Black History Month – Authors, Singers, & Musicians – Flashcards
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Alex Haley
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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.
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Aretha Franklin
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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.
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Billie Holiday
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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.
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Chuck Berry
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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.
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Diana Ross
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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!
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Dizzy Gillespie
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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!
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Duke Ellington
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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!
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Harry Belafonte
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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.
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Jimi Hendrix
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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!
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Langston Hughes
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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.
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Lorraine Hansberry
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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.
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Louis Armstrong
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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!
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Marian Anderson
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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!
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Maya Angelou
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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.
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Michael Jackson
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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.
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Miles Davis
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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.
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Nat King Cole
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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.
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Ralph Ellison
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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.
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Ray Charles
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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.
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Stevie Wonder
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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.
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Toni Morrison
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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.
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Zora Neale Hurston
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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.
