04/22/1922 - 01/05/1979
Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.
10/10/1926 - 05/29/2005
Oscar Brown, Jr (October 10, 1926 – May 29, 2005) was not a man easily defined. He was known as songwriter, composer, actor, singer, director, producer and playwright. He was also an activist, a visionary, and a social commentator...
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11/14/1915 - 06/16/2005
Billy Bauer (November 14, 1915 – June 16, 2005) was an American cool jazz guitarist.
Bauer was an impressive jazz guitarist. He was a melodic, tasteful and sensitive improviser, and a superb accompanist and rhythm-section member with Her...
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04/02/1939 - 04/01/1984
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a four-octavevocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows...
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Eddie Rabbit (Edward Thomas Rabbitt)
11/27/1941 - 05/07/2011
Eddie Rabbitt (November 27, 1941 - May 7, 1998) started as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ron...
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06/18/1905 - 07/23/1985
James Kern (“Kay”) Kyser (June 18, 1905 – July 23, 1985) was a popular bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s
Louie Bluie (Howard Donald Armstrong)
03/04/1909 - 07/30/2003
Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong was an African American string band and cantry blues musician who played fiddle, mandolin and guitar and also sang. He was also a notable visual artist and raconteur.
Teddy Pendergrass (Theodore DeReese Pendergrass)
08/17/1950 - 01/13/2010
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass (August 17, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue No...
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11/11/1929 - 03/10/1997
American rhythm-and-blues singer notable for her vocal power and rhythmic energy. She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, Illinois. She is occasionally referred to as Delores Williams because of an early marriag...
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03/20/1937 - 09/01/2008
Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films.His song "When You...
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Kate Smith (Kathryn Elizabeth Smith)
05/01/1907 - 06/17/1986
Kathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American singer, best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". Smith had a radio, television, and recording career spanning fi...
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Jackie Wilson (Jack Leroy Wilson)
06/09/1934 - 01/21/1984
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement". He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in...
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07/07/1911 - 02/01/2007
Gian Carlo Menotti (July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian-American composer and librettist.
01/10/1924 - 08/16/2007
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.