Famous African American Singers - List of Famous African American Singers - page 2

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’
Lena Horne

Lena Horne

Lena Horne was a famous American actress and civil rights activist and is remembered for her roles in ‘The Duke Is Tops’ and ‘Cabin in the Sky’

AmericanJune 30, 1917309 views

Dr. Dre

Dr Dre (Andre Romelle Young) is an American rapper, producer and entrepreneur

AmericanFebruary 18, 1965338 views

Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist

AmericanOctober 18, 1926167 views

Aaron Neville

Aaron Neville is an American R&B singer and musician best known for his hits like ‘Tell It Like It Is’

AmericanJanuary 24, 1941144 views

Aaliyah

Aaliyah was an American singer best known for her album ‘Age Ain't Nothing but a Number’

AmericanJanuary 16, 1979332 views

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye was an American musician who revitalized the genre of R&B music

AmericanApril 2, 1939167 views

Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk was an American jazz artist, pianist and composer, who is considered as one of the pioneers of the American jazz music

AmericanOctober 10, 1917147 views

Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, record producer and talk show host

AmericanMarch 18, 1970198 views

Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson was a famous African-American singer, actor, and civil rights activist

AmericanApril 9, 1898137 views

Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker was an American-born French dancer and actress

FrenchJune 3, 1906118 views