Rap fans who think there's just one thing on Luther Campbell's mind would get a far different impression by listening to female rapper Anquette. Though she recorded for his Luke Skyywalker Records (later just Luke), she took on political and social issues as well as recording bass-heavy party tracks. Her 1986 single, "Throw the P," was a biting... [+] Read More

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Singer Betty Wright proved to be a consistently strong presence on the Miami music scene, primarily throughout the '70s and '80s, although she continues to record. Born on December 21, 1953, in Miami, FL, Wright began her singing career early on as a member of her family's own gospel group the Echoes of Joy. By the age of 13, Wright had begun... [+] Read More

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When a person is truly talented, fame has a way of finding them. For poet/spoken word artist/MC extraordinaire Black Ice, his spot in the limelight was more of a divine gift than a personal goal. With industry power players backing him like Russell Simmons, who introduced Black Ice to the world on his Def Poetry Jam series and Mary J. Blige, who... [+] Read More

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Contemporary jazz singer/guitarist Bobby Caldwell was born August 15, 1951, in Manhattan, NY; his parents, Bob and Carolyn, were the hosts of the television variety show Suppertime and exposed the child to a wide variety of musical influences. Caldwell began studying piano and guitar at age 12; he initially pursued a career in rock & roll but... [+] Read More

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Cheryl Pepsii Riley topped the R&B charts with the heart-stirring ballad "Thanks for My Child," a tune that connected with and seemed to speak for single mothers the world over. Because of the poignant lyrics, some believed that Riley wrote the song. Actually, "Thanks for My Child" was written by Full Force, the six-man... [+] Read More

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Deniece Williams grew up singing in a Pentecostal church, which was strict on the congregation listening only to gospel music. During the late '60s, she was a candy striper in a Chicago hospital. Outside of wanting a 1959 Thunderbird, she had no serious ambitions. Nontheless, she still had interest in listening to music. Her favorites were... [+] Read More

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Although Lenny Williams has had a long solo career, he is still best-known for his three years as the lead singer of Tower of Power, one of the top funk/soul bands of the '70s. But Williams was pursuing a solo career before joining Tower of Power, and he resumed his solo career after leaving that famous Oakland outfit in 1975. Born in Little... [+] Read More

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Keyboardist/singer/songwriter/arranger/musical director Patrice Rushen has had an outstanding career with several Top Ten R&B hits, including "Haven't You Heard," "Forget Me Nots," "Feels So Real," and "Watch Out." "Forget Me Nots" was the basis of Will Smith's "Men in Black" from the blockbuster movie of the same name on Big Willie Style. R.... [+] Read More

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René & Angela are an early-'80s soul duo from Los Angeles. Before forming in 1977, René Moore -- the brother of Rufus' Bobby Watson -- played with the Brothers Johnson; Angela Winbush had sung backup vocals for Dolly Parton, Lenny Williams, and Jean Carn. René & Angela had their first R&B hit for Capitol Records in 1980 and proceeded to have... [+] Read More

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Rose Royce -- the Los Angeles-based group comprised of Henry Garner (drums), Terral "Terry" Santiel (congas), Lequeint "Duke" Jobe (bass), Michael Moore (saxophone), Rose Norwalt (lead vocals), Kenny Copeland (trumpet, lead vocals), Kenji Brown (guitar, lead vocals), Freddie Dunn (trumpet), and Michael Nash (keyboards) -- was actually formed by... [+] Read More

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Among the more interesting male/female vocal groups, the Independents made some outstanding singles in the early '70s. Chuck Jackson, Maurice Jackson, Helen Curry, and Eric Thomas specialized in almost melodramatic, overwrought, but perfectly performed love songs. Their first single for Wand, "Just as Long as You Need Me," set the stage in 1972,... [+] Read More

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