Celebrating the life and career of jazz legend Duke Ellington, this New York Times site features many articles about him. With a slideshow and pictures, you will learn all about this giant of jazz.

Discusses the career of actress and singer Lena Horne; the site provides a brief biography highlighting her life. Included are also links to some of the major films she was in.

Scroll down this study guide to find the lyrics to the Ballad of John Henry, which was collected from individuals in the West Virginia mountains in the 1920's. Discusses the different versions of the song and the history behind it.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Bobby McFerrin, an American musician noted for his tremendous vocal control and improvisational ability. He often sang a cappella, mixing folk songs, 1960s rock and soul tunes, and jazz...

Offers interesting biographical details on jazz musician, Louis Armstrong, a 1990 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events and essential songs list.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features De La Soul, an American rap group whose debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), was one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Alicia Keys, an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress, who achieved enormous success in the early 2000s with her blend of R&B and soul music.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Elmore James, an American blues singer-guitarist noted for the urgent intensity of his singing and guitar playing. He was a significant influence on the development of rock music.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Etta Baker, an American folk musician who influenced the folk music revival of the 1950s and '60s with her mastery of East Coast Piedmont blues, a unique fingerpicking style of...

Learn about Carl Van Vechten, a U.S. novelist, music and drama critic, and an influential figure in New York literary circles in the 1920s.

This site explores the link between Muslim traditions and American blues music. Using audio content, pictures, text, and the song ?Levee Camp Holler,? this site examines African Muslim history tied to the history of U.S. Blues.

This site from Gotta Dance offers an easy-to-read history of rumba.

Birthplace of the blues style of music, Beale Street produced significant developments in African-American music and the music of the United States generally. W.C. Handy was a prominent Beale Street figure from when this was a lively...

This resource provides information about Chuck Berry.

Presents comprehensive biographical details on rock musician and legend Chuck Berry, a 1986 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events and essential songs list.

This is a phenomenal resource. It allows the user to create a reading list of quality children's literature based of choices such as reading level, type of book, genre, ethnicity, gender, etc. In addition, one can determine if a book won...

CyberBee is designed for K-12 teachers and encourages engaged learning and problem solving skills through a variety of activities based on frameworks such as the WebQuest, treasure hunts, and Big6.

Read biographical facts on the great soul musician and songwriter, Curtis Mayfield who was once a member of the group called the "Impressions".

Read an account of the life and professional career of Oscar winner, Isaac Hayes, who won for his "Theme from Shaft". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Provides comprehensive biographical details on soul musician Marvin Gaye, a 1987 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, essential songs, and recommended reading list.

Jack the Rapper (Jack Gibson) helped open the first African-American-owned radio station in the United States, WERD in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1949. Gibson learned about radio while working as a gofer for deejay Al Benson in Chicago. He...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features W.C. Handy, an African American composer who changed the course of popular music by integrating the blues idiom into then-fashionable ragtime music. Among his best-known works is the...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Solomon Burke, an American singer whose success in the early 1960s in merging the gospel style of the African American church with rhythm and blues helped to usher in the soul music era.

This site from the University of Virginia provides an image "of an 1879 songbook featuring the music of James Bland, an African American composer of minstrel pieces."