Alex Haley
Among others, I've interviewed Martin Luther King Jr., Sammy Davis Jr., and Malcolm X. I am best known for my novel Roots, which chronicles my ancestors' journey of slavery from Africa to America.
Aretha Franklin
Some people call me the "Queen of Soul" for my powerful singing voice I developed singing in my father's church choir. I've won 18 Grammy Awards throughout my career and I performed at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I am the godmother of the late Whitney Houston.
Billie Holiday
I am widely considered to be one of the best jazz vocalists of all time. I was first discovered while performing in jazz clubs in Harlem, New York. Years after my death, I was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Chuck Berry
I am a songwriter, guitarist, and singer. People call me "The Father of Rock n' Roll" and I had hit songs throughout the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. In 1986, I was the very first inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Diana Ross
I have been a successful singer and actress for more than 40 years. I began my singing career in the trio performance group, The Supremes, when we were signed to the famous Motown Records. In 1998, I was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
Dizzy Gillespie
I was a jazz trumpeter and composer that worked with some top swing bands of my era. I was so creative that I developed my own brand of music known as "bebop". My favorite trumpet was damaged when someone sat on it, but the damage actually improved the sound quality!
Duke Ellington
I was a composer, pianist, and bandleader famous for my unique jazz creations. I composed my first song at the age of 15 and created thousands of songs throughout my career. I was awarded twelve Grammy Awards over 4 decades!
Harry Belafonte
I am an actor and singer. I was friends with Martin Luther King Jr. and have fought many political and social causes throughout my life. I led an effort to raise money by recording songs with other celebrities and donating the funds raised to aid the people of Africa.
Jimi Hendrix
I was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter most famous for my electric guitar talents. I first gained popularity in London, England before winning over American audiences as well. During one of my performances, I lit my guitar on fire on stage!
Langston Hughes
I was a poet, novelist, and playwright and I published my first poem when I was just a teenager. Much of my work centers around the experience of urban African-American working class communities and families.
Lorraine Hansberry
I am best known for my play, A Raisin in the Sun, and I was the first African-American playwright to win a New York Critics' Circle award. My play was the first play produced on Broadway by an African-American woman.
Louis Armstrong
I was one of the most famous and influential musicians in jazz history. My revolutionary recordings as a vocalist and trumpeter continue to inspire artists to this day. My old home in Queens, New York was turned into a museum in my honor!
Marian Anderson
I was the first African-American singer to perform as a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. I sang the national anthem at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. In 1991, I was awarded a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement!
Maya Angelou
I am a poet, author, screenwriter, dancer, and and actress. I was the first African-American woman to have a self-written screenplay produced. Before my success in the Arts, I was the first female African-American cable car conductor in San Francisco.
Michael Jackson
I am the undisputed "King of Pop"! Singing and performing with my family at a young age, I went on to become one of the most internationally famous solo artists in musical history. The moonwalk was my signature dance move on stage.
Miles Davis
I learned to play the trumpet when I was 13 years old. Later, while attending the Julliard School of Music, I began to perform at nightclubs in Harlem, New York. I won nine Grammy Awards for my music including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990.
Nat King Cole
I was a singer and pianist and I learned how to play the piano at the age of just 4 years old under tutelage of my mother. I was a star solo singer in the 1950s and in 1956 became the first African-American to host my own national television program.
Ralph Ellison
I spent seven years writing my only novel entitled, Invisible Man. My novel examines the African-American experience of the early twentieth century. The book's protagonist, an African-American man, considers himself to be socially invisible.
Ray Charles
People call me "The Father of Soul" as I was a pioneer of soul music in the 1950s. I lost my vision at the age of 7, but still learned how to play the piano, organ, sax, clarinet, and trumpet! Some musicians called me "The Genius" for the way I blended music styles and genres together.
Stevie Wonder
I am a musical prodigy and I taught myself how to play the harmonica, piano, and drums before I was 10 years old. I had my first hit single at the age of 13. In 1989, I was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I achieved all of this in spite the fact that I was born blind.
Toni Morrison
I am a highly decorated American novelist. I have won both the Nobel and Pilitzer Prizes. One of my books, Beloved, was turned into a movie and Oprah Winfrey played the starring role of a former slave.
Zora Neale Hurston
I was born in Notasulga, Alabama as the daughter of two former slaves. I grew up to become an anthropologist and folklorist and I am best known for my fictional work entitled, Their Eyes Were Watching God.