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.
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.
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.
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.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: The Platters
Features interesting biographical details on popular Fifties black vocal group, the Platters, 1990 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events and essential songs list.
Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press.
New Georgia Encyclopedia: Isaac Hayes (B. 1942)
Overview of the life and career of soul musician Isaac Hayes who was the first African American to win an Academy Award for Best original Song for the "Theme from Shaft."
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: 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: 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: 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: Dicky Wells
Biographical sketch of Dicky Wells, leading black American jazz trombonist noted, especially in the big band era, for his melodic creativity and expressive techniques.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Coleman Hawkins
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Coleman Hawkins, an American jazz musician whose improvisational mastery of the tenor saxophone, which had previously been viewed as little more than a novelty, helped establish it as one...
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...
My Hero Project
My Hero: Scott Joplin
This article includes information on the life and musical contributions of Scott Joplin, the composer who gave us such songs as "The Entertainer" and "The Maple Leaf Rag."
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.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Jamie Foxx
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jamie Foxx, an American comedian, musician, and actor, who became known for his impersonations on the television sketch-comedy show In Living Color and later proved himself a versatile...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Johnny Dodds
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Johnny Dodds, an African-American musician noted as one of the most lyrically expressive of jazz clarinetists.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Meade Lewis
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Meade Lewis, an American musician, one of the leading exponents of boogie-woogie.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Milt Jackson
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Milt Jackson, an African-American jazz musician, the first and most influential vibraphone improviser of the postwar, modern jazz era.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Sammy Price
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Sammy Price, an American pianist and bandleader, a jazz musician rooted in the old rhythm and blues and boogie-woogie traditions who had a long career as a soloist and accompanist.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Will Smith
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Will Smith, an American actor and musician whose charisma, clean-cut good looks, and quick wit helped him transition from rap music to a successful career in acting.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: History Wired: Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington
Learn about the great big band leader Duke Ellington at this informative website. This site highlights his life and career in a well written article.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Prince
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Prince, a singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer, dancer, and performer on keyboards, drums, and bass who was among the most talented American musicians of his generation. Like Stevie...