The Soul of Rock 'N Roll: A History of African Americans in Rock Music

African American musicians and singers invented Rock 'N Roll. Consequently, in the 1950s, pioneering artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Ike & Tina Turner set the sound, style and performance standards for the next 50 years. In the 1960s, African American artists like Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Jimi Hendrix continued to raise the bar of excellence and artistic discipline, while using their celebrity to further the cause of social justice.

In the 1970s, African American artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and The Jackson 5, took the spirit of social and economic empowerment and ascended to a whole new level of singing, songwriting and performance in contemporary music. So did multi-talented artist like Prince, Living Colour, and Run DMC in the 1980s; these highly progressive new-age artists toured the world in stadiums, and delivered the visual and sonic message of professional excellence to 50 thousand people at a time.

Most recently, 1990s and new millennium African American Rockers lead the way toward more cultural acceptance and diversity in rock music; artists like Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, and Ben Harper are again blazing trail to a new frontier of racial and cultural inclusiveness in modern music and American society.

The Soul of Rock 'N Roll highlights and celebrates the powerful influence of African Americans in rock music, and this work is a "must read" for any person who considers themselves a serious fan of ROCK 'N ROLL!