March 27, 1924 Sarah Lois Vaughan, jazz singer known as “The Divine One,” was born in Newark, New Jersey. Vaughan began piano lessons at the age of seven and sang in the church choir. By her mid-teens, she was performing in local nightclubs. In 1942, Vaughan sang “Body and Soul” at the Apollo Amateur Night […]
Tag Archives | Grammy Award
March 27th in African American History – Mariah Carey
March 27, 1970 Mariah Carey, singer, songwriter and actress, was born in Long Island, New York. Carey began singing at the age of three and by high school was working as a demo singer for local recording studios. Carey co-wrote the tracks on her 1990 debut album, “Mariah Carey,” which resulted in her winning Grammy […]
March 21st in African American History – John William “Johnny” Bristol
March 21, 2004 John William “Johnny” Bristol, musician, songwriter and record producer, died. Bristol was born February 3, 1939 in Morganton, North Carolina. After serving in the United States Air Force, Bristol recorded several singles before his label was absorbed by Motown Records in the mid-1960s. At Motown, he teamed with Harvey Fuqua to write […]
March 18th in African American History – Vanessa Lynn Williams
March 18, 1963 Vanessa Lynn Williams, model, singer, songwriter and actress, was born in Tarrytown, New York. Williams began competing in beauty pageants in the early 1980s and in September, 1983 was crowned Miss America 1984, the first Miss America of African descent. Her short reign was initially marred by the fact that she became […]
March 16th in African American History – Aaron Thibeaux “T-Bone” Walker
March 16, 1975 Aaron Thibeaux “T-Bone” Walker, blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, died. Walker was born May 28, 1910 in Linden, Texas and learned his craft as a teenager. He made his debut recordings in 1929 with “Wichita Falls Blues” and “Trinity River Blues.” Much of his output was recorded between 1946 and 1948, including […]
March 7th in African American History – Ali Ibrahim “Farka” Toure
March 7, 2006 Ali Ibrahim “Farka” Toure, guitarist, singer and one of Africa’s most internationally renowned musicians, died. Toure was born October 31, 1939 in Timbuktu, Mali. Toure was the first African bluesman to achieve widespread popularity in Africa and was often called “the African John Lee Hooker.” He appeared in the 2003 documentary “Feel […]
March 1st in African American History – Harold George “Harry” Belafonte, Jr.
March 1, 1927 Harold George “Harry” Belafonte, Jr., musician, actor and social activist, was born in New York City. Belafonte served in the United States Navy during World War II and after his discharge began his music career singing in clubs to pay for acting classes.