Tatyana Marisol Ali is an actress and singer best known for her role on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Ali was born in North Bellmore, New York, on January 24, 1979, and is of Afro-Panamanian and Indo-Trinidadian heritage, with her ancestry rooted … Read MoreTatyana Ali (1979 – )
Gospel singer, songwriter, and choir director Kirk Dewayne Franklin was born Kirk Smith in Fort Worth, Dallas, Texas, on January 26, 1970. His parents were teenagers, and his mother abandoned him at the age of 3, leaving him with his great Aunt Gertrude Franklin. Gertrude … Read MoreKirk Franklin (1970- )
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- )
Montero “Lil Nas X” Lamar Hill is a rapper and singer-songwriter. Hill was born on April 9, 1999, to Robert Stafford and Shawnita Hathaway in Lithia Springs, Georgia. He was named after the Mitsubishi Montero car. His parents divorced when he was 6 years old … Read MoreMontero “Lil Nas X” Lamar Hill (1999- )
Balladeer Robert Peapo “Peabo” Bryson was born on April 13, 1951, in Greenville, South Carolina, to Marie Bryson. He has two sisters and a brother. His professional career began at 14 as a featured vocalist for the regional ensemble Al Freeman and The Upsetters. In … Read MorePeabo Bryson (1951- )
R&B Singer Doris Troy was born Doris Elaine Higginsen in Bronx, New York, on January 6, 1937. Both a singer and a songwriter, her biggest hit, “Just One Look,” was released in 1963 and peaked at no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Troy’s … Read MoreDoris Troy (1937-2004)
Jazz baritone and composer Gregory Porter was born on November 4, 1971, in Sacramento, California, to Rufus Porter from Memphis, Tennessee, and Ruth Porter, a minister from Shreveport, Louisiana. However, he and his seven siblings were reared in Bakersfield, California. Porter was taught to sing … Read MoreGregory Porter (1971- )
Legendary composer Barrett Strong, Jr. was born on February 5, 1941, in West Point, Mississippi, to Barrett Strong Sr. and Cloteal Gladney Strong. He grew up in Detroit, Michigan after his parents moved to the city. His siblings were Vera Mar Cole, Carolyn Ward, Lessie … Read MoreBarrett Strong (1941- )
Barbara “Lady Love” Mason is a popular singer/songwriter and one of the true pioneers of Philly Soul, as she entered the music scene as a teenager. Mason was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 9, 1947, to a homemaker mother and a father who worked … Read MoreBarbara Mason (1947- )
Composer, balladeer, lyricist, trumpeter, percussionist, advocate Jeffrey Linton Osborne was born on March 9, 1948, in Providence, Rhode Island to Clarence J. Osborne, Sr. a trumpeter, and Wanita M. Lindsey Osborne, of Pequot Indian ancestry. He is the youngest of twelve children, which consisted of … Read MoreJeffrey Linton Osborne (1948- )
