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![Biographies](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090117041043im_/http://www.infoplease.com/images/genbios_header.gif)
Notable African-American Musicians
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090117041043im_/http://i.infoplease.com/images/bsmith2.gif) | Bessie Smith
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Browse more African-American biographies by category:
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- 50 Cent, rapper
- Aaliyah, singer and actress
- Akon, singer
- Marian Anderson, opera singer
- Louis Armstrong, jazz musician
- Josephine Baker, singer and dancer
- Count Basie, jazz musician and composer
- Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000), rap artist
- Chuck Berry, rock and roll musician and songwriter
- Eubie Blake, pianist and composer
- Mary J. Blige, singer, songwriter
- Boyz II Men, R&B/hip-hop group
- Brandy, singer and actress
- Foxy Brown, rapper
- James Brown, soul singer
- Harry T. Burleigh, American baritone and composer
- Busta Rhymes, rapper
- Cab Calloway, jazz singer and band leader
- Benny Carter, jazz saxophonist and composer
- Betty Carter, jazz singer
- Chamillionaire, rapper
- Ray Charles, singer, pianist, and composer
- Chingy, rapper
- Chuck D, musician
- Ciara, singer
- George Clinton, musician
- Natalie Cole, singer
- Nat "King" Cole, musician and composer
- John Coltrane, jazz saxophonist
- Sean "Diddy" Combs, rap singer and producer
- Coolio, rap singer
- Miles Davis, trumpet player and composer
- Sammy Davis Jr., entertainer
- William L. Dawson, composer and conductor
- Destiny's Child, R&B group
- Robert Nathaniel Dett, composer and pianist
- Bo Diddley, rock-and-roll singer, guitarist, and songwriter
- DMX, rapper
- Snoop Dogg, rap musician
- Antoine "Fats" Domino, singer
- Thomas A. Dorsey, gospel music composer
- Dr. Dre, rap singer and producer
- Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, singer and producer
- Duke Ellington, jazz musician and composer
- Missy Elliott, rapper, music producer
- Ella Fitzgerald, jazz singer
- Aretha Franklin, soul singer
- The Fugees, hip-hop group
- The Game, rapper
- Marvin Gaye, Motown singer and songwriter
- Dizzy Gillespie, jazz musician and composer
- Berry Gordy, Jr., record company executive
- Lionel Hampton, musician, band leader
- Herbie Hancock, jazz musician
- William Christopher Handy, songwriter and band leader
- Ben Harper, musician
- Roland Hayes, American opera singer
- Jimi Hendrix, rock musician, guitarist
- Lauryn Hill, rap artist, producer
- Billie Holiday, jazz singer
- John Lee Hooker, blues guitarist, singer, songwriter
- Lena Horne, singer
- Whitney Houston, singer, actress
- Ice Cube, rap artist, actor
- Ice T, rap artist, actor
- Janet Jackson, singer, dancer, actress
- Mahalia Jackson, gospel singer
- Michael Jackson, musician
- Ja Rule, rapper
- Jay-Z, rapper, music producer, business personality
- Eve Jeffers, rapper, actor
- Johnnie Johnson, blues and rock pianist
- Robert Johnson, blues singer, guitarist
- Mike Jones, rapper
- Quincy Jones, pop-soul composer, producer
- Scott Joplin, ragtime pianist and composer
- B. B. King, guitarist
- Queen Latifah, rap musician, actress
- Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, singer
- Lil' Bow Wow, rapper
- Lil' Fizz, rapper, actor
- Lil' Kim, rapper
- Lil' Romeo, rapper, actor
- Ludacris, rapper
- Wynton Marsalis, jazz trumpeter, composer
- Master P, rap musician, filmmaker, record label executive
- Charles Mingus, jazz musician
- Thelonious Monk, jazz pianist, composer, and arranger
- Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, jazz composer
- Mos Def, rapper, actor
- Mya, singer, songwriter
- Nas, musician, actor
- Nelly, rap artist
- Aaron Neville, singer
- Jessye Norman, opera singer
- The Notorious B.I.G., rap artist
- Outkast, rappers
- Charlie "Bird" Parker, jazz saxophonist
- Antwan Patton (Big Boi), rap artist
- Pretty Ricky, singers
- Leontyne Price, opera singer
- Prince, singer and producer
- Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, blues singer
- Otis Redding, singer
- Paul Robeson, actor and singer
- Smokey Robinson, singer and songwriter
- Darius Rucker, pop singer
- Tupac Shakur, rap artist and actor
- Nina Simone, singer
- Bessie Smith, blues singer
- Will Smith, rap artist and actor
- William Grant Still, composer
- Howard Swanson, composer
- Tone-Loc, rapper, actor
- Tina Turner, R&B singer
- Luther Vandross, R&B singer
- Sarah Vaughan, jazz singer
- Thomas "Fats" Waller, jazz pianist and songwriter
- Dinah Washington, blues and jazz singer
- Muddy Waters, blues singer
- Junior Wells, blues singer and harmonica player
- Kanye West, music producer, rapper
- John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, blues singer and harmonica player
- Cassandra Wilson, jazz singer
- Howlin' Wolf, blues singer and composer
- Stevie Wonder, singer, composer, producer
- Wu-Tang Clan, hip-hop band
- Lester Young, jazz musician
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