List of African-American singers

This is a list of notable African-American singers that gives their year of birth and music genres with which they are associated.

A

Akon (born 1976): hip hop
Aaliyah (1979–2001): R&B, pop
Gregory Abbott (born 1954): soul, R&B, his father was born in Venezuela
Marian Anderson (1897–1993): opera
Louis Armstrong (1901–1971): jazz
Martina Arroyo (born 1936): opera
Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar (born 1992): hip hop

B

Erykah Badu (born 1971): neo soul, R&B, funk, hip-hop
Mildred Bailey (1907–1951): jazz
Chloe Bailey (born 1998): R&B
Halle Bailey (born 2000): R&B
Pearl Bailey (1918–1990): vaudeville
LaVern Baker (1929–1997): R&B
Florence Ballard (1943–1976): R&B, pop, soul
Fantasia Barrino (born 1984): R&B, soul, gospel
Kathleen Battle (born 1948): opera
Madeline Bell (born 1942): soul
Denée Benton (born 1992): Broadway, pop
Brook Benton (born 1931-1988): Pop, R&B, Soul
Chuck Berry (1926–2017): rock
Andy Bey (born 1939): jazz
Beyoncé (born 1981): R&B, pop
Blind Blake (1896–1934): ragtime, blues
Jules Bledsoe (1897–1943): opera, Broadway
Mary J. Blige (born 1971): R&B, soul, hip hop soul
Lucille Bogan (1887–1948): blues
Dee Dee Bridgewater (born 1950): jazz
James Brown (1933–2006): soul, funk
Oscar Brown, Jr (1926–2005): jazz
Peabo Bryson (born 1951): soul, R&B
Grace Bumbry (born 1937): opera
Solomon Burke (1940–2010): blues, gospel, R&B, soul, rock and roll
Brandy Rayana Norwood (born 1979): R&B

C

Cab Calloway (1907–1994): jazz
Alyson Cambridge (born 1980): operatic soprano and classical music, jazz, and American popular song singer
Mariah Carey (born 1969 or 1970): R&B, pop, hip-hop, soul
Jean Carn (born 1947): jazz, pop
Betty Carter (1929–1998): jazz
Gene Chandler (born 1931): R&B, soul, disco
Tracy Chapman (born 1964): folk
Ray Charles (1930–2004): R&B, soul, blues, gospel, country, jazz, pop, rock and roll
Freddy Cole (born 1931): jazz
Nat King Cole (1919–1965): jazz, swing, pop
Natalie Cole (1950–2015): R&B, pop
Mitty Collier (born 1941): soul, R&B, gospel
Sam Cooke (1931–1964): soul, gospel, R&B
Ida Cox (1888 or 1896–1967): blues, jazz
Randy Crawford (born 1952): jazz, R&B, disco
Chris Brown (born 1989): R&B, hip hop, pop

D

Sammy Davis Jr. (1925–1990): pop, jazz, easy listening, swing
Jason Derulo (born 1989): R&B, hip hop, pop
Bo Diddley (1928–2008): R&B, rock and roll

E

Billy Eckstine (1914–1993): jazz, pop
Betty Everett (1939–2001): soul
Cassandra Extavour: classical singer

F

Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996): jazz
Roberta Flack (born 1939): jazz, pop
Aretha Franklin (1942–2018): soul, gospel
Erma Franklin (1938–2002): gospel, soul
Kirk Franklin (born 1970): soul, gospel

G

Marvin Gaye (1939–1984): R&B, soul, funk, jazz, pop
Gloria Gaynor (born 1949): disco, R&B
Jamie Grace (born 1991): Christian pop, gospel
Al Green (born 1946): R&B, soul

H

Adelaide Hall (1901–1993): jazz
Ciara Harris (born 1985): R&B, hip-hop, crunk&B, pop, dance
Donny Hathaway (1945–1979): soul, jazz, gospel, R&B, blues
Richie Havens (1941–2013): folk rock, funk, blues, soul
Isaac Hayes (1942–2008): blues, jazz, soul, funk, disco
Jon Hendricks (born 1921): jazz
Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970): rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
Nona Hendryx (born 1944): funk, soul, pop, R&B, rock
Lauryn Hill (born 1975): R&B, neo soul, hip-hop, folk, reggae
Z. Z. Hill (1935–1984): blues
Billie Holiday (1915–1959): soul, blues
Jennifer Holliday (born 1960): R&B, soul, pop, house, dance, gospel
Shirley Horn (1934–2005): jazz
Lena Horne (1917–2010): jazz, pop
Cissy Houston (1933–2016): soul, gospel, disco
Thelma Houston (born 1946): R&B, soul, disco, Motown, gospel
Whitney Houston (1963–2012):R&B, pop, soul, gospel
Jennifer Hudson (born 1981): R&B, soul, pop
Phyllis Hyman (1949–1995): soul, R&B quiet, jazz, disco

I

James Ingram (1952–2019)R&B, pop, soul
Luther Ingram (1937–2007): R&B, soul
Ronald Isley (born 1941): R&B, soul

