Famous African American Singers - List of Famous African American Singers

Music is a field which has been constantly evolving since time immemorial. The rich history of American music has witnessed several significant changes over the past few centuries. Many individuals of African American descent have made waves in the recent past for their prowess in music and have earned many accolades including prestigious awards for their efforts. The most popular example would probably be the king of pop Michael Jackson, who revolutionized world music with his style. His tracks such as ‘Beat It’, ‘Thriller’, ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Black or White’ are anthems among the youth even today. Michael, or MJ as he’s popularly known, is a recipient of 13 Grammy awards. He has also been felicitated with 26 American music Awards for his incredible talent. Many of his songs have topped the ‘Billboard Hot 100’ charts. The legendary Ray Charles is another legendary musician who has millions of followers worldwide. He was also mentioned in the list of ‘100 Greatest Artists of All Time’, published by the ‘Rolling Stones’ magazine. Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Beyonce and Nina Simone are a few other African American singers who have made their community proud. Some of these singers also enjoy a major fan following on social media platforms as well. Scroll below to know the names of singers of African American descent who have changed world music in a great way. Some of their works have influenced many famous singers of today.

Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Beyonce are a few famous American singers.

The Most Famous African American Singers

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
Snoop DoggOctober 20, 1971AmericanSnoop Dogg is an American rapper and actor who emerged as one of the best-known figures in gangsta rap during the 1990s
Kanye WestJune 8, 1977AmericanKanye West is an American hip-hop musician, rapper, lyricist, record producer, film director and fashion designer.
CoolioAugust 1, 1963AmericanCoolio is a well-known American rap artist, musician and record producer
Lauryn HillMay 26, 1975AmericanLauryn Noelle Hill is a famous hip-hop female artist from America who is into singing, songwriting, rapping, production and acting
Orlando BrownDecember 4, 1987AmericanOrlando Brown is an African-American actor, rapper, voice actor, and singer
Ice CubeJune 15, 1969AmericanIce Cube is an American hip hop artist, actor and record producer
NellyNovember 2, 1974AmericanNelly is a Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor
James BrownMay 3, 1933AmericanJames Brown was an American musician and recording artist regarded as ‘The Godfather of Soul’
Dr. DreFebruary 18, 1965AmericanDr Dre (Andre Romelle Young) is an American rapper, producer and entrepreneur
AaliyahJanuary 16, 1979AmericanAaliyah was an American singer best known for her album ‘Age Ain't Nothing but a Number’
Nina Simone

Nina Simone

Nina Simone was one of the most iconic American musical icons of the 20th century

AmericanFebruary 21, 1933257 views

Cab Calloway

Cab Calloway was a jazz singer and bandleader

AmericanDecember 25, 1907328 views

Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson Jr

AmericanFebruary 19, 1940170 views

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson is an American entertainer best known as the Queen of Pop and R&B

AmericanMay 16, 1966190 views

Ben Harper

Ben Harper is a contemporary American singer-songwriter

AmericanOctober 28, 1969169 views

Aretha Franklin

Popularly known as ‘The Queen of Soul’, Aretha Franklin was an American singer and musician

AmericanMarch 25, 1942173 views

Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer widely regarded as the pioneer of Minneapolis sound

AmericanJune 7, 1958136 views

The Notorious B.I.G.

Christopher George Latore Wallace, known by his stage names Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G, or Biggie, was an American rapper

AmericanMay 21, 1972126 views

Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson was one of the best known American singers of the twentieth century

AmericanFebruary 27, 1897224 views

Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith was a famous blues and jazz singer from America who is known for her songs like ‘Downhearted Blues’ and ‘The St

AmericanApril 15, 1894220 views