Rhythm & Blues

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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1988) Big-voiced London-born singer-songwriter Adele (born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins) rose from posting a demo on Myspace to a Grammy award in just a couple of years. Her debut LP 19, released in 2008, reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 10 in the US after an appearance on Saturday Night Live; her 2008 single ‘Chasing Pavements’ was also a big hit. Her blend of white soul and ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Founder, Atlantic Records, 1923–2006) Ertegun came to the US as son of the Turkish ambassador in 1934 and stayed, founding Atlantic Records in 1947 with brother Nesuhi. Having won the trust of performers with fair contract and royalty dealings, he actively pursued the crossover market in the 1950s, selling black music by Ray Charles and others to a white audience who previously only bought bland cover versions of it. He developed ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, b. 1981) Senegalese-American ex-convict Akon’s rise to fame has been swift, and his ability to stay there is testament to his musical ability. The rap and hip hop star (born Aliaune Badara Akon Thiam) arrived with debut single ‘Locked Up’ in 2004, and has since been nominated for six Grammys; he even held the top two positions in the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. The following year he started his own ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, b. 1946) An American soul and gospel singer, Reverend Al Green (he was ordained a pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis in 1976) made his recording debut on Back Up Train (1967). His third album Al Green Gets Next To You (1970) was the start of a golden period when he recorded many of the songs for which he is best known – ‘Tired Of Being Alone’, ‘Let’s ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Disc jockey, 1922–65) Freed, the DJ who gave rock’n’roll its name, fronted Moondog’s Rock’n’Roll Party at Cleveland’s WJW radio station, where he programmed mainly black R&B plus some early white rock’n’roll records. His vocal jive delighted his audience, and he also appeared in several early rock’n’roll exploitation movies, including Rock Around The Clock, Rock, Rock, Rock (both 1956) and others. He accepted a songwriting credit on Chuck Berry’s ‘Maybellene’ in exchange ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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Rock guitarist Albert Lee was born in Leominster, Herefordshire in 1943. The son of a musician, Lee started his musical career on piano, but like many of his generation, took up the guitar upon the arrival of rock’n’roll, inspired in particular by Buddy Holly. He played in various bands after leaving school at the age of 16, before becoming lead guitarist with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds. Preferring country to the ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin
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(Vocals, b. 1980) Born Alicia Cook in New York, Keys has that most rare of talents – a vocal range matched by a musical ability. She has played piano from the age of seven and retains classical ambitions to this day. Her 2001 debut Songs In A Minor contained her first US No. 1, modern soul epic ‘Fallin’’, which showcased her vocal range dramatically. In 2005, Keys joined an elite rank ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Piano, vocals, 1927–80) Milburn was a Houston pianist whose rollicking piano-playing and versatile singing was a major influence on Fats Domino and others. Milburn’s first hit was the 1948 party classic ‘Chicken Shack Boogie’. Milburn could croon a soulful ballad, but made a bigger impact with horn-driven material such as ‘Roomin’ House Boogie’ and ‘Sax Shack Boogie’, along with several songs about liquor like ‘Thinking And Drinking’ and the much-covered ‘One ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, 1983–2011) Winehouse’s distinctive brand of white soul and R&B rocketed her to fame in 2006 with breakthrough second album Back To Black. Public interest in the beehive-hairstyled Winehouse was fuelled just as much by her hedonistic lifestyle as her sultry vocals, but her success, both commercially and critically, was undeniable. The Mark Ronson-produced album won five Grammy awards, and songs like ‘Rehab’ have become part of popular culture, but her ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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The undisputed Queen of Soul since the title was first applied to her in the late 1960s, Aretha Franklin has been hailed as the greatest soul diva of all time. Possessing a voice of power and passion (and an underrated talent on the piano) she has turned her attention to everything from pop through jazz to classical; but with a grounding in gospel it was in soul music that she found ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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The bluesman who took the blues into the mainstream, B.B. King (b. 1925) is also its ambassador to the world. His solid, seasoned style is heard internationally. King’s style draws on the Mississippi blues of Elmore James and Muddy Waters, the Chicago blues of Buddy Guy and Magic Sam, and the West-Coast blues of T-Bone Walker and Lowell Fulson, all filtered through his distinctive vibrato and the phrases that flow out ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin
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(Guitar, vocals, b. 1925) Riley B. King, from Indianola, Mississippi, is arguably the last surviving authentic blues artist. Orphaned, he took up guitar aged 15, turning professional after US military service. In 1947, he moved to Memphis and lived with cousin Bukka White. There, he worked on a local radio station, acquiring his B.B. (‘Blues Boy’) epithet, also working with Bobby Bland and Johnny Ace. First recording in 1949, his breakthrough ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Songwriter, b. 1941) Strong was a Motown staff writer whose own 1960 hit ‘Money’ helped fund the label’s early expansion. His compositions with Norman Whitfield included ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’, and led Motown’s forays into more socially aware territory with hits like Edwin Starr’s ‘War’ and many of The Temptations’ psychedelic soul outings. Strong won a 1972 Grammy for their ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’, but quit Motown when ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, 1944–2003) Nicknamed the ‘Walrus of Love’, Barry White’s image as a Lothario sometimes obscured his talents as a songwriter, producer and arranger. Working with girl group Love Unlimited, his first hit was ‘Walking In The Rain With The One I Love’ in 1972. White’s distinctive growl was heard on ‘Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe’, a US No. 1 and ‘You’re The First, The Last, My Everything’ a British ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, b. 1938) Ben E. King was lead singer on The Drifters’ 1959 hits, including ‘There Goes My Baby’ and ‘Save The Last Dance For Me’. He quit in 1960 over royalty payments, finding solo success with 1961’s ‘Spanish Harlem’, and co-wrote the follow-up, ‘Stand By Me’, a US top 5 hit and his meal-ticket recording. King escaped the revival circuit in 1975 with a surprise US disco hit ‘Supernatural Thing’ ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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