The Jackson 5 (1962-1990)

The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, abbreviated as J5, and later known simply as The Jacksons) were an American popular music quintet from Gary, Indiana. The group, active from 1962 to 1990, regularly played from a repertoire of R&B, soul, funk, and later disco. Considered "one of the biggest phenomenons in pop music" during the early 1970s, the Jackson 5 group is also notable for launching the career of its lead singer, Michael Jackson

My Favorite Hits:

"The Love U Save"

"Maybe Tomorrow"

"I Wanna Be Where U R"

Stevie Wonder (1950-?)

Stevie Wonder (born May 13, 1950) is an African-American singer, songwriter, producer, musician, humanitarian and social activist. Although his name at birth was Steveland Judkins, he later changed his name to Steveland Morris. Wonder has recorded more than 30 Top 10 hits, won 24 Grammys (a record for a living artist), also one for lifetime achievement, and been inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters halls of fame.

Blind from infancy, Wonder has become one of the most successful and well-known artists on the Motown label, with nine U.S. #1 hits to his name and album sales totaling more than 70 million units. He has recorded several critically acclaimed albums and hit singles, and writes and produces songs for many of his labelmates and outside artists as well. A multi-instrumentalist, Wonder plays the drums, guitar, synthesizers, congas, and most famously the piano, harmonica and keyboards. Many critics refer to the quality of his work and its versatility as being indicative of musical genius.

Some of My Favorite Hits:

"My Cherie Amour"

"Sir. Duke"

"Knocks me off My Feet"

Ms.Dandridge (1922-1965)

Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress. She was the first African American to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

In 1954, Dandridge was cast in Carmen Jones, the remake of the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. For this performance, she received an Academy Award nomination, although director Preminger initially had reservations about her casting, feeling that she was too chic to play the sultry "Carmen." The Negro community had high hopes for Dorothy Dandridge because of the Civil Rights Movement. Dorothy worked tirelessly to help the Movement in any way that she could. When Carmen Jones was released it was a financial success. Dandridge was the first African American woman to be nominated for best actress Oscar. She was also the first African American performer to give an award during the Academy Awards telecast. In fact, in November 1954, Dandridge became the first African American to appear on the cover of Life magazine

I LUV U MS. DANDRIDGE...you'll forever b in my heart!

                                                                    -Toya

The Police (1979-1983)

The Police was a three-piece British new wave band which was strongly influenced by reggae. Coming to prominence in the wake of the punk rock phenomenon, they rose to become one of the most popular groups in the world from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. The almost endless repetition of a word or a phrase often takes a central theme in the music of The Police.

Some of my personal favorite songs:

"Everybreath U Take"

"Don't Stand So Close 2 Me"

"Roxanne"

David Bowie A.K.A "Ziggy Stardust" (1947-?)

He is commonly known as the chameleon of pop, predicting trends and adjusting his style and persona, while holding on to his own ideas and creativity. A multi-instrumentalist, he is famous for playing guitar, keyboard and saxophone; but also plays harmonica, drums, cello, marimba, bass guitar, koto and stylophone. He first rose to prominence with the heady, 1969 folk rock single "Space Oddity" but is perhaps best known for the single "Changes" from Hunky Dory (1971), and the flamboyant, androgynous glam rock of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), and Aladdin Sane (1973).