The Living Legacy of African American Music

BLACKMUSIC RED, WHITE&BLUE GMR June is officially African-American Music Appreciation Month, so GMR teamed up with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to showcase the contributions of some of the finest musicians in American history. BLUES ROBERT JOHNSON You'd be hard-pressed to find a blues musician who hasn't been touched by the enigmatic, short-lived King of the Delta Blues. Some say he sold his soul to the devil, but his music can only be described as godly. Influenced: Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton DEBUT RELEASE937 ABUMS U 20 recorded songs) TOTAL JAZZ MILES DAVIS Jazz was already gaining popularity before he got involved, but nobody presented it like Miles Davis. Experimental, complex, and spontaneous, Miles inspired pure progression in the most innovative bands. Influenced: Pink Floyd, Jerry Garcia, Radiohead DEBUT RELEASE 1947 TOTAL ALBUMS SOUL RAY CHARLES It's impossible to overstate the importance of Ray Charles. He's in the same ballpark as Elvis Presley and John Lennon – unfathomable genius. You can't listen to the radio for ten minutes without hearing his influence. Influenced: James Brown, Steve Winwood, Elton John EN 1949 ATA 55 DEBUT RELEASE ALBUMS FUNK PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC George Clinton turned funk into an overwhelming aesthetic with his two-headed monster, Parliament and Funkadelic. They're the exact same group, but he couldn't fit that much funk in one place. Influenced: Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, OutKast HELIN 1970 24 DEBUT RELEASE 24 ALBUMS (9 Parliament 15 Funkadelic) R&B PRINCE Prince falls into a lot of genres - funk, pop, dance, even rock on occasion. But R&B describes him best for one reason: pure sex. Don't let the blouse deceive you; he's the stuff of legend. Influenced: D'Angelo, Pharrell, Justin Timberlake DEBUT 1978 A 25 TOTAL RELEASE HIP-HOP TUPAC SHAKUR Tupac was one of the greatest voices of his time. He wrote so much material that his estate was able to release seven albums after his death. If only holograms could write. Influenced: Nas, Eminem, Jay-Z 1991 TOTAL (4 while alive 7 posthumous) DEBUT RELEASE 11 ALBUMS NOTEWORTHY SINGLES TOP O ARTISTS Each decade has included multiple African-American artists in its Top 10 overall. African-American artists have been topping the charts since the charts were born. These tracks are just the tip of the iceberg. 1950s Fats Domino, the Platters Nat King Cole “Mona Lisa" (1950) The Platters "Great Pretender" (1955) 1960s Ray Charles, the Supremes, James Brown, Marvin Gaye Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind" (1960) The Supremes "Stop! In the Name of Love" (1965) Jackson 5 "ABC" (1970) Minnie Riperton “Lovin' You" (1975) Michael Jackson "Rock With You" (1980) Stevie Wonder “Part-Time Lover" (1985) 1970s Jackson 5, James Brown, Stevie Wonder 1980s Whitney Houston "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (1990) Boyz II Men "On Bended Knee" (1995) Michael Jackson, Prince, Lionel Richie Aaliyah “Try Again" (2000) Kanye West "Gold Digger" (2005) Jay-Z “Empire State of Mind" (2010) 1990s Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, Whitney Houston, R. Kelly, TLC, Puff Daddy engage us @ f facebook.com/gmrmarketing twitter.com/gmrmarketing gmrmarketing.com GMR www.rockhall.com