Parliament-Funkadelic
The band Parliament/Funkadelic had an amazing influence on the music style of funk in the 1970s. The original members of this band were George Clinton, Raymond Davis, Calvin Simon, Fuzzy Haskins, and Grady Thomas with other members joining later in the band's career. They peaked in the 1970s with the band having thirteen top ten rhythm and blues and pop hits from 1967-1983, including six number-one R&B hits. The band then earned a gold record for their single "Give Up The Funk". In 1997, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and later won a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in 2019.
Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang was an American rap group that was formed in Englewood, New Jersey in 1979. The name of the group came from the record label Sugar Hill Records as it was named after a neighborhood in Harlem, New York. The original members of the group included Michael Anthony Wright (Wonder Mike), Guy O'Brien (Master Gee), and Henry Lee Jackson (Big Bank Hank). None of the members of this group rapped professionally before joining the group, however, the group still saw great success and contributed greatly to the music of the 1970s and 1980s. Although the group was formed towards the end of the 1970s their first song "Rapper's Delight" became a hit single in the summer of 1979 and launched the group's career. With their newfound success, the group began to open for other artists and headline their own shows. In 2011, their song "Rapper's Delight" was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry and in 2014 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was a child prodigy that got his stage name from the president of Motown Records Barry Gordy Jr. when he referred to young Stevie as "Little Stevie Wonder". Wonder plays the organ, piano, drums, and harmonica and began playing at age eight with his recording debut at age twelve. At this time he was known for his high-pitched singing and frantic harmonica playing. His first hit song was "Fingertips (Part 2)" and was followed by many other hits throughout the 1970s and onward. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and received the Polar Music Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 1999. Wonder was also given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross is an American pop singer and actress. She began her career in 1959 as the lead vocalist of the group The Supremes. The original members of this vocal group were Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Diana Ross. The Supremes were signed to Motown Records and had great success as they had twelve number-one hits. Soon the group's name would be changed to Diana Ross and the Supremes before Diana finally began her solo career in 1970. Within the 1970s Diana Ross also branched out and began her career as an actress starring in Lady Sings the Blues as Billie Holiday in 1977 and The Wiz in 1978. Diana along with the Supremes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and she received both a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2012 and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
Works Cited:
“Diana Ross.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 25 Dec. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Diana-Ross.
“Parliament-Funkadelic.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Parliament-Funkadelic. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.
“Stevie Wonder.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 5 Feb. 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/Stevie-Wonder.
“The Sugarhill Gang.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/topic/the-Sugarhill-Gang. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.