Black History Month Music

This musical artist was rumored to have sold his soul for his talent.

• Tom Morello

• BB King

• Robert Johnson

• John Coltrane

This musical artist performed with her famous father after he passed away.

• Natalie Cole

• Nina Simone

• Aretha Franklin

• Billie Holliday

This musical artist had an extremely long career, performing at least 250 shows per year into his 70s.

• B.B. King

• Lenny Kravitz

• John Coltrane

• Chuck Berry

This singer's vocal style was based on the phrasings of jazz instrumentalists.

• Nina Simone

• Eartha Kitt

• Marvin Gaye

• Billie Holiday

This multi-talented celebrity was blacklisted for voicing concern about the war in Vietnam.

• Eartha Kitt

• Aretha Franklin

• Marian Anderson

• Natalie Cole

This singer was called the Queen of Soul.

• Nina Simone

• Natalie Cole

• Billie Holiday

• Aretha Frankliin

This singer performed at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 after being denied a performance at a segregated auditorium.

• Marian Anderson

• Eartha Kitt

• Natalie Cole

• Billie Holiday

This saxophone player invented free jazz.

• Louis Armstrong

• Tom Morello

• B.B. King

• John Coltrane

This singer was very active in the civil rights movement and is sometimes referred to as the High Priestess of Soul.

• Nina Simone

• Anita Pointer

• Natalie Cole

• Bonnie Pointer

This guitarist wrote and performed "Johnny B. Goode" and developed the rockabilly sound.

• Chuck Berry

• B.B. King

• Marvin Gaye

• Robert Johnson