May 16, 2010 Henry “Hank” Jones, jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer, died. Jones was born July 31, 1918 in Vicksburg, Mississippi but raised in Pontiac, Michigan. He studied piano at an early age and by the age of 13 was performing in Michigan and Ohio. In 1944, he moved to New York City and from […]
Tag Archives | Grammy Award
May 13th in African American History – Mary Esther Wells
May 13, 1943 Mary Esther Wells, singer and The Queen of Motown, was born in Detroit, Michigan. By the age of 10 Wells had moved from singing in church choirs to performing in nightclubs around Detroit. In 1960 she was signed to Tamla Records, a subsidiary of Motown, and wrote and recorded “Bye Bye Baby” […]
May 12th in African American History – Alwyn Lopez “Al” Jarreau
May 12, 1940 Alwyn Lopez “Al” Jarreau, vocalist, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jarreau earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Ripon College in 1962 and a Master’s Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation from the University of Iowa in 1964. In 1968, he decided to make music his primary occupation and began playing in […]
May 9th in African American History – Lena Mary Calhoun Horne
May 9, 2010 Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, singer, actress, dancer and Civil Rights activist, died. Horne was born June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 16, she joined the chorus line at the Cotton Club and a few years later joined the Noble Sissle Orchestra. In 1943, she became the first […]
May 7th in African American History – Thelma Jackson Houston
May 7, 1946 Thelma Jackson Houston, singer, actress, and songwriter, was born in Leland, Mississippi. In 1969 Houston released her debut album, “Sunshower,” and in 1971 she signed with Motown Records. Houston’s first successful single was “You’ve Been Doing Wrong for So Long” (1974) which earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal […]
McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters) – April 30th in African American History
April 30, 1983 McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters), blues musician and “the father of Chicago Blues,” died. Waters was born April 4, 1913 in Issaquena County, Mississippi. He started out playing the harmonica but by age 17 he was playing the guitar at parties. In 1943, Waters moved to Chicago and drove a truck and worked […]
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington – April 29th in African American History
April 29, 1899 Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, composer, pianist and big band leader, was born in Washington, D. C. Ellington began taking piano lessons at the age of 7 and at 14 wrote his first composition, “Soda Fountain Rag.” At the age of 18, he formed his first group, The Duke’s Serenaders, who played throughout […]