January 16, 1979 Aaliyah Dana Houghton, recording artist, actress, and model, was born in Brooklyn, New York, but raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of nine, Aaliyah appeared on the television show “Star Search” and at the age of eleven she performed in concert with Gladys Knight. Her debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothing But […]
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January 14th in African American History – James Todd Smith (L. L. Cool J)
January 14, 1968 James Todd Smith (L. L. Cool J), rapper, actor, and author, was born in Bay Shore, New York. In 1985, Cool J’s debut album, “Radio,” was released to critical acclaim and went platinum with more than 1.5 million in sales. Other albums followed, including “Bigger and Deffer” (1987), “Mr. Smith” (1995), “G.O.A.T.” […]
January 13th in African American History – Theodore DeReese “Teddy” Pendergrass
January 13, 2010 Theodore DeReese “Teddy” Pendergrass, singer and songwriter, died. Pendergrass was born March 26, 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began his career as a drummer with The Cadillacs, who soon merged with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. With Pendergrass singing lead vocals, the group had such hits as “If You Don’t Know […]
January 11th in African American History – Mary Jane Blige
January 11, 1971 Mary Jane Blige, singer, record producer and “Queen of Hip Hop Soul,” was born in The Bronx, New York. Blige spent her early years in Savannah, Georgia where she sang in a church choir. In 1989, she was signed by Uptown Records, becoming the label’s youngest and first female artist. In 1991, […]
January 6th in African American History – Louis Allen Rawls
January 6, 2006 Louis Allen Rawls, soul, jazz, and blues singer, died. Rawls was born December 1, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. He sang with Sam Cooke in a 1950s gospel group. He also sang background on Cooke’s recording of “Bring it on Home to Me” in 1962 and that same year released his first single […]
January 5th in African American History – Charles Mingus, Jr.
January 5, 1979 Charles Mingus, Jr., jazz bassist, composer and bandleader, died. Mingus was born April 22, 1922 in Nogales, Arizona. He began writing advanced jazz pieces as a teenager. Mingus toured with Louis Armstrong in 1943 and in 1945 began recording. In 1952, Mingus co-founded Debut Records in order to conduct his recording career […]
January 4th in African American History – Grace Bumbry
January 4, 1937 Grace Bumbry, considered one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. At the age of 17, Bumbry won a competition singing the aria “O don fatale” but was denied the first-place prize scholarship to the local music conservatory because it did not accept black students.