American Academy of Achievement
Academy of Achievement: Sonny Rollins
A biography of Sonny Rollins, a jazz soloist who plays tenor saxophone. He is considered to be the greatest living jazz soloist whose breadth and depth of talent seems to know no bounds. Includes a profile, videos, and a photo gallery.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Black List Project: Sean Combs
With this resource, students can discover the story of rapper, record producer, clothing designer, and political activist, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, while viewing a photo and reading a biography.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Archives Center: Duke Ellington: Biography
A useful biographical note of Duke Ellington.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Lucky Thompson
Biographical details on Lucky Thompson, an American jazz musician, one of the most distinctive and creative bop-era tenor saxophonists, who in later years played soprano saxophone as well.
American Academy of Achievement
Academy of Achievement: Esperanza Spalding
Biography of jazz musician, singer and songwriter, Esperanza Spalding.
American Academy of Achievement
Academy of Achievement: Wynton Marsalis
A biography of jazz musician Wynton Marsalis. A musical prodigy, he began playing in orchestras while still in high school. He later won the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Includes a profile, videos, and a photo gallery.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Prince
Explore detailed biographical information on black funk/white rock star musician, Prince, a 2004 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a recommended reading list and essential songs.
PBS
Pbs: Jazz: Lionel Hampton
Part of the PBS site on Jazz by Ken Burns. Provides the biography of Lionel Hampton, vibraphonist, drummer, and bandleader.
Other
Al Jadid Magazine: Remembering Farid Al Atrash
This biography of Arab musician and composer Farid al-Atrash discusses both his personal and musical lives and argues for his recognition as one of the most important contemporary Arab musicians.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: John Mellencamp
Biographical information on American rocker, John Mellencamp, a 2008 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline and list of most popular songs.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Led Zeppelin
Features extensive biographical information on influential Seventies rock and roll band, Led Zeppelin, 1995 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, recommended reading list, and essential songs.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: The Staple Singers
Recounts detailed biographical information on "God's greatest hitmakers", The Staple Singers, 1999 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, recommended reading, and essential songs list.
PBS
Welcome to the Club the Women of Rockabilly
Learn about the women who were the queens of rockabilly. Listen to samples of their music, read brief biographies and view a timeline ranging 70 years.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: T Bone Walker
Biographical information on African-American musician and songwriter T-Bone Walker, a major figure in modern blues. He was the first important electric guitar soloist in the blues and one of its most influential players.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Art Pepper
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Art Pepper, an American jazz musician noted for the beauty of his sound and his improvisations on alto saxophone, and a major figure in the 1950s in West Coast jazz (see cool jazz).
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Billy Eckstine
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Billy Eckstine, an American singer and bandleader who achieved great personal success while fostering the careers of a number of younger jazz musicians.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Bunk Johnson
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Bunk Johnson, a black American jazz trumpeter, one of the first musicians to play jazz and a principal figure of the 1940s traditional jazz revival.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Lionel Hampton
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Lionel Hampton, an American jazz musician and bandleader, known for the rhythmic vitality of his playing and his showmanship as a performer. Best known for his work on the vibraphone,...
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Dolly Parton
This resource provides extensive information on the life and career of country music star, Dolly Parton. As a singer, songwriter, and actress she has been entertaining people for almost fifty years.
PBS
Pbs: Jazz: Teddy Wilson
Part of the larger site, Jazz by PBS and Ken Burns, this page highlights the life of Teddy Wilson, one of the first black musicians to play with prominently white artists. Biographical information is from the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz.
Other
Dulcinea Media Inc.: Grandes De La Musica: Pablo Sarasate
This is a short biography of Pablo Sarasate who was a Spanish violinist and composer of the Romantic period.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Guide to Black History: Duke Ellington
Biography of Duke Ellington, one of the originators of big band jazz, and a noted composer.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Albert King
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Albert King, an American blues musician who created a unique string-bending guitar style that influenced three generations of musicians.
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.