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 : hip hop
- Aaliyah : R&B, pop
- Gregory Abbott : soul, R&B, his father was born in Venezuela
- Marian Anderson : opera
- Louis Armstrong : jazz
- Martina Arroyo : opera
- Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar : hip hop
B
- Erykah Badu : neo soul, R&B, funk, hip-hop
- Mildred Bailey : jazz
- Chloe Bailey : R&B
- Halle Bailey : R&B
- Pearl Bailey : vaudeville
- LaVern Baker : R&B
- Florence Ballard : R&B, pop, soul
- Fantasia Barrino : R&B, soul, gospel
- Kathleen Battle : opera
- Madeline Bell : soul
- Denée Benton : Broadway, pop
- Brook Benton : Pop, R&B, Soul
- Chuck Berry : rock
- Andy Bey : jazz
- Beyoncé : R&B, pop
- Blind Blake : ragtime, blues
- Jules Bledsoe : opera, Broadway
- Mary J. Blige : R&B, soul, hip hop soul
- Lucille Bogan : blues
- Dee Dee Bridgewater : jazz
- James Brown : soul, funk
- Oscar Brown, Jr : jazz
- Peabo Bryson : soul, R&B
- Grace Bumbry : opera
- Solomon Burke : blues, gospel, R&B, soul, rock and roll
- Brandy Rayana Norwood : R&B
C
- Cab Calloway : jazz
- Alyson Cambridge : operatic soprano and classical music, jazz, and American popular song singer
- Mariah Carey : R&B, pop, hip-hop, soul
- Jean Carn : jazz, pop
- Betty Carter : jazz
- Gene Chandler : R&B, soul, disco
- Tracy Chapman : folk
- Ray Charles : R&B, soul, blues, gospel, country, jazz, pop, rock and roll
- Tasha Cobbs : contemporary christian music, urban contemporary gospel
- Freddy Cole : jazz
- Nat King Cole : jazz, swing, pop
- Natalie Cole : R&B, pop
- Mitty Collier : soul, R&B, gospel
- Sam Cooke : soul, gospel, R&B
- Ida Cox : blues, jazz
- Randy Crawford : jazz, R&B, disco
- Chris Brown : R&B, hip hop, pop
D
- Sammy Davis Jr. : pop, jazz, easy listening, swing
- Jason Derulo : R&B, hip hop, pop
- Bo Diddley : R&B, rock and roll
E
- Billy Eckstine : jazz, pop
- Betty Everett : soul
- Cassandra Extavour: classical singer
F
- Ella Fitzgerald : jazz
- Roberta Flack : jazz, pop
- Aretha Franklin : soul, gospel
- Erma Franklin : gospel, soul
- Kirk Franklin : soul, gospel
G
- Marvin Gaye : R&B, soul, funk, jazz, pop
- Gloria Gaynor : disco, R&B
- Jamie Grace : Christian pop, gospel
- Al Green : R&B, soul
H
- Adelaide Hall : jazz
- Ciara Harris : R&B, hip-hop, crunk&B, pop, dance
- Donny Hathaway : soul, jazz, gospel, R&B, blues
- Richie Havens : folk rock, funk, blues, soul
- Isaac Hayes : blues, jazz, soul, funk, disco
- Jon Hendricks : jazz
- Jimi Hendrix : rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
- Nona Hendryx : funk, soul, pop, R&B, rock
- Lauryn Hill : R&B, neo soul, hip-hop, folk, reggae
- Z. Z. Hill : blues
- Billie Holiday : soul, blues
- Jennifer Holliday : R&B, soul, pop, house, dance, gospel
- Shirley Horn : jazz
- Lena Horne : jazz, pop
- Cissy Houston : soul, gospel, disco
- Thelma Houston : R&B, soul, disco, Motown, gospel
- Whitney Houston :R&B, pop, soul, gospel
- Jennifer Hudson : R&B, soul, pop
- Phyllis Hyman : soul, R&B quiet, jazz, disco
I
- James Ingram R&B, pop, soul
- Luther Ingram : R&B, soul
- Ronald Isley : R&B, soul
J
- Jackson family: pop, R&B, soul, dance
- * Rebbie Jackson
- * Jackie Jackson
- * Tito Jackson
- * Jermaine Jackson
- * La Toya Jackson
- * Marlon Jackson
- * Michael Jackson
- * Randy Jackson
