Ray Charles Robinson was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called “Brother Ray.” He was often referred to as “The Genius.” Charles was blinded during childhood due to glaucoma. Continue reading Profile: Ray Charles (1930-2004)
Nathaniel Adams Coles, known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer and jazz pianist. He recorded over one hundred songs that became hits on the pop charts. His trio was the model for small jazz ensembles that followed. Cole also acted in films and on television and performed on Broadway. Continue reading Profile: Nat King Cole (1919-1965)
Harry Belafonte is a Jamaican-American singer, songwriter, activist, and actor. One of the most successful Jamaican-American pop stars in history, he was dubbed the “King of Calypso” for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. Continue reading Profile: Harry Belafonte (1927-)
Soprano Leontyne Price became one of the first internationally recognized African-American opera stars. Continue reading Who is Leontyne Price (1927-)
