Teena Marie’s loyalty, devotion, and success in R&B and soul music won her the label “Ivory Queen of Soul.” Marie’s distinctive voice and passionate soprano that featured funk, soul, and rock styles boosted her spirits and encouraged her creativity. She deserves to be recognized for the talent and creativity she has demonstrated throughout her three-decade…
Macy Gray first began performing and writing songs during her time at university. In 1999, her career went stratospheric with the release of her debut album, On How Life Is. The album went multi-platinum, picked up a slew of awards, and, with its phenomenally successful single, I Try, launched Gray into the international arena. Since…
The American punk rock band known as Bad Religion was first formed out of Los Angeles, California in 1980. High school students, Greg Graffin, Jay Bentley, Jay Ziskrout, and Brett Gurewitz had their first public performance when they opened for another punk rock group, Social Distortion at a warehouse opening. The first show Bad Religion…
In the early 1990s, Toby Keith rolled into Nashville armed with a pocketful of songs and an overflowing cup of ambition. It took him a couple of albums to get there, but by the early 2000s, he was riding high in the charts as one of the biggest names in modern country. He might not…
Blackberry Smoke is a rock band that was formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2000. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Charlie Starr, vocalist and bassist Richard Turner, drummer Brit Turner, keyboardist Brandon Still, and Pall Jackson on guitar and backing vocals. Although this is the main lineup when recording music, there are additional…
Born in Sydney, Australia, Iggy Azalea has worked his way up to become one of the best female rappers of the last decade. Iggy relocated to the US from Australia after two of her songs, gained massive popularity on YouTube. It wouldn’t take long for T.I. to notice her talents and sign her to his…
Kid Rock began his career as a rapper with the hip hop group The Beast Crew in the late 1980s. At the age of 17, he signed a solo deal with Jive Records, releasing his debut album, Grit Sandwiches for Breakfast, in 1990. Although his style was initially characterized by a hip-hop heavy sound, later…
Rise Records was always a record label known for signing bands early on before they became a worldwide success, and most of the time the label has been able to hold onto those artists as they rose in popularity. Earlier this year, regardless of what plans the pandemic had for music recently, Rise Records was…
John Denver began his career playing with folk groups in the 1960s. After signing as a solo artist to RCA, he scored his commercial breakthrough with his fourth album, Poems, Prayers & Promises. Although his commercial success waned in the 1980s, he dominated the charts in the 1970s with hits like Take Me Home, Country…