September 18, 1970 James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix, guitarist, singer and songwriter, died in London, England. Hendrix was born November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington and acquired his first guitar at the age of 15. A self-taught musician, Hendrix moved to New York in 1964 and played with several backing bands for soul, R&B, and blues […]
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September 17th in African American History – Orlando Manuel Cepeda
September 17, 1937 Orlando Manuel Cepeda, hall of fame baseball player, was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Cepeda began playing Major League baseball in 1958 with the San Francisco Giants and in his first season was named National League Rookie of the Year. Over his 16 season career, he was selected to seven All-Star teams […]
September 17th in African American History – Mary Morris Burnett Talbert
September 17, 1866 Mary Morris Burnett Talbert, orator, activist and suffragist, was born in Oberlin, Ohio. Talbert earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College in 1886, the only African American woman in her class. In 1887, she became an assistant principal at a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, the highest position held […]
September 16th in African American History – Riley “B. B.” King
September 16, 1925 Riley “B. B.” King, blues guitarist and singer/songwriter, was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi. In 1948, King moved to Memphis and worked as a singer and disc jockey at the local R&B radio station. King began recording in 1949 and by the 1950s had become one of the most important names in […]
September 16th in African American History – Mamie Smith
September 16, 1946 Mamie Smith, vaudeville singer, dancer, pianist and actress, died. Smith was born May 26, 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a teenager, she danced in Salem Tutt Whitney’s Smart Set and in 1920 she recorded a set of songs, including “Crazy Blues” and “It’s Right Here For You (If You Don’t Get It, […]
September 15th in African American History – Jessye Mae Norman
September 15, 1945 Jessye Mae Norman, opera singer, was born in Augusta, Georgia. At the age of nine, Norman heard opera for the first time and was immediately an opera fan. She credits Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price as inspiring figures in her career. In 1966, Norman won the National Society of Arts and Letters […]
September 15th in African American History – The National Afro-American Council
September 15, 1898 The National Afro-American Council, the first nationwide civil rights organization in the United States, was founded in Rochester, New York. The council was the brainchild of New York journalist Timothy Thomas Fortune and was led for most of its existence by A. M. E. Zion Bishop Alexander Walters. Other officers of the […]