One of the first boy bands, the Jackson 5 consisted of brothers from Gary, Indiana: Jackie (born Sigmund), Tito (born Toriano), Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael Jackson. Though their youth and energetic sound made them seem like “bubblegum pop,” the boys played instruments, had vocal talent and practiced … Read MoreThe Jackson 5 (1965- )
The Clovers were a rhythm and blues and doo-wop group that gained fame in the 1950s with song hits like “Love Potion No.9.” The Clovers were formed in 1946 by Harold “Hal” Lucas at Armstrong High School in Washington D.C. The original members included Lucas, Thomas Woods, and Billy Shelton. … Read MoreThe Clovers (1946- )
The Moonglows were one of the early influential groups in rhythm and blues. Formed as a duo in Cleveland, Ohio in 1949 by Harvey Fuqua and Bobby Lester as the two friends returned from the U.S. Army, they were later joined by Ed Wiley. The trio began making what was then … Read MoreThe Moonglows (1949-1957)
Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers both had experience with music coming out of Stuyvesant High School in New York City, New York as trained jazz musicians. They met in 1970 and in 1972 they created the jazz/ rock group, The Big Apple Band. They performed first in New York City but finally became … Read MoreChic (1977- )
En Vogue was conceived by Oakland, California record producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy in 1989 with Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones as the original four-member girl group. They were chosen after auditions given by Foster and McElroy who named them En Vogue after … Read MoreEn Vogue (1989- )
Singer and musician William Harrison Withers Jr., known to the world as Bill Withers, was born in Slab Fork, West Virginia, on July 4, 1938, to William and Mattie (Galloway) Withers. Born with a stutter, Withers had a difficult time fitting in. His father, a coal … Read MoreBill Withers (1938-2020)
Donny Hathaway—singer, pianist, producer, composer, and one of R&B’s strongest talents—was born Donny Edward Pitts on October 1, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois. Hathaway was raised in the Carr Square Housing Projects of St. Louis, Missouri by his grandmother Martha Pitts. At the age of three, Hathaway began singing in … Read MoreDonny Hathaway (1945-1979)
Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born May 16, 1966 to Katherine Jackson (née Scruse) and Joseph Jackson in Gary, Indiana. Janet, youngest of ten, was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. Her oldest brothers lived in Los Angeles with her father performing as the Jackson 5, while she stayed … Read MoreJanet Jackson (1966- )
Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R. Kelly, is an R&B singer, songwriter, and producer who is best known for his hit song “I Believe I Can Fly.” Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois to Joanne Kelly. R. Kelly is the third of four children … Read MoreRobert Sylvester Kelly / “R. Kelly” (1967- )
De Arthur Woodrow Miller or “Woody,” as he was most popularly known, was a trailblazer in the African American community of Fresno, California. He was the first African American to own a radio station in California’s Central Valley and was a leader of the local the civil rights movement. De Arthur Woodrow Miller … Read MoreDe Arthur Woodrow ‘Woody’ Miller (1927-2017)
