Born Richard Pierce Havens, Richie Havens was an esteemed musician, writer, educator, and actor. Havens, the eldest of nine children, was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 21, 1941, to a musically talented parents. His Blackfoot Native American father, Richard Havens, played piano by … Read MoreRichard Pierce [“Richie”] Havens (1941-2013)
Guitarist, pianist, arranger, singer, and lyricist Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born Rosetta Nubin on March 20, 1915, in Cotton Plant, Arkansas to Pentecostal Pastor Willis B. Atkins from Arkadelphia and Katie Bell Harper Nubin, a musician and pastor from Princeton, Arkansas. At three Tharpe’s mother … Read MoreRosetta Atkins [Sister Rosetta] Tharpe (1915-1973)
In 1991, Sherry D. Harris was the first out black lesbian elected to public office in the United States. This also gave her the distinction of being the first African American woman on the Seattle City Council in Washington State. Harris was born on February … Read MoreSherry D. Harris (1957- )
Gladys Bentley (stage name, Bobbie Minton) was a Harlem Renaissance blues singer and cross dresser. She was one of the most well-known and financially successful black women in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. She was a pioneer in pushing the envelope of … Read MoreGladys Bentley (1907-1960)
Dr. Dawn Mason is a former Washington State Representative for the 37th District, an adjunct professor for writing, a former member of the Board of Visitors at Antioch University Seattle, and a Vision and Planning Team Member for Cultural Reconnection (USA and Kenya). Mason was … Read MoreDawn Mason (1945- )
Larry Doby was the first African American baseball player to go directly from the Negro Leagues to the major leagues when the Cleveland Indians purchased his contract from the Newark Eagles on July 3, 1947. Two days later, on July 5, 1947, Larry Doby became … Read MoreLarry Doby (1923-2003)
Winning the Pulitzer Prize for Music is one of the multitude of richly deserved tributes to composer, pianist, and educator George Theophilus Walker. His prolific career continued into his 90s with his commissioned Sinfonia No. 4 (Strands), premiered in 2012 by the New Jersey Symphony … Read MoreGeorge Theophilus Walker (1922-2018)
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)
Henry Jay Lewis, musician and conductor, was born October 16, 1932 in Los Angeles to automobile dealer Henry J. Lewis, and nurse Mary Josephine Lewis. Lewis started playing the piano when he was five, and in junior high he learned to play the double bass … Read MoreHenry Jay Lewis (1932-1996)
Musician, composer, professor, and conductor Fela Sowande was born May 1905 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was the son of Emmanuel Sowande, who was an Anglican priest and influential in the development of Nigerian sacred music. Fela Sowande was a musician and composer of music in … Read MoreOlufela Sowande (Fela) Obafunmilayo (1905-1987)
