CELEBRATING BLACK ARTISTS HONORING MUSICIANS THAT HAVE SHAPED ROCK AND ROLL

Significant black music artists of history

At School of Rock, we are dedicated to enriching lives through performance-based music education. An important component of that education is to make our students aware of the countless individuals who have contributed to our favorite music. Rock music’s roots can be found in many genres, but particularly in blues, jazz, and gospel music. These styles originated in predominantly Black communities and were played predominantly by Black artists. School of Rock is proud to recognize and celebrate some of the most influential Black musicians to contemporary music, especially rock, over the last century.

We have created a handful of musician spotlight articles, each covering 10 different individuals, for a total of 50 artists. While we acknowledge that this list is far from complete, we hope it will serve as a useful resource for musicians and music lovers everywhere.

WE ARE ADDING 75 SONGS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY BLACK ARTISTS OR GROUPS

In addition to this list, we are also adding 75 more songs that were performed by Black artists or predominantly Black groups to our proprietary curriculum. This will ensure that all of our students are given the opportunity to study and perform the music of these incredible artists.

This list and these spotlight articles were developed and co-written by a dedicated and passionate group of instructors and staff members from our very own schools. School of Rock would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions:

Will O'Bryant

Will O’Bryant

School of Rock Cypress, TX

Chondell Le Land

Chondell Le Land

School of Rock Green Valley, NV

Celso Santos

Celso Santos

School of Rock Anália Franco, Brazil

Solange Siribandan

Solange Siribandan

School of Rock Temecula, CA

Bonnie McIntosh

Bonnie McIntosh

School of Rock Woodland Hills, CA

Morgen hare

Morgen Hare

School of Rock Oak Park, IL

Tandaleria Roland

Tandaleria Roland

School of Rock Schaumburg, IL

Gene Washington

School of Rock Attleboro, MA

EXPLORE THE ARTISTS THAT HAVE HELPED INFLUENCE MUSIC AS WE KNOW IT

Allen Toussaint

Allen Toussaint

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Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

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Bad Brains

Bad Brains

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B.B. King

B.B. King

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Bernard Purdie

Bernard Purdie

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Berry Gordy III

Berry Gordy III

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"Big Mama Thornton" Willie Mae Thornton

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Bill Withers

Bill Withers

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Billy Preston

Billy Preston

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"Bo Diddley" Ellas McDaniel

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Bob Marley

Bob Marley

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"Bootsy" William Earl Collins

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Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry

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Curtis Mayfield

Curtis Mayfield

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Diana Ross and The Supremes

Diana Ross and The Supremes

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Earth, Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire

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Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald

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Etta James

Etta James

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"Fats Domino" Antoine Domino Jr.

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Fishbone

Fishbone

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Gary Clark, Jr.

Gary Clark, Jr.

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George Clinton

George Clinton

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James Brown

James Brown

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Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix

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Larry Graham

Larry Graham

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“Lead Belly” Huddie William Ledbetter

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Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz

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"Little Richard" Richard Wayne Penniman

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Living Colour

Living Colour

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Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye

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Michael Jackson and The Jacksons

Michael Jackson and The Jacksons

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“Muddy Waters” McKinley Morganfield

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Patti LaBelle

Patti LaBelle

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“Prince” Rogers Nelson

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Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones

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Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine

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Ray Charles

Ray Charles

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Richie Havens

Richie Havens

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Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson

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Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke

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Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

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"Slash" Saul Hudson

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Sly and the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone

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“Stevie Wonder” Stevland Hardaway Judkins

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The Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers

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The Meters

The Meters

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"Thin Lizzy" Phil Lynott

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Tina Turner

Tina Turner

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Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman

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Willie Dixon

Willie Dixon

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