Clara Ward (1924-1973) was a singer whose storied career and one-of-a-kind voice helped bring gospel into mainstream music....

Eileen Southern (1920-2002) dedicated her life to documenting the traditions of Black music in America. Through her work, she...

Diana Ross (1944-present) has a career that has spanned the last six decades. She is the only female artist to have number one...

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (c.1886-1939) was known as the Mother of the Blues. With her full, deep throated voice and lyrics that...

Leontyne Price (1927-present) broke barriers by singing in a long-segregated style–opera. She became one of the most beloved...

Julia Perry (1924-1979) was a prolific composer whose music combined a career’s worth of study in European classical training...

Odetta (1930-2008) was a folk icon whose songs were the soundtrack of the protest movement of the 50s and 60s. She influenced a...