Famous African American Singers - List of Famous African American Singers - page 3

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’
James Brown

James Brown

James Brown was an American musician and recording artist regarded as ‘The Godfather of Soul’

AmericanMay 3, 1933359 views

Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus was an eminent African-American jazz musician

AmericanApril 22, 1922142 views

Ray Charles

Ray Charles was a popular American singer, songwriter and was the discoverer of soul music

AmericanSeptember 23, 1930208 views

Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole was an American musician, singer and jazz pianist

AmericanMarch 17, 1919135 views

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott is a five times Grammy Award winning American rapper, singer, songwriter and producer

AmericanJuly 1, 1971178 views

Michael Jackson

Popularly referred to as King of Pop, Michael Jackson created history in the world of music with his chartbuster albums

AmericanAugust 29, 1958322 views

Kanye West

Kanye West is an American hip-hop musician, rapper, lyricist, record producer, film director and fashion designer.

AmericanJune 8, 1977659 views

Coolio

Coolio is a well-known American rap artist, musician and record producer

AmericanAugust 1, 1963540 views

Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington was an American jazz composer and performer who is among one of the greatest names in the history of jazz

AmericanApril 29, 1899210 views

Jessica Dime

Jessica Dime is an African-American rapper, singer, actress, dancer, and model

AmericanJanuary 27, 1986203 views