February’s Black History Month celebrations have already paid tribute to Black trailblazers across all fields, including STEM and the arts.
To continue these celebrations, here are five Black musicians who pioneered music across genres to listen to in honor of the month.
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Known as the “Godmother of Rock and Roll,” Sister Rosetta Tharpe is often considered the first big gospel musician of the recording age as she became the first gospel artist to have a record cross over the charts. With hits such as “Strange Things Happening Every Day” and “Down by The Riverside,” Tharpe cemented herself as not only a gospel legend but also as an early rock-and-roll pioneer. While her powerful vocals made waves in the gospel community, her playing style and use of heavy distortion on her electric Les Paul Gibson SG gave Tharpe the title of “The Founding Godmother of Guitar.” Amongst the artists that Tharpe influenced are Johnny Cash, the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Bob Dylan and more.
- DJ Kool Herc: Often referred to as “the creator of Hip Hop,” DJ Kool Herc, born Clive Campbell in Jamaica, helped shape the genre through his dance parties in the South Bronx during the early 1970s. Incorporating features of mixing styles by Jamaican toasters, Herc helped lay the foundation for rapping in hip hop when he encouraged Coke La Rock to rap while he deejayed and “break-boys” and “break girls” took to the floor. Another technique that Herc helped create was “the Merry-Go-Round,” a method of elongating the record by playing the same record on two turntables. Herc would go on to influence other hip-hop pioneers such as Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa.
- DeFord Bailey: Known as “the Harmonica Wizard,” DeFord Bailey is often considered the first Black musician to become a country star. As a virtuoso harmonica player, Bailey initially spent his time practicing jazz, blues and pop standards from records and live shows to play for street audiences. In 1925, after moving to Nashville, Bailey eventually got his big break, winning second place in a French harp contest held by WDAD Radio with a cover of “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More.” With this initial exposure on WDAD Radio, Bailey was given more airplay, playing on WSM Radio and releasing records under Victor Records. With the success of records like “Ice Water Blues/Davidson County,” he eventually became the first Black musician to perform on the Grand Ole Opry.
- Scott Joplin: As a composer and a self-taught pianist, Scott Joplin achieved recognition in the late 1800s and early 1900s by pioneering a genre known as “ragtime.” Often considered the precursor to jazz, the main qualities of Joplin’s ragtime include syncopated melodies and accented notes. While he noted the creation of this genre in his music, Joplin viewed his ragtime compositions primarily as classical pieces, writing études and operas. Amongst his most famous works are “Maple Leaf Rag” and “Treemonisha.”
- Aretha Franklin: Perhaps one of the most successful and well-known artists to come out of the 20th century, As a powerhouse vocalist whose music transcended genres and one of the most successful women to come out of the recording industry, Franklin holds a number of achievements to her name. In addition to being the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, she was known for 40 years as the female artist with the most records to earn a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the first artist to ever be awarded for a Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance Grammy.
