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Ledisi
Ledisi
American R&B and jazz recording artist, songwriter and actress.
1
Latimore
Latimore
American singer
2
Lalah Hathaway
Lalah Hathaway
American singer
3
Etta James
Etta James
American recording artist; singer
4
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq
American recording artist; singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist, and record producer
5
The Staple Singers
The Staple Singers
American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group
6
William Bell
William Bell
American soul singer and songwriter
7
Flaco Jiménez
Flaco Jiménez
Tejano accordionist, performer, Grammy winner
8
Otis Clay
Otis Clay
American R&B and soul singer
9
Freddie Jackson
Freddie Jackson
American singer
10
Sugaray Rayford
Sugaray Rayford
musical artist
11
D'Angelo
D'Angelo
American recording artist; musician, songwriter
12
Beverley Knight
Beverley Knight
soul singer, songwriter and record producer
13
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer
14
Shemekia Copeland
Shemekia Copeland
American electric blues singer
15
Joe Williams
Joe Williams
American jazz singer
16
Bettye LaVette
Bettye LaVette
American soul singer-songwriter
17
Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton
American singer, songwriter, and record producer
18
Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert
American R&B singer (1966-2006)
19
Otis Redding
Otis Redding
American singer, songwriter and record producer
20
Jimmy Witherspoon
Jimmy Witherspoon
American jump blues singer
21
John Németh
John Németh
American blues and soul harmonicist, singer, and songwriter
22
Leon Bridges
Leon Bridges
American soul singer
23
Bill Withers
Bill Withers
American singer-songwriter and musician
24
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
American singer
25
Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
English recording artist; musician, singer, songwriter
26
Bobby Bland
Bobby Bland
American soul & blues musician
27
Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
American record producer
28
Big Mama Thornton
Big Mama Thornton
American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter
29
John Legend
John Legend
American singer, songwriter, producer, actor, and philanthropist
30
Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
American recording artist; singer-songwriter and entrepreneur
31
Suzanna Choffel
Suzanna Choffel
Song Writer
32
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
American singer-songwriter and musician
33
Pops Staples
Pops Staples
American musician
34
Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
American neo-soul singer
35
Miguel
Miguel
American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer
36
Kelly Price
Kelly Price
American songwriter, singer
37
Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton
American R&B singer-songwriter
38
Whitney Shay
Whitney Shay
musical artist
39
Kelis
Kelis
American singer–songwriter
40
Kyla
Kyla
Filipino R&B singer-songwriter, recording artist and producer, occasional actress, and presenter
41
Don Covay
Don Covay
American musician
42
George Benson
George Benson
American recording artist, guitarist, singer, and songwriter
43
B. B. King
B. B. King
American blues musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist (1925-2015)
44
Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician
45
Joe Louis Walker
Joe Louis Walker
Blues musician
46
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples
American singer
47
Ashanti
Ashanti
American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer
48
Leela James
Leela James
American musician
49
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
American singer, songwriter, and pianist
50
Sade
Sade
British band
51
R. Kelly
R. Kelly
American singer, songwriter, and record producer
52
Irma Thomas
Irma Thomas
American soul and rhythm and blues singer
53
Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston
Jamaican-American singer
54
Derek Trucks
Derek Trucks
American guitarist, bandleader and songwriter
55
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
American singer and songwriter
56
Jaheim
Jaheim
American singer and rapper
57
Flo Rida
Flo Rida
American rapper from Florida
58
Tad Robinson
Tad Robinson
American soul blues singer
59
Barry White
Barry White
American singer-songwriter
60
Gene Chandler
Gene Chandler
American musician
61
E.C. Scott
E.C. Scott
musical artist
62
Marvin Sease
Marvin Sease
American singer
63
Herbie Goins
Herbie Goins
Rhythm and Blues singer
64
Ben E. King
Ben E. King
American soul and R&B singer and record producer
65
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
American singer, musician, composer and actress
66
Samuel David Moore
Samuel David Moore
American musician
67
Freddie King
Freddie King
American blues guitarist and singer
68
Gary Clark, Jr.
Gary Clark, Jr.
American guitarist and actor
69
Joss Stone
Joss Stone
English singer and actress
70
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
American singer
71
Ivory Joe Hunter
Ivory Joe Hunter
American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, and pianist
72
Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush
American musician
73
Paolo Nutini
Paolo Nutini
Scottish musician
74
Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
American musician
75
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington
American singer, songwriter, pianist
76
Little Richard
Little Richard
American pianist, singer and songwriter
77
Gaby Moreno
Gaby Moreno
Guatemalan singer-songwriter and guitarist
78
Jill Scott
Jill Scott
American soul musician
79
Edwin Starr
Edwin Starr
American singer
80
Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress from New York
81
Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
American singer, recording artist
82
Johnny Otis
Johnny Otis
American singer, musician, composer, and record producer
Intro
American singer
News

Mel Waiters (June 25, 1956 – May 28, 2015) was an American R&B singer born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, United States. In the early 1970s, he began singing in the church choir and nightclubs. Additionally, he was a radio DJ and entertainer on military bases around this time. In the mid 1990s, he achieved national fame with his first single "Hit It and Quit It." He gave the only copy of his new CD, the soon-to-be Got My Whiskey, to Tommy Couch Jr. at Malaco Records in Jackson, Mississippi, and was subsequently brought onto the label.

Waiters became popular on the blues festival and touring circuit in the South, and was known for songs about partying and romance. In 1999, his fourth album Material Things made it to the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He claimed that Teddy Pendergrass was the main influence on his singing style. Waiters was featured in a cover story of the February 2007 issue of Living Blues magazine.

On May 28, 2015, Mel Waiters died of cancer.