Singer

Bumbry (1937-2023) was a mezzo-soprano and later, a soprano opera singer, and one of the most celebrated voices of 20th century opera. She exploded onto the international stage after she appeared as Venus in Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus in Germany in 1961. She was the first black woman to perform at this festival and her appearance was met with outrage, scorn, and controversy. Post performance she was hailed the “magnificent ‘Black Venus’” and received 42 curtain calls and a 30-minute standing ovation.

Jones (1869-1933) was an internatioanally acclaimed soprano opera singer who notes were said to be as clear as a mockingbird’s with perfect annunciation. Her remarkable abilities led her to perform at the White House for four U.S. Presidents: Harrison, McKinley, Cleveland, and Roosevelt. Jones toured extensively across Europe, the West Indies, South America, Australia, India, and southern Africa, performing for notable figures including Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales and future King Edward VII of England, and Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany.

Graves (1948-2002) made television history as the first Black woman to star in her own dramatic TV series when she played undercover police officer Christie Love in Get Christie Love! (1974-1975).1 After achieving success in both comedy (as a regular performer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In) and drama, she left Hollywood in the mid-1970s to devote herself to her religious faith as a Jehovah's Witness.

Kitt (1927-2008) rose from poverty in South Carolina, where she lived with relatives, to attend the High School of Performing Arts in New York before launching her career with Katherine Dunham's dance company. She became an international star renowned for her distinctive purring voice, feline grace, and multilingual performances, establishing herself as a symbol of seduction and sophistication with hits like "Santa Baby" (1953) and "C'est Si Bon." Her diverse career spanned Broadway, film, and television, including her memorable role as Catwoman in the 1960s Batman series. Kitt's career faced a significant setback in 1968 when her anti-Vietnam War statements at a White House luncheon led to CIA surveillance and an effective blacklisting in the U.S., though she later triumphantly returned to Broadway and television.

“My voice is what I think life is, my voice is beauty, my voice is America, my voice is my blackness, my voice is love, my voice is God.” Extraordinary spinto soprano and Prima Donna, Price (1927) is ...

Cardwell (1894-1962) was a Musician, Educator, and founder of the extraordinary National Negro Opera Company (Pittsburg, 1941), and the Cardwell School of Music.

Singer, Actress, and Host, McNair (1934-2007) was one of the first Black women to host a television show (1969-1971).

Robinson (1936-2011) was a Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, the Mother of Hip Hop, and a founder and the CEO of Sugar Hill Records.

A quadruple threat as an actress, singer, dancer, and director, Guy's dynamic career spans from her early days as a dancer for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to her continued work in television and film. Her versatility is evident in her two albums (Jasmine Guy and Try Me), Broadway performances in Grease!, Leader of the Pack, The Wiz, Dancin' in the Street, Bubbling Brown Sugar, and Chicago, and roles in Spike Lee's School Daze, Harlem Nights, Stompin' at the Savoy, and The Vampire Diaries.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - the progenitor of rock-n-roll. Tharpe is known for her signature musical style which fused the worlds of gospel and secular music with a sprinkling of her electric guitar.

Franklin (1942-2018) was a singer, songwriter, and pianist whose distinctive vocals and fusion of gospel, soul, and R&B earned her recognition as the "Queen of Soul." She amassed extraordinary commercial and critical successes, selling more than 85 million records worldwide and earning 18 Grammy Awards and 44 nominations. Her achievements continued throughout her career, and in 1987, she made history as the first woman performer inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Rolling Stone magazine twice named her the greatest singer of all time.

Smith (1894 - 1937) was known as the Empress of the Blues and was preeminent during the Jazz Age and Harlem Renaissance.

"The First Lady of Song", Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) was the 20th century's preeminent jazz vocalist renowned for her pure tone, impeccable diction, scat singing mastery, and critically acclaimed interpretations of the Great American Songbook. She was also the first black woman to win a grammy. Over her six-decade career, she set vocal excellence standards, influenced multiple genres, and amassed top accolades including 13 Grammys, 1 Grammy Lifetime Achievement award, and the National Medal of Arts.

Verrett (1931-2010) was an operatic mezzo-soprano who established herself as a soprano sfogato, mastering both vocal ranges with extraordinary power and flexibility throughout her celebrated career. She rose to international prominence from the late 1960s through the 1990s, earning particular acclaim for her commanding interpretations of Verdi and Donizetti heroines, along with definitive portrayals of roles like Carmen, Tosca, and Lady Macbeth.

A talented singer-songwriter and actress, who was a beloved figure in the music industry who is remembered for her for her significant contributions to R&B and jazz. She left a permanent mark with her powerful vocal range, captivating voice, stunning beauty, and undeniable stage presence.