- * Janet Jackson
- Chuck Jackson : R&B
- Freddie Jackson : soul
- Mahalia Jackson : gospel
- Millie Jackson : soul, disco, R&B
- Randy Jackson
- Etta James : blues, R&B, soul, jazz, gospel
- Al Jarreau : jazz, R&B, soul
- Etta Jones : jazz
- Valerie June : folk, blues, soul, bluegrass, pop
K
- Eartha Kitt : cabaret, torch, jazz
- Gladys Knight : soul, R&B, pop
- Ben E King : R&B
L
- Patti LaBelle : R&B, soul, disco, dance, gospel, funk
- Kendrick Lamar : hip-hop, rap
- John Larkin : minstrel, vaudeville
- Kenny Lattimore : R&B
- Bettye LaVette : soul, blues, rock and roll, funk, gospel, country
- Huddie Ledbetter : folk, blues
- Abbey Lincoln : jazz
- Frankie Lymon : R&B, doo-wop, pop, swing
M
- Johnny Mathis : pop, jazz
- Curtis Mayfield : soul, funk, R&B
- China Anne McClain : R&B, pop
- Lauryn McClain : R&B, pop
- Sierra McClain : R&B, pop
- Carmen McRae : jazz
- Wanya Morris : R&B, soul
- Janelle Monáe : funk, R&B, psychedelic soul, hip-hop
N
- Meshell Ndegeocello : funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, reggae, rock
- Anthony Nelson : gospel
- Aaron Neville : R&B, soul, country, gospel, jazz, pop
- Jessye Norman : opera
- Brandy Norwood : R&B, pop, hip-hop
O
- Alexander O'Neal : R&B, soul
- Jeffrey Osborne : R&B, soul
P
- Teddy Pendergrass : R&B, soul, disco, funk
- Wilson Pickett : R&B, soul
- Gregory Porter : jazz
- Billy Preston : R&B, rock, soul, funk, gospel
- Prince : pop, rock
- Leontyne Price : opera
- Charlie Pride : country
- Arthur Prysock : jazz, R&B, easy listening
- Kelly Price : gospel
R
- Ma Rainey : blues
- Otis Redding : soul, R&B, blues
- Della Reese : jazz, gospel, pop
- Dianne Reeves : jazz
- Martha Reeves : R&B, pop
- Lionel Richie : soul, R&B, pop, country, gospel
- Minnie Riperton : soul, R&B, jazz, disco
- Paul Robeson : Americana, pop, spirituals, classical, folk
- Bill "Bojangles" Robinson : minstrel, vaudeville, jazz, pop
- Smokey Robinson : R&B, soul, pop
- Diana Ross : R&B, soul, disco, jazz, pop, dance
- Kelly Rowland : R&B, pop, hip hop, soul, dance
- Patrice Rushen : R&B
S
- Jimmy Scott : jazz
- Nina Simone : jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, pop
- Jordin Sparks : R&B, pop
- Bessie Smith : blues
- O. C. Smith : R&B, jazz, soul
- Mavis Staples : soul, gospel, R&B
- Edwin Starr : soul, R&B, funk, disco
- Candi Staton : soul, R&B, gospel, dance, disco
- Dakota Staton : jazz
- Sly Stone : funk, R&B
- Maxine Sullivan : jazz
- Donna Summer : disco, rock, dance, R&B
T
- Tammi Terrell : R&B, soul, pop
- Joe Tex : R&B, soul, funk, disco
- Rufus Thomas : R&B, funk, soul, blues
- Ike Turner : R&B, blues, rock and roll, funk
- Tina Turner : R&B, pop, soul, dance, rock and roll
V
- Luther Vandross : soul
- Sarah Vaughan : jazz
W
- Fats Waller : jazz, pop
- William Warfield : opera, pop
- Dionne Warwick : gospel, R&B, soul, pop
- Ethel Waters : blues, jazz, Broadway, big band, pop
- Barry White : soul, R&B, pop
- will.i.am : hip-hop, pop, R&B
- Bert Williams : Broadway, vaudeville, minstrel
- Lenny Williams : soul, R&B, jazz
- Pharrell Williams : hip-hop, R&B, funk, pop
- Nancy Wilson : jazz
- Bill Withers : soul, R&B, smooth soul, blues, funk
- Howlin' Wolf : blues
- Stevie Wonder : soul, pop
- Bobby Womack : soul, R&B
- Betty Wright : soul, R&B