Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group career, he has also produced songs for such artists as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Total, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, TLC, En Vogue, Kelis, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi, Whitney Houston, Solange Knowles and John Legend. Music critic Robert Christgau has called Saadiq the "preeminent R&B artist of the '90s".
Eulaulah Donyll "Lalah" Hathaway is an American singer. In 1990 Hathaway released her first album titled Lalah Hathaway. After releasing another album, titled A Moment (1994), it debuted at number 34 on the Top R&B albums chart. In 1999 she collaborated with Joe Sample on the album The Song Lives On. After a five-year hiatus, she returned with her fourth album, Outrun the Sky (2004). The single "Forever, For Always, For Love" peaked at number 1 on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay.
Frankie Beverly is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and producer, known primarily for his recordings with the soul and funk band Maze. Beverly formed Maze, originally called Raw Soul, in his hometown of Philadelphia in 1970. After a relocation to San Francisco and an introduction to Marvin Gaye, Maze went on to release nine Gold albums and create a large and devoted following. Beverly is the band's writer, producer and lead singer. He is known for his distinctive smooth baritone voice and charismatic stage presence.
VH1 debuted the first annual VH1 Divas concert in 1998. VH1 Divas Live was created to support the channel's Save The Music Foundation and subsequent concerts in the series have also benefited that foundation. The VH1 Divas concerts were a follow-up to the channel's annual VH1 Honors benefit concert that ran from 1994 to 1997, airing annually from 1998 to 2004. After a five-year hiatus, the series returned in 2009 with a younger-skewed revamp. In 2010 the concert saluted the troops and in 2011 it celebrated soul music, doubling the previous year's ratings. After a dance music-focused 2012 edition aired live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on December 16, 2012, the show took another hiatus before being revived on December 5, 2016, at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York with a holiday theme and achieved its highest ratings in over a decade.
Dre & Vidal is a songwriting and production duo consisting of Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, who are best known as the main producers for Jill Scott and Glenn Lewis. Alumni of DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production team, Dre & Vidal were also instrumental in the production of Musiq Soulchild's first album.
Andre "Dre" Harris is an American songwriter and record producer.
Robert Andre Glasper is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger. His music embodies numerous musical genres, primarily centered around jazz. Glasper has won five Grammy Awards from 11 nominations.
Ledisi Anibade Young, better known simply as Ledisi, is an American R&B and jazz recording artist, songwriter, music producer, author and actress. Her name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba.
The BET Honors were established in 2008 by the Black Entertainment Television network to respect the lives and achievements of African-American luminaries. The awards will be presented annually and broadcast on BET during Black History Month.
The Hampton Jazz Festival is a major musical event started in 1968, and features many of the world's major jazz artists. It is held during the last full weekend in June each year, with the primary venue being Hampton, Virginia's Hampton Coliseum. Festival organizers describe it as "the best available jazz, R&B and blues artists that are on tour during the time of the festival... packaged at a reasonable price."
Glendon Theodore "Teddy" Campbell, Sr. is a gospel drummer & singer. He was the drummer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He is the lead singer for the Soul Seekers.
JR Hutson is an American record producer, executive producer, songwriter and talent developer. He has collaborated with several notable artists including Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Stevie Wonder, George Duke, Trick Daddy, Anthony Hamilton, Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway, Earth Wind & Fire, Wayman Tisdale and Childish Gambino. Hutson has been awarded Gold and Platinum records. He has also been nominated for four Grammy Awards. He is currently producing and developing talent.
The 11th BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized Americans in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Comedian and actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. The show had an audience of 7.7 million.
The 2012 Soul Train Music Awards were held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 25, 2012. The show was hosted by actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer. Performers included New Edition, Miguel, Ne-Yo, Keyshia Cole, Tyrese, Elle Varner, John Legend, 2 Chainz, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Levert, Charlie Wilson, Fantasia, Anthony Hamilton, and Marcus Canty. The evening also featured a tribute to the late Soul Train creator Don Cornelius.
Ivan Barias is part of the Philadelphia production duo Carvin & Ivan. Initially starting out as a solo hip hop artist, he moved into production and songwriting. He has written and produced songs for artists including Jazmine Sullivan, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Justin Timberlake, Mario, Chris Brown, Ledisi, Raheem DeVaughn, Keyshia Cole, Jaheim, Estelle, Floetry, Skillz, Ace Hood, and Rick Ross.
The 2011 Soul Train Music Awards was aired on November 27, 2011 on BET and Centric. The award ceremony was hosted by comedian and actor Cedric the Entertainer. The ceremony included special tributes to Gladys Knight and Earth Wind & Fire, both honorees received the Soul Train Legend Award. A special tribute performance was dedicated in memory of hip hop artist Heavy D, which include Doug E. Fresh, Kurtis Blow, and Whodini, Common and Naughty by Nature.
BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is a company founded by executive producer, businesswoman, celebrity DJ, and former model Beverly Bond. The company hosts an annual award show of the same name that honors and promotes Black women's achievements. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! also has a nonprofit arm that teaches leadership skills and develops confidence in teenage girls through its annual "BLACK GIRLS LEAD" conference.
The 2014 Soul Train Music Awards was held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Centric and BET on November 30, 2014. The ceremony, hosted by media personality Wendy Williams, honored artists in 12 different categories. The nominees were announced October 13, 2014. R&B artist Chris Brown lead with seven nominations, including Best R&B/Soul Male Artist, Song of the Year, and Video of the Year. Beyoncé had six nominations, including Best R&B/Soul Female Artist, and Pharrell Williams has five nominations, including Best R&B/Soul Male Artist of the Year.
