Category : Performance

James P. Johnson, in full James Price Johnson, (born Feb. 1, 1894, New Brunswick, N.J., U.S.—died Nov. 17, 1955, New York, N.Y.), highly influential black...

A pianist, Count Basie played vaudeville before eventually forming his own big band and helping to define the era of swing with hits like “One...

Ella Fitzgerald, also known as the “First Lady of Song” and “Queen of Jazz,” was a legendary American jazz singer. Born on April 25, 1917,...

Lena Horne was a legendary performer and civil rights activist who broke barriers in the entertainment industry. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1917, Horne...

Ethel Waters was a renowned American singer and actress, known for her soulful voice and captivating performances. Born in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1896, Waters faced...

A Pioneer of Ragtime and Early Jazz Eubie Blake, born James Hubert Blake on February 7, 1887, in Baltimore, Maryland, was a prominent American pianist,...

Noble Sissle (1889-1975) was an American composer, lyricist, bandleader, and playwright. He is best known for his contributions to the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural and...

Alberta Hunter, (born April 1, 1895, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.—died October 17, 1984, New York, New York), American blues singer who achieved international fame in the...

Bessie Smith, in full Elizabeth Smith, (born April 15, 1898?, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.—died September 26, 1937, Clarksdale, Mississippi), American singer, one of the greatest blues...

The Mother of the Blues Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886–1939) was a pioneering American blues singer, performer, and entrepreneur who earned the enduring title of “Mother...