African American Music History

“Narrator Kristolyn Lloyd expertly uses accents, emotional cues, and vocal effects in this vivid audiobook set in 1999.” — Kirkus (Earphones Award Winner) A fast-paced, juicy debut novel that peeks behind the curtain at the cutthroat world of hip-hop music and the glamorous magazine scene...

A gripping page-turner from the celebrated author of book club favorite The Violin Conspiracy: Music professor Bern Hendricks discovers a shocking secret about the most famous American composer of all time—his music may have been stolen from a Black Jazz Age prodigy named Josephine Reed...

Explore captivating stories and facts about African American history! The history of African Americans is a long and tragic chronicle of events. The people who dared to stand up and speak out against the systemic cruelty and oppression were often brutally killed for their efforts. This has created a rich tapestry of defiant and courageous leaders and followers who have gradually pressed for the evolution of thought within the United States of America.

Austin joins Dallas and Houston in Akashic's deep dive into the Lone Star State's darkest dimensions. Featuring brand-new stories by: Gabino Iglesias, Ace Atkins, Amanda Moore, Jeff Abbott, Scott Montgomery, Richard Z. Santos, Alexandra Burt, Lee Thomas, Miriam Kuznets, Jacob Grovey, Chaitali Sen, Molly Odintz, Amy Gentry, and Andrew Hilbert.

The late Grammy-winning founder of the legendary pop/R&B/soul/funk/disco group tells his story and charts the rise of his legendary band in this sincere memoir that captures the heart and soul of an artist whose groundbreaking sound continues to influence music today. With a foreword by David...

The authorized biography of the legendary artist, Tupac Shakur, a “touching, empathetic portrait” (The New York Times) of his life and powerful legacy, including mementos, handwritten poetry, musings, and more Artist, poet, actor, revolutionary, legend Tupac Shakur is one of the greatest and...

An electrifying memoir from the pioneering cultural icon The New Yorker called “the coolest person in New York,” whose fearless creativity reshaped the worlds of art, music, and style Fab 5 Freddy doesn’t just have a great story—he is the story. Name a seismic cultural shift, and chances...

Nelson George's chronicle of Motown Records' rise and fall remains a classic account of an essential American music company and its dynamic founder, Berry Gordy Jr. Gordy's uncanny instinct for finding extraordinary talent - from performers and musicians to songwriters and producers - packed the label's roster with a who's who of historic artists and hitmakers.

For half a century, Michael Jackson’s music has been an indelible part of our cultural consciousness. Landmark albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller shattered records, broke racial barriers, amassed awards, and set a new standard for popular music. While his songs continue to be played in...

His cello made him famous. His father made him a target. “In this perfectly crafted thriller, Slocumb acts as the master conductor, bringing together a twisty plot and gorgeously wrought characters.” —The Boston Globe Curtis Wilson is a cello prodigy, growing up in the Southeast D.C...

Ragtime Music History: The Complete Guide to the Origins, Legacy, and Essential Recordings of America’s First Popular Music is your ultimate deep dive into one of the most influential musical genres in American culture. From its syncopated origins in African American communities to its peak in the saloons, parlors, and vaudeville stages of the early 20th century, this beautifully written guide explores the evolution, key figures, cultural impact, and lasting legacy of ragtime. Discover the stories of Scott Joplin, James Scott, and Eubie Blake; learn how ragtime shaped early jazz, inspired...

The Forgotten Operas of Black Composers unveils a rich, overlooked chapter of musical history, spotlighting the operatic works of Black composers from the 19th century to the present day. From Harry Lawrence Freeman’s grand Wagnerian visions to Anthony Davis’s Pulitzer-winning dramas, these composers have crafted operas of immense depth, innovation, and cultural significance—yet their contributions remain largely absent from the mainstream operatic canon. Through vivid profiles, historical context, and musical analysis, this book celebrates the resilience and brilliance of artists ...

In January 1959, Berry Gordy borrowed $800 from his family and founded the Detroit-based record company that in less than a decade was to become the largest Black-owned business in the United States. It also became one of the most productive and influential producers of popular music anywhere in the world. The Story of Motown is the story of Berry Gordy's triumph over powerful, established financial interests, entrenched popular taste, bigotry, and racism.

Considered by many to be a founder of Afrofuturism, Sun Ra - a.k.a. Herman Blount - was a composer, keyboardist, bandleader, philosopher, entrepreneur, poet, and self-proclaimed extraterrestrial from Saturn. He recorded over 200 albums with his Arkestra, which, dressed in Egypto-space costumes, played everything from boogie-woogie and swing to fusion and free jazz.

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Mississippi Mississippi has shaped America in ways few states can claim—yet it remains one of the nation's most misunderstood places. From the ancient mound-building civilizations to the civil rights movement that transformed the country, from the Delta blues that gave birth to rock and roll to the literary giants who won Nobel Prizes, Mississippi's story is essential to understanding who we are as Americans. Daniel Hardy's masterful narrative moves beyond stereotypes to reveal a state of profound contradictions: immense cultural wealth amid ...

Award-winning civil rights historian Ray Arsenault describes the dramatic story behind Marian Anderson’s concert at the Lincoln Memorial - an early milestone in civil rights history - on the 70th anniversary of her performance. On Easter Sunday 1939, the brilliant vocalist Marian Anderson sang before a throng of 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington - an electrifying moment and an underappreciated milestone in civil rights history.

“You won’t leave this hypnotic book without feeling that James Brown is still out there, howling.”—The Boston Globe From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Lord Bird, winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction, Deacon King Kong, and Five-Carat Soul Kill...

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) possessed one of the twentieth century's most astonishing voices. Historian Judith Tick offers a sublime portrait of this ambitious risk-taker whose exceptional musical spontaneity made her a transformational artist. Becoming Ella Fitzgerald clears up long-enduring mysteries. Archival research and in-depth family interviews shed new light on the singer's difficult childhood, the tragic death of her mother, and the year she spent in a girls' reformatory school—where she sang in its renowned choir and dreamed of being a dancer.

What does it mean to be an American? The story of the African American past demonstrates the difficulty of answering this seemingly simple question. This book illuminates the US's core paradoxes, inviting profound questions about what it means to be an American, a citizen, and a human being. This book considers how, for centuries, African Americans have fought for what the black feminist intellectual Anna Julia Cooper called "the cause of freedom." It begins in Jamestown in 1619, when the first shipment of enslaved Africans arrived in that settlement.

A showstopping portrait of Whitney Houston as we’ve never seen her before—a woman in her full power, a musician who knew the impact of her gift, and a fulcrum of Black celebrity—in this first major biography of the artist who became an icon. We remember Whitney Houston for her soaring...