Other
Labor Arts: Labor Sings
Many songs, born of the American labor and civil rights movements, called people to action and were used to spread the messages of workers' rights and civil rights. Here you will find a nice collection of such songs. All songs in the...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Snoop Dogg
Learn about the life of American rapper and songwriter, Snoop Dogg, who became one of the best-known figures in gangsta rap in the 1990s and was for many the epitome of West Coast hip-hop culture.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Clyde Mc Phatter
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Clyde McPhatter, an American rhythm-and-blues singer popular in the 1950s whose emotional style anticipated soul music.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Ike Turner
Biographical account of Ike Turner, the American rhythm-and-blues and soul performer, and producer who was best known for his work with Tina Turner.
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: Invention of the Electric Guitar
Can you imagine music without the electric guitar? The Lemelson Center provides us with a comprehensive overview on the history behind its invention and design. Includes photos depicting how the design has changed over the years and...
Other
Ascap Official Website
The official site by The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Of interest is the history of ASCAP as well as articles for those wanting to learn more about the music business.
PBS
Pbs: Jazz Timeline
With this timeline, learn about how the history of slavery, Jim Crow laws and other forms of racial oppression impacted the rise of jazz in America. Also highlights the achievements of women, including Viola Smith in this world of music....
Other
Lenape Lifeways: About the Lenapes
A detailed site providing lots of information about the Lenapes. Topics covered include where they lived, their communities, work, tools, shelter, clothing, food, transportation, pastimes and entertainment, medicine and health, beliefs,...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Janet Jackson
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Janet Jackson, an American singer and actress whose increasingly mature version of dance-pop music made her one of the most popular recording artists of the 1980s and '90s.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Whitney Houston
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Whitney Houston, an American singer and actress who was one of the best-selling musical performers of the 1980s and '90s.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Wayne Shorter
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Wayne Shorter, an African-American musician and composer, a major jazz saxophonist, among the most influential hard-bop and modal musicians and a pioneer of jazz-rock fusion music.
Other
Uc Press: Workin' Man Blues
This site, from the University of California Press, offers a description of Gerald Haslam's book about country music in California called "Workin' Man Blues." The site also offers a bit of information about Haslam's life and other works.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: A Guide Through the Culture of the Blues
An extraordinary curriculum unit to teach blues and all its cultural implications.
Other
Los Melodicos
This website provides a history, photos, and list of records for the popular Venezuelan music group - Los Melodicos. The homepage is not real exciting but the history link and the photos are interesting.
Other
Mad River Theater Works: The Ballad of John Henry [Pdf]
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.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Literatura De Los Estados Unidos
Wikipedia overview in Spanish of American literature from its roots to contemporary authors and themes. This entry is a broad sweep -- no era is covered in depth but it's a helpful "big picture" view for Spanish-speaking students, with...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Lloyd Price
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Lloyd Price, an American singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Price made his mark in rock music history with his exuberant tenor and his flair for recasting rhythm and blues as...
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Influence of Folk
This site, which explores the influence of musical folk traditions in the poetry of Langston Hughes and Nicolas Guillen, provides lesson plans, a biography, examples of Hughes' poetry, and details about his meeting with Nicolas Guillen.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Stevie Wonder
A brief biographical sketch of Stevie Wonder, an African-American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, a child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Etta Baker
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...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Carl Van Vechten
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.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Ain't That America
Students think that classic literature and historic events have little in common with life today, right? Think again! In this instructional activity, students get a chance to compare themes from classic novels or from American history to...
Other
Native Peoples: Powwow 101
This article explains what a powwow is, some of its history, how native people feel about them, powwow etiquette, the music, the dances, and the regalia. (Published July-August 2004 issue)
Other
Fact Index: Minstrel Show
Fact-Index.com offers detailed information on the American minstrel show, including history, structure, characters, music, and legacy.