The Isley Brothers are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over eight decades, the group has enjoyed one of the "longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music".
The story of Tennessee's contribution to American music is essentially the story of three cities: Nashville, Memphis, and Bristol. While Nashville is most famous for its status as the long-time capital of country music, Bristol is recognized as the "Birthplace of Country Music". Memphis musicians have had an enormous influence on blues, early rock and roll, R&B, and soul music, as well as an increasing presence in rap.
Blue-eyed soul is rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists. The slang, coined in the mid-1960s, was invoked by music magazines in the 1960s such as Life who used it for the Righteous Brothers, Barry McGuire, Sonny & Cher; other times it meant style and mannerisms associated with soul music sung by white musicians. Though many rhythm and blues radio stations in the United States in that period would only play music by black musicians, some began to play music by white acts considered to have "soul feeling" and their music was then described as "blue-eyed soul."
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and became a hit again in 1970 when recorded by former Supremes frontwoman Diana Ross. The song became Ross's first solo number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Christopher Francis Ries, known professionally as Young Chris, is an American rapper. He is a member of Philadelphia rap duo Young Gunz alongside his childhood friend, rapper Neef Buck, signed to Roc-A-Fella Records. The duo saw their greatest success with their 2003 debut single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop". The duo released two albums: Tough Luv (2004) and Brothers from Another (2005) and were apart of Beanie Sigel's State Property collective. Young Chris was signed in December 2010 as a solo artist to Universal Motown through producer/songwriter Rico Love's label imprint Division1. He released two albums through Division1: LIFE: Ladies In For Free and The Revival, both in 2011. In 2014 he released the album Gunna Season through Jaccpot Entertainment. He has also had a large number of self-released mixtapes from 2007 to the present.
Leonard Caston Jr. is an American rhythm and blues songwriter, record producer, pianist and singer. He recorded for both the Chess and Motown labels in the 1960s and 1970s, and co-wrote or co-produced several major hit records, including Mitty Collier's "I Had A Talk With My Man" (1964), The Supremes' "Nathan Jones" (1971), Eddie Kendricks' "Keep On Truckin'" (1973) and "Boogie Down" (1974).
Sheri Jones-Moffett, is an American gospel musician. She started her music career, in 1992, with the Tri City Singers, which was a group assembled and led by Donald Lawrence. Her solo career got started in 2009 with Renewed that was released by EMI Gospel. She got a Grammy Award nomination for Renewed at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album category. She released the second album, Power & Authority, in 2014 by Motown Gospel. These albums both chart on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart.
Natalie Wilson, is an American gospel musician and artist. She started her music career, in 2000, with the release of Girl Director by Interscope Records. This would be her Billboard magazine breakthrough release upon the Gospel Albums and the R&B Albums charts. Her second album, Good Life, was released in 2003 by GospoCentric. The album would chart again on the two aforementioned charts.
Keith Lamar Johnson, who went by the stage name Wonderboy, was an American gospel singer-songwriter.
Milbert E.S. McKenzie, who goes by the stage name Doc McKenzie, is an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 1990, with six album releases, that was released by Atlanta International Records, Savoy Records, and Meltone Records. Milbert released three albums of note, Ride with Jesus in 1996 with First Lite Records, 1998's Live again with First Lite, and 2009's Renewed with Ophir Records, which all of these albums charted on the Billboard magazine charts, exclusively on the Gospel Albums chart.
James Thomas Grear is an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 1998, with Company that are based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released eight albums, with three of them charting on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart. He has released albums with a few labels, such as the following: Born Again Records, Diamante Records, Liquid 8 Records, Alliant Music Group, Habakkuk Music, Echo Park Records.
Judith Jacobs Tuttle, known professionally as Judy Jacobs, is an American gospel musician. She started her music career when she attended Lee College in 1984, singing with the New Harvest singers and releasing her album in 1987 "Judy Jacobs: with New Harvest." published by Pathway Press. She has released eight more albums, since her first release, with two more labels New Day Records and Daywind Records. Two albums have charted on the Billboard magazine charts, which have exclusively come on the Gospel Albums chart.
Ricky R. Grundy, who went by the stage name Rickey Grundy, was an American gospel musician and leader of The Rickey Grundy Chorale. He started his music career, in 1988, with Sparrow Records releasing Spirit Come Down, and they have released the two albums that placed on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart. Grundy died on July 27, 2015, after a season of health complications.
Gabriel S. Hardeman Jr., was an American gospel musician, pianist, and leader of the Gabriel Hardeman Delegation that included his wife Annette. He started his music career in 1976, with the release of Gabriel Hardeman Delegation by Savoy Records. Along with his wife, they formed Birthright Records, and in 1981 they released the album Talk along with Feels Like Fire in 1983. His fourth album, To the Chief Musician, released in 2001 by Crystal Rose Records, and this placed at No. 12 on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart. Hardeman was a noted songwriter along with his wife Annette of such songs as 1987's "I Feel Good All Over" by Stephanie Mills and "Love Under New Management" with co-collaboration with G Syier Hawkins Brown,the song performed by Miki Howard in 1989.
Minister Nancey Jackson Johnson is an American gospel musician, and is currently the creative arts director and minister for Greater St. John M.E.R. that is located in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Her first album, Nancey Jackson, was released by Savoy Records in 1991. She released, Free , with Harmony Records in 1997, and this was a Billboard magazine breakthrough release upon the Gospel Albums. The third album, Relationships, was released in 1999 with Harmony Records, and this charted upon the aforementioned chart.
Roy Keith Pringle is an American gospel musician and organist, who is the founder of Pentecostal Community Choir. His first album, "Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord", was released in 1979. He went on to release more albums with Savoy Records, Hopesong Records, Heartwarming Records, Muscle Shoals Records, Malaco Records, and Platinum Entertainment. Five of these albums would chart on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. He received a Grammy Award-nomination for the song "Call Him Up" that was on the 1980 album "True Victory".
Pastor Alvin A. Darling is an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 1990, with the release of two albums by Savoy Records, I've Learned to Put My Trust in God and Expect a Miracle. His next album was released by I Am Records in 1992, Medley of Praise, and an album was released with GGI Records in 1994, Hold On...To The Promise. His next two albums, 1995's There's an Answer in Prayer and 1998's Blessing Coming Through for You, was released by Savoy Records. The next four albums, 2005's You Deserve My Worship, 2007's My Blessing Is on the Way, 2009's You Can Make It, and Waiting Right Here, was released by Emtro Gospel Records. He would get five of these album to chart upon the Billboard Gospel Albums chart, and two of them got placements on the Heatseekers Albums chart. His is a GMA Dove Awards and Stellar Awards nominated artist.
Angelo & Veronica are an American urban contemporary gospel music husband and wife duo from Boston, Massachusetts, and they started their music recording careers in 1992. The duo released nine albums with five labels, with two of those albums charted on the US Billboard Christian Albums chart.
Allen & Allen are an American urban contemporary gospel jazz-funk and soul jazz African-American music duo from Daytona Beach, Florida, and they started their music recording careers in 1994. The duo released seven albums with four labels, and five of those albums charted on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart.
The Pilgrim Jubilees, also known as The Pilgrim Jubilee Singers, are an American traditional black gospel music group originally from the cities of Jackson, Mississippi and Chicago, Illinois, where they were established by Elgie Graham and Willie Johnson, in 1934. The group have released 25 albums with six record labels Nashboro Records, Peacock Records, Savoy Records, Malaco Records, MCA Records, and Benson Records. Five of those albums charted on the Billboard magazine charts.
