Rhythm and Blues
Ray Parker Jr may best be known for writing the soundtrack to Gostbusters, but his legacy goes back much further. Starting in Detroit as a teenager, Ray got the opportunity to work and tour with Stevie Wonder. Ray eventually went on to do writing and session work in LA, before finally going on to...
Rick Estrin and Charles Baty started playing blues together and decided to form a group in 1976. They brought in two other players and called themselves Little Charlie & the Nightcats. They began touring and soon began to feature at many of the top blues festivals. Ten years later they cut...
Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams is the songwriter and blues singer who began his recording career in 1954. His soul and R&B-based blues included "There Ain't Enough Love," "She's So Devine" and "I'm in the Danger Zone." His popular singles of the 1950s and 60s on 45rpm changed with the trends of...
Ralph Johnson joined Earth, Wind and Fire in 1972. That was an important year for the band as founder Maurice White changed the line-up to include singers Jessica Cleaves and Philip Bailey, keyboardist Larry Dunn, guitarist Roland Bautista and Ronnie Laws on flute and saxophone. The newly reformed...
Chuck Rainey picked up a violin as a boy and knew very early on that he wanted to make music! His legendary career as a studio musician and band leader included some iconic projects such as Aja with Steely Dan and a tour with King Curtis, when he toured with the Beatles. Chuck is best known as a...
Smokey Robinson! The man changed popular music! He brought a common, streetwise approach to his lyrics, which were embraced by millions of people the world over who related to his messages of longing, love and second chances. Smokey conveyed in words and music what many of us felt and wanted to...
Verdine White has become a close friend to the NAMM family thanks to his dedication to music education and music advocacy programs around the world. He has supported the efforts to keep music in public schools and has performed countless events to raise money for such causes. As the bassist for...
Art Laboe admired radio broadcasters from the first moment he heard voices coming out of a box his aunt had sent to Art's family when he was eight. He went on to have a successful and innovative broadcasting career that not only included pioneering DJ programming and remote request programs but...
Kenneth Gamble was singing and playing the guitar in a band he formed in Philly when he first met his future songwriting partner, Leon Huff. The two discovered they had the same goals of making music and that Kenneth's strength as a poet was a perfect fit for Huff's musical background. Together...
Leon Huff cut his teeth in the recording studios as a session player in the 1950s before meeting Kenneth Gamble. The two became one of the most prolific and successful songwriting and record producing teams in the music industry. They not only created the Philly Sound, they set standards and...