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There is no American music that doesn’t have Black roots. From country-western, which draws upon banjo music from Africa, to rock ‘n’ roll, begun by a Black woman playing electric guitar in 1938, American music can’t be separated out from its rich history of diversity and experimentation.
Every artist transforms his or her medium simply by working in it, and it so follows that every musician changes the art form slightly just by creating and performing songs. But throughout American history, there are examples of artists who have been so transformative as to change musical genres themselves. Other times, artists unwittingly create new genres—whether Fela Kuti with Afrobeat, Frankie Knuckles with house music, or Fats Domino with ska.
- KMazur // Getty Images
- Born: 1868 (approximate—actual birth date unknown)
- Died: April 1, 1917
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: Aug. 4, 1901
- Died: July 6, 1971
- Bettmann // Getty Images
- Born: April 15, 1894
- Died: Sept. 26, 1937
- Anthony Barboza // Getty Images
- Born: May 8, 1911
- Died: Aug. 16, 1938
- Delta Haze Corporation // Wikimedia Commons
- Born: March 20, 1915
- Died: Oct. 9, 1973
- Tony Evans/Timelapse Library Ltd. // Getty Images
- Born: April 29, 1899
- Died: May 24, 1974
- Bettmann // Getty Images
- Born: April 7, 1915
- Died: July 17, 1959
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: July 8, 1908
- Died: Feb. 4, 1975
- Bettmann // Getty Images
- Born: Oct. 10, 1917
- Died: Feb. 17, 1982
- David Redfern // Getty Images
- Born: March 17, 1919
- Died: February 15, 1965
- Imagno // Getty Images
- Born: Jan. 25, 1938
- Died: Jan. 20, 2012
- Andrew Putler// Getty Images
- Born: Sept. 16, 1925
- Died: May 14, 2015
- Estate Of Keith Morris // Getty Images
- Born: Oct. 18, 1926
- Died: March 18, 2017
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: Sept. 23, 1930
- Died: June 10, 2004
- Frans Schellekens // Getty Images
- Born: May 26, 1926
- Died: Sept. 28, 1991
- Jack Vartoogian // Getty Images
- Born: Feb. 21, 1933
- Died: April 21, 2003
- Tom Copi // Getty Images
- Born: Feb. 26, 1928
- Died: Oct. 24, 2017
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: Jan. 22, 1931
- Died: Dec. 11, 1964
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: June 3, 1942
- Died: Dec. 26, 1999
- Frans Schellekens // Getty Images
- Founding members: O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley
- Essential listening: “Go for Your Guns” (1977)
- Chris Ware // Getty Images
- Born: March 26, 1944
- Essential listening: “I’m Coming Out” (1980)
- Paul Natkin // Getty Images
- Born: May 13, 1950
- Essential listening: “Sir Duke” (1976)
- Michael Putland // Getty Images
- Born: May 3, 1933
- Died: Dec. 25, 2006
- Tom Copi // Getty Images
- Born: April 2, 1939
- Died: April 1, 1984
- Paul Natkin // Getty Images
- Original members: David Ruffin (main lead singer), Paul Williams (secondary lead singer), Eddie Kendricks (first tenor lead singer), Melvin Franklin (bass lead singer)
- Essential listening: “My Girl” (1964)
- Michael Ochs Archives// Getty Images
- Born: Sept. 23, 1926
- Died: July 17, 1967
- JP Jazz Archive // Getty Images
- Born: March 25, 1942
- Died: Aug. 16, 2018
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: Nov. 27, 1942
- Died: Sept. 18, 1970
- Evening Standard // Getty Images
- Born: Feb. 6, 1945
- Died: May 11, 1981
- Gijsbert Hanekroot // Getty Images
- Born: April 16, 1955
- Esential listening: “Better Future” (with Mr. Green, 2019)
- Jemal Countess // Getty Images
- Original members: Maurice White (vocals, kalimba, drums, percussion), Verdine White (bass, percussion, vocals), Philip Bailey (vocals, conga, percussion, kalimba), Ralph Johnson (drums, percussion, vocals), B. David Whitworth (percussion, vocals), Myron McKinley (keyboards, musical director), John Paris (drums, vocals), Philip Bailey Jr. (vocals)
- Essential listening: “Sing a Song” (1975)
- Michael Putland // Getty Images
- Born: Aug. 29, 1958
- Died: June 25, 2009
- KMazur // Getty Images
- Born: June 7, 1958
- Died: April 21, 2016
- Neil Lupin // Getty Images
- Born: Aug. 1, 1960
- Essential listening: “ Fight the Power” (1987)
- David Corio // Getty Images
- Born: May 16, 1966
- Essential listening: “ Rhythm Nation” (1989)
- Christopher Polk // Getty Images
- Born: June 16, 1971
- Died: Sept. 13, 1996
- Al Pereira // Getty Images
- Born: Dec. 4, 1969
- Essential listening: “Public Service Announcement” (2003)
- Brian Ach // Getty Images
- Born: Sept. 4, 1981
- Essential listening: “ Formation” (2016)
- Larry Busacca/PW18 // Getty Images
- Born: June 17, 1987
- Essential listening: “Love.” (Feat. Zacari, 2017)
- Santiago Bluguermann // Getty Images
- Born: April 25, 1917
- Died: June 15, 1996
- Paul Natkin // Getty Images
Black artists music wouldn't be the same without
![]()
Black artists music wouldn't be the same without
There is no American music that doesn’t have Black roots. From country-western, which draws upon banjo music from Africa, to rock ‘n’ roll, begun by a Black woman playing electric guitar in 1938, American music can’t be separated out from its rich history of diversity and experimentation.