J

Jackson family: pop, R&B, soul, dance
- Rebbie Jackson (born 1950)
- Jackie Jackson (born 1951)
- Tito Jackson (born 1953)
- Jermaine Jackson (born 1954)
- La Toya Jackson (born 1956)
- Marlon Jackson (born 1957)
- Michael Jackson (1958–2009)
- Randy Jackson (born 1961)
- Janet Jackson (born 1966)
Chuck Jackson (born 1937): R&B
Freddie Jackson (born 1956): soul
Mahalia Jackson (1911–1972): gospel
Millie Jackson (born 1944): soul, disco, R&B
Randy Jackson (born 1956)
Etta James (1938–2012): blues, R&B, soul, jazz, gospel
Al Jarreau (1940–2017): jazz, R&B, soul
Etta Jones (1928–2001): jazz
Valerie June (born 1982): folk, blues, soul, bluegrass, pop

K

Eartha Kitt (1927–2008): cabaret, torch, jazz
Gladys Knight (1944): soul, R&B, pop
Ben E King (1938–2015): R&B

L

Patti LaBelle (born 1944): R&B, soul, disco, dance, gospel, funk
Kendrick Lamar (born 1987): hip-hop, rap
John Larkin (1877–1936): minstrel, vaudeville
Kenny Lattimore (born 1970): R&B
Bettye LaVette (born 1946): soul, blues, rock and roll, funk, gospel, country
Huddie Ledbetter (1888–1949): folk, blues
Abbey Lincoln (1930–2010): jazz
Frankie Lymon (1942–1968): R&B, doo-wop, pop, swing

M

Johnny Mathis (born 1935): pop, jazz
Curtis Mayfield (1942–1999): soul, funk, R&B
China Anne McClain (born 1998): R&B, pop
Lauryn McClain (born 1997): R&B, pop
Sierra McClain (born 1994): R&B, pop
Carmen McRae (1922–1994): jazz
Wanya Morris (born 1973): R&B, soul
Janelle Monáe (born 1985): funk, R&B, psychedelic soul, hip-hop

N

Meshell Ndegeocello (born 1968): funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, reggae, rock
Anthony Nelson (born 1975): gospel
Aaron Neville (born 1941): R&B, soul, country, gospel, jazz, pop
Jessye Norman (born 1945): opera
Brandy Norwood (born 1979): R&B, pop, hip-hop

O

Alexander O'Neal (born 1953): R&B, soul
Jeffrey Osborne (born 1948): R&B, soul

P

Teddy Pendergrass (1950–2010): R&B, soul, disco, funk
Wilson Pickett (1941–2006): R&B, soul
Gregory Porter (born 1971): jazz
Billy Preston (1946–2006): R&B, rock, soul, funk, gospel
Prince (1958–2016): pop, rock
Leontyne Price (born 1927): opera
Charlie Pride (born 1934): country
Arthur Prysock (1924 or 1929–1997): jazz, R&B, easy listening
Kelly Price (born 1973): gospel

R

Ma Rainey (1882 or 1886–1939): blues
Otis Redding (1941–1967): soul, R&B, blues
Della Reese (born 1931): jazz, gospel, pop
Dianne Reeves (born 1956): jazz
Martha Reeves (born 1941): R&B, pop
Lionel Richie (born 1949): soul, R&B, pop, country, gospel
Minnie Riperton (1947–1979): soul, R&B, jazz, disco
Paul Robeson (1898–1976): Americana, pop, spirituals, classical, folk
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878–1949): minstrel, vaudeville, jazz, pop
Smokey Robinson (born 1940): R&B, soul, pop
Diana Ross (born 1944): R&B, soul, disco, jazz, pop, dance
Kelly Rowland (born 1981): R&B, pop, hip hop, soul, dance
Patrice Rushen (born 1954): R&B

S

Jimmy Scott (1925–2014): jazz
Nina Simone (1933–2003): jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, pop
Jordin Sparks (born 1989): R&B, pop
Bessie Smith (1894–1937): blues
O. C. Smith (1932–2001): R&B, jazz, soul
Mavis Staples (born 1939): soul, gospel, R&B
Edwin Starr (1942–2003): soul, R&B, funk, disco
Candi Staton (born 1940): soul, R&B, gospel, dance, disco
Dakota Staton (1930–2007): jazz
Sly Stone (born 1943): funk, R&B
Maxine Sullivan (1911–1987): jazz
Donna Summer (1948–2012): disco, rock, dance, R&B

T

Tammi Terrell (1945–1970): R&B, soul, pop
Joe Tex (1933–1982): R&B, soul, funk, disco
Rufus Thomas (1917–2001): R&B, funk, soul, blues
Ike Turner (1931–2007): R&B, blues, rock and roll, funk
Tina Turner (born 1939): R&B, pop, soul, dance, rock and roll

V

Luther Vandross (1951–2005): soul
Sarah Vaughan (1924–1990): jazz

W

Fats Waller (1904–1943): jazz, pop
William Warfield (1920–2002): opera, pop
Dionne Warwick (born 1940): gospel, R&B, soul, pop
Ethel Waters (1896–1977): blues, jazz, Broadway, big band, pop
Barry White (1944–2003): soul, R&B, pop
will.i.am (born 1975): hip-hop, pop, R&B
Bert Williams (1874–1922): Broadway, vaudeville, minstrel
Lenny Williams (born 1945): soul, R&B, jazz
Pharrell Williams (born 1973): hip-hop, R&B, funk, pop
Nancy Wilson (born 1937): jazz
Bill Withers (1938–2020): soul, R&B, smooth soul, blues, funk
Howlin' Wolf (1910–1976): blues
Stevie Wonder (born 1950): soul, pop
Bobby Womack (1944–2014): soul, R&B
Betty Wright (born 1953): soul, R&B