March 18, 1941 Wilson Pickett, R&B singer and songwriter, was born in Prattville, Alabama. In 1955, Pickett moved to Detroit, Michigan where he joined a gospel group and developed his forceful, passionate style of singing.
Wilson Pickett – March 18th in African American History
Tags: Grammy Award, January 19, March 18, Pioneer Award, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, songwriter
Sam John “Lightnin” Hopkins – March 15th in African American History
Tags: January 30, March 15, singer, songwriter
March 15, 1912 Sam John “Lightnin” Hopkins, country blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter, was born in Centreville, Texas. Hopkins developed a deep appreciation of the blues at the age of eight, but did not make his first recording until 1946.
Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton – December 11th in African American History
Tags: Blues Hall of Fame, R&B, singer, songwriter
December 11, 1926 Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, singer and songwriter, was born in Ariton, Alabama. Thornton began to sing at a very early age and at 14 she joined the Hot Harlem Revue and toured with them for seven years. Thornton began her recording career in 1951 and the next year recorded “Hound Dog.”
John William “Johnny” Bristol – February 3rd in African American History
Tags: Air Force, Grammy Award, Motown Records, record producer, songwriter
February 3, 1939 John William “Johnny” Bristol, musician, songwriter, and record producer, was born 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 and produce some of their […]
Jester Joseph Hairston – January 18th in African American History
January 18, 2000 Jester Joseph Hairston, songwriter, choral conductor, and film and television actor, died. Hairston was born July 9, 1901 in Belews Creek, North Carolina. He graduated cum laude from Tufts University in 1928 and studied music at the Juilliard School. In the early stages of his career, he worked as a choir conductor. […]
December 30th in African American History – Elias Otha Bates (Bo Diddley)
Tags: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, songwriter
December 30, 1928 Elias Otha Bates (Bo Diddley), vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, was born in McComb, Mississippi. In 1934, his family moved to Chicago, Illinois where in the early 1940s Diddley began to perform. In 1954, he recorded “Bo Diddley” which became a number one R&B hit in 1955. He continued to have hits during […]
August 22nd in African American History – John Lee Hooker
Tags: Blues Hall of Fame, Grammy Award, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, singer, songwriter
John Lee Hooker August 22, 1917 John Lee Hooker, singer, songwriter, and blues guitarist, was born in Coahoma County near Clarksdale, Mississippi. At the age of 15, Hooker ran away from home and in 1948 landed in Detroit, Michigan working at the Ford Motor Company and playing in the blues venues and saloons on Hasting […]
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Other African American History Posts
- October 18th in African American History – Thomas Hearns
- October 29th in African American History – George Murphy “Pops” Foster
- May 9th in African American History – Lena Mary Calhoun Horne
- December 19th in African American History – Milton John Hinton
- May 13th in African American History – Mary Esther Wells
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