Every artist transforms his or her medium simply by working in it, and it so follows that every musician changes the art form slightly just by creating and performing songs. But throughout American history, there are examples of artists who have been so transformative as to change musical genres themselves. Other times, artists unwittingly create new genres—whether Fela Kuti with Afrobeat, Frankie Knuckles with house music, or Fats Domino with ska.
- KMazur // Getty Images
- Born: 1868 (approximate—actual birth date unknown)
- Died: April 1, 1917
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: Aug. 4, 1901
- Died: July 6, 1971
- Bettmann // Getty Images
- Born: April 15, 1894
- Died: Sept. 26, 1937
- Anthony Barboza // Getty Images
- Born: May 8, 1911
- Died: Aug. 16, 1938
- Delta Haze Corporation // Wikimedia Commons
- Born: March 20, 1915
- Died: Oct. 9, 1973
- Tony Evans/Timelapse Library Ltd. // Getty Images
- Born: April 29, 1899
- Died: May 24, 1974
- Bettmann // Getty Images
- Born: April 7, 1915
- Died: July 17, 1959
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: July 8, 1908
- Died: Feb. 4, 1975
- Bettmann // Getty Images
- Born: Oct. 10, 1917
- Died: Feb. 17, 1982
- David Redfern // Getty Images
- Born: March 17, 1919
- Died: February 15, 1965
- Imagno // Getty Images
- Born: Jan. 25, 1938
- Died: Jan. 20, 2012
- Andrew Putler// Getty Images
- Born: Sept. 16, 1925
- Died: May 14, 2015
- Estate Of Keith Morris // Getty Images
- Born: Oct. 18, 1926
- Died: March 18, 2017
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: Sept. 23, 1930
- Died: June 10, 2004
- Frans Schellekens // Getty Images
- Born: May 26, 1926
- Died: Sept. 28, 1991
- Jack Vartoogian // Getty Images
- Born: Feb. 21, 1933
- Died: April 21, 2003
- Tom Copi // Getty Images
- Born: Feb. 26, 1928
- Died: Oct. 24, 2017
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: Jan. 22, 1931
- Died: Dec. 11, 1964
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: June 3, 1942
- Died: Dec. 26, 1999
- Frans Schellekens // Getty Images
- Founding members: O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley
- Essential listening: “Go for Your Guns” (1977)
- Chris Ware // Getty Images
- Born: March 26, 1944
- Essential listening: “I’m Coming Out” (1980)
- Paul Natkin // Getty Images
- Born: May 13, 1950
- Essential listening: “Sir Duke” (1976)
- Michael Putland // Getty Images
- Born: May 3, 1933
- Died: Dec. 25, 2006
- Tom Copi // Getty Images
- Born: April 2, 1939
- Died: April 1, 1984
- Paul Natkin // Getty Images
- Original members: David Ruffin (main lead singer), Paul Williams (secondary lead singer), Eddie Kendricks (first tenor lead singer), Melvin Franklin (bass lead singer)
- Essential listening: “My Girl” (1964)
- Michael Ochs Archives// Getty Images
- Born: Sept. 23, 1926
- Died: July 17, 1967
- JP Jazz Archive // Getty Images
- Born: March 25, 1942
- Died: Aug. 16, 2018
- Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images
- Born: Nov. 27, 1942
- Died: Sept. 18, 1970
- Evening Standard // Getty Images
- Born: Feb. 6, 1945
- Died: May 11, 1981
- Gijsbert Hanekroot // Getty Images
- Born: April 16, 1955
- Esential listening: “Better Future” (with Mr. Green, 2019)
- Jemal Countess // Getty Images
- Original members: Maurice White (vocals, kalimba, drums, percussion), Verdine White (bass, percussion, vocals), Philip Bailey (vocals, conga, percussion, kalimba), Ralph Johnson (drums, percussion, vocals), B. David Whitworth (percussion, vocals), Myron McKinley (keyboards, musical director), John Paris (drums, vocals), Philip Bailey Jr. (vocals)
- Essential listening: “Sing a Song” (1975)
- Michael Putland // Getty Images
- Born: Aug. 29, 1958
- Died: June 25, 2009
- KMazur // Getty Images
- Born: June 7, 1958
- Died: April 21, 2016
- Neil Lupin // Getty Images
- Born: Aug. 1, 1960
- Essential listening: “ Fight the Power” (1987)
- David Corio // Getty Images
- Born: May 16, 1966
- Essential listening: “ Rhythm Nation” (1989)
- Christopher Polk // Getty Images
- Born: June 16, 1971
- Died: Sept. 13, 1996
- Al Pereira // Getty Images
- Born: Dec. 4, 1969
- Essential listening: “Public Service Announcement” (2003)
- Brian Ach // Getty Images
- Born: Sept. 4, 1981
- Essential listening: “ Formation” (2016)
- Larry Busacca/PW18 // Getty Images
- Born: June 17, 1987
- Essential listening: “Love.” (Feat. Zacari, 2017)
- Santiago Bluguermann // Getty Images
- Born: April 25, 1917
- Died: June 15, 1996
- Paul Natkin // Getty Images
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
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