Gladys Maria Knight, known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and cousins William Guest and Edward Patten.
Marie Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress, and television host.
Patricia Louise Holte, known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the "Godmother of Soul".
Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams, known professionally as Shirley Caesar, is an American gospel singer. Her career began in 1951, when she signed to Federal Records at the age of 12. Throughout her seven decade career, Caesar has often been referred to as the "First Lady of Gospel Music", and "The Queen of Gospel Music". Additionally, she has won eleven Grammy Awards, fifteen Dove Awards, and fourteen Stellar Awards.
Emily "Cissy" Houston is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embarked on a solo career, winning two Grammy Awards for her work.
The 1988 Soul Train Music Awards were held on March 30, 1988, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live in select cities and aired later in other areas. Dionne Warwick hosted.
Celebrity Duets was an American reality television show, of the progressive game-show type, which combined celebrities of different backgrounds with professional singers in a weekly elimination competition.
The Marian Anderson Award was originally established in 1943 by African American singer Marian Anderson after she was awarded the $10,000 Bok Prize that year by the city of Philadelphia. Anderson used the award money to establish a singing competition to help support young singers; recipients of which include Camilla Williams, Nathaniel Dickerson (1944), Louise Parker (1944), Eudice Mesibov, née Charney (1946), Rawn Spearman (1949), Georgia Laster (1951), Betty Allen (1952), Gloria Davy (1952), Judith Raskin, Shirlee Emmons (1953), Miriam Holman (1954), Willis Patterson (1956), Shirley Verrett (1957), Joanna Simon (1962), Billie Lynn Daniel (1963), and Joyce Mathis (1967). Eventually, the prize fund ran out of money and it was disbanded. Florence Quivar was the last recipient of this earlier award in 1976.
Bruce Roberts is an American singer and songwriter. His songs have been recorded by such artists as The Pointer Sisters, Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Jeffrey Osborne, Whitney Houston and Laura Branigan. He has released three albums as a solo artist including Intimacy (1995), which featured musical and vocal contributions by many notable artists; Elton John and Kristine W contributed to the single "When the Money's Gone".
Oprah Gail Winfrey, often referred to mononymously as Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she was the richest African-American of the 20th century and was once the world's only black billionaire. By 2007, she was sometimes ranked as the most influential woman in the world.
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."
The Stafford Foundation (TSF) is a non-profit organization which "furthers the cause of Jesus Christ by investing in education and training to empower the underserved to do good." The foundation collaborates with and invests in capacity-building efforts that equip the underserved through programs that provide health, education, training and faith-based mission support. The organization was founded in 2002 and is based in Reston, Virginia.
The 1989 Soul Train Music Awards was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California and aired live in select cities on April 13, 1989, honoring the best in R&B, soul, rap, jazz, and gospel music from the previous year. The show was hosted by Patti LaBelle, Ahmad Rashad and Dionne Warwick.
The 1987 Soul Train Music Awards aired live on March 23, 1987, honoring the best in R&B, soul, rap, jazz, and gospel music from the previous year. The show was held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California and was hosted by Luther Vandross and Dionne Warwick.
The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, formerly known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, was created to encourage visitors to come to Jamaica during a traditionally slow tourism period for the island. The original owner of the festival, Air Jamaica, also hoped to sell more airline seats during the slow period.
The McDonald's Gospelfest is an annual gospel music festival, talent competition, and fundraiser in Newark, New Jersey. The event, inaugurated in 1983, and sponsored by McDonald's, takes place in spring and has been held at the Prudential Center since 2008. The closing night contest and ceremony is produced, directed, and hosted by A. Curtis Farrow. The event, which can take several hours, has been recorded and broadcast variously on WABC-TV and WWOR-TV. Involving more than a thousand performers, it has been described as the "largest collection of gospel talent ever assembled" and the "most spectacular gospel celebration in the nation". The event is followed up by McDonald's Inspiration Celebration which makes a national tour.
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.
Got 2B Real: The Diva Variety Show is an American parody reality television web series on BET Her created by and starring Andrea Lee. The series was heralded as "hilarious", "genius" and "art."
Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America is a television special which first aired on January 11, 2017. The program was broadcast again in 2020.
Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah is an American television interview special that was broadcast by ABC on February 10, 1993. The special featured an interview between musician Michael Jackson and Oprah Winfrey, filmed at his Neverland Ranch in California.
