Mezzo-soprano Muriel Burrell Smith was born on February 23, 1923, in Harlem, New York City, to Sigourney Burrell Smith and Olive Gilmore Smith. At age 14, Muriel got an artistic boost when she appeared on The Major Bowes Amateur Hour that aired live every Thursday … Read MoreMuriel Burrell Smith (1923-1985)
Shep and the Limelites were a doo-wop group of the early 1960s. Doo-wop groups became popular among Black singers in major urban areas like New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Baltimore because many young singers at the time didn’t have access to instruments or music lessons. They … Read MoreShep and The Limelites (1961- )
The mulatto slave William Lee appears together with his owner, U.S. President George Washington, in two and quite possibly three paintings, including the iconic Washington Crossing the Delaware by the artist Emanuel Leutze, where he is seen third from left in the boat where Washington … Read MoreWilliam Lee (aka Billy Lee/ Will Lee) (1752?-1810)
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- )
The Tymes were a Philadelphia A cappella group who reached the height of their popularity in the 1960s. They included baritone Norman Burnett, born May 5, 1943, tenor Albert Alexander Berry III born March 17, 1941; bass Donald Banks, born October 29, 1939; tenor George … Read MoreThe Tymes (1956-1976)
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- )
The composers, lyricists, and performers who comprised the duo McFadden and Whitehead were reared in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gene McFadden was born on January 28, 1949, in Olanta, South Carolina, and John Cavadus Whitehead was born on July 10, 1948, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As teenagers, they … Read MoreMcFadden and Whitehead (1970-2004)
The Del-Vikings were the first successful racially integrated Doo-Wop rock and roll ensemble formed in the United States and specifically in the United States Air Force during the Jim Crow era. The group, organized in 1955 at the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Air Force Base, comprised six … Read MoreThe Del-Vikings (1955-1973)
Rapper, singer, and songwriter known by his stage name, Wiz Khalifa, was born Cameron Jibril Thomaz on September 8, 1987, in Minot, North Dakota, to Peachie Wimbush-Polk, and Laurence Thomaz. Both parents were in the Air Force and divorced when Thomaz was 3 years old. … Read MoreCameron “Wiz Khalifa” Jibril Thomaz (1987- )
Often called the Queen of Neo-Soul, R&B lyricist, vocalist, poet, actor, and social activist Jill Heather Scott was born on April 4, 1972, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the single mother, Joyce Scott. She graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1990. Afterward, Scott … Read MoreJill Scott (1972- )
