MoreThe Coasters (1955- )
Martha Reeves, one of Ruby and Elijah Reeves’s eleven children, was born in Eufaula, Alabama on July 18, 1941. Before her first birthday, they moved to Detroit, Michigan. She grew up performing at her father’s Methodist church, and was vocally trained by Abraham Silver while … Read MoreMartha and the Vandellas (1960-1974)
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters was a rhythm and blues band that were a major influence on the rock and roll genre beginning in the 1950s. They recorded a number of hugely popular songs and were known as the most risqué R&B group of their … Read MoreHank Ballard and the Midnighters (1950-1965); (Hank Ballard 1927-2003)
