Famous Black Singers

• Anderson, Marian

  The Black contralto who sang at the Lincoln Memorial

• Baker, Josephine

  The Black American singer/dancer famous in 1920s Paris

• Dandridge, Dorothy

  Star of the movie Carmen Jones

• Holiday, Billie

  The popular jazz singer known as "Lady Day"

• Horne, Lena

  Singer of the jazz standard "Stormy Weather"

• Johnson, Robert

  The legendary blues guitarist of "Crossroads" fame

• Knight, Gladys

  The soul singer who did "Midnight Train to Georgia" with The Pips

• Lizzo

  The body-positive rapper who did "Truth Hurts" and "Batches & Cookies"

• McDaniel, Hattie

  The first black actor to win an Oscar, in 1940

• Smith, Will

  Popular rapper and star of the film Men in Black

• Thornton, Willie Mae

  Blues legend and original singer of "Hound Dog"

• Withers, Bill

  The singer of "Leon On Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine"

See: Famous African-Americans (for Black History Month)