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Linda Hopkins

African American actress and blues and gospel singer

1

Panama Francis

American musician

2

Ernestine Anderson

American jazz and blues singer

3

Major Holley

American jazz upright bassist

4

Al Grey

American jazz musician

5

Joe Williams

American jazz singer

6

Wild Bill Davis

American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger

7

Helen Humes

American jazz and blues singer

8

Dinah Washington

American singer, songwriter, pianist

9

Martha Reeves

American singer and politician

10

Willie Mae Ford Smith

American singer

11

George Duvivier

American musician

12

Budd Johnson

American musician

13

Max Roach

American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer

14

Randy Weston

American jazz pianist

15

W. C. Handy

American blues composer and musician

16

Mavis Staples

American singer

17

Mickey Baker

American jazz and rock guitarist

18

Ethel Waters

American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress

19

Jimmy Witherspoon

American jump blues singer

20

Margie Evans

American blues singer and songwriter

21

Ray Bryant

American pianist

22

Robben Ford

American blues, jazz and rock guitarist

23

Ruth Brown

American singer-songwriter (1928-2006)

24

Mahalia Jackson

American gospel singer

25

Randy Brecker

American flugelhorn and trumpet player (1945-)

26

Thomas A. Dorsey

American musician, composer, and Christian evangelist influential in the development of early blues and 20th-century gospel music

27

Barbara Dane

American singer

28

Melba Moore

American singer, actress

29

Floyd Smith

American jazz guitarist

30

Diana Ross

American vocalist, music artist and actress

31

Salome Bey

American-born Canadian singer-songwriter, composer, and actress

32

Phyllis Hyman

American rhythm-and-blues singer (1949–1995)

33

Kenny Burrell

American jazz guitarist

34

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

American gospel musician

35

Milt Jackson

American musician

36

Lou Rawls

American record producer

37

Cissy Houston

American singer

38

Louie Bellson

American jazz drummer, a composer, arranger, bandleader, and jazz educator

39

Barbara Cook

American actress and singer (1927-2017)

40

The 5th Dimension

American popular music vocal group

41

Ma Rainey

African-American blues singer

42

Lonnie Smith

American jazz musician

43

Cassandra Wilson

American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi

44

Gregory Porter

American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actor

45

Marlena Shaw

American singer

46

Jo Ann Kelly

English blues singer and guitarist

47

Philly Joe Jones

American jazz drummer

48

Jennifer Holliday

American actress and singer

49

Melvin Sparks

American soul jazz, hard bop and jazz blues guitarist

50

Lady Tambourine

American gospel musician from Louisiana

51

Patti LaBelle

American singer-songwriter and actress

52

Sammy Price

American pianist

53

Big Maybelle

American R&B singer and pianist

54

Woody Herman

American recording artist, clarinetist, band leader

55

The Barrett Sisters

56

Eva Cassidy

American singer (1963-1996)

57

Gerald Wilson

American trumpetist (1918-2014)

58

Oliver Jones

Canadian musician

59

Chaka Khan

American singer-songwriter

60

Zoot Sims

American jazz saxophonist

61

Clark Terry

American swing and bebop musician

62

Drink Small

African American soul blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter

63

Clarence Williams

American jazz pianist, composer, promoter, vocalist, theatrical producer, and publisher

64

Larry Carlton

American musician

65

Lou Marini

American saxophonist, arranger and composer

66

Buddy Tate

American musician

67

Lady Bianca

American singer

68

Lightnin' Hopkins

American country blues singer, songwriter and guitarist