Robert Johnson

Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. He is now recognized as a master of the blues, particularly the Delta blues style. As a traveling performer who […]

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. He was one of the main […]

John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne (born 3 December 1948)[2] is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adopted the nickname “Prince of Darkness”. Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to alcohol […]

James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter and poet, who served as the lead vocalist of the rock band The Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, his widely recognized voice, unpredictable and erratic performances, and the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and early death, Morrison […]

Sid Jacobson (born October 20, 1929)[1] is an American writer who has worked in the fields of children’s comic books, popular music, fiction, biography, and non-fiction comics. He was managing editor and editor in chief for Harvey Comics. Jacobson is also known for his late-career collaborations with artist Ernie Colón, including such nonfiction graphic novels […]

John Winston Ono Lennon[nb 1] MBE (born John Winston Lennon, 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter and peace activist[2] who gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in musical history.[3] In 1969, […]

Leonard Norman Cohen CC GOQ (September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death and romantic relationships.[2] Cohen was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of […]

John Newton (/ˈnjuːtən/; 4 August [O.S. 24 July] 1725 – 21 December 1807) was an English Anglican clergyman and abolitionist, also having been Captain of slave ships and investor of trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy for a period after forced recruitment. Newton went to sea at a young age and […]

Glenn Lewis Frey (/fraɪ/; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, actor and founding member of the rock band Eagles. Frey was the co-lead singer and frontman for the Eagles, roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley, with whom he wrote most of the Eagles’ material. Frey played guitar […]

Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He was the drummer and co-lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971 until the band broke up in 1980, and has reprised those duties for the group’s reunions since 1994. Henley sang the lead vocals on […]

Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886 – October 8, 1941) was an American lyricist. [toc] Life and career Kahn was born in 1886 in Koblenz, Germany, the son of Theresa (Mayer) and Isaac Kahn, a cattle rancher. The Jewish family immigrated to the United States and moved to Chicago in 1890. After graduating from high school, […]

Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, Porter defied his grandfather’s wishes and took up music […]

Mark Anthony Myrie (born 15 July 1973), professionally known by his stage name Buju Banton, is a Jamaican reggae dancehall recording artist. He is widely considered one of the most significant and well-regarded artists in Jamaican music. Banton has collaborated with many international artists, including those in the hip hop, Latin and punk rock genres, […]

James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in […]

Les Misérables (/leɪ ˌmɪzəˈrɑːbəl, –blə/, French: [le mizeʁabl(ə)]) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables, […]

Gyula Dávid (Budapest, May 6, 1913 – Budapest, March 14, 1977) Kossuth Prize-winning Hungarian composer. Brother of architect Károly Dávid. [toc] His life Gyula Dávid was born on May 6, 1913 in Budapest, id. From the marriage of Károly Dávid, a construction contractor, and Anna Mária Mészáros  as her third child.  (His brothers are Károly […]

Zoltán Kodály (/ˈkoʊdaɪ/; Hungarian: Kodály Zoltán, pronounced [ˈkodaːj ˈzoltaːn]; 16 December 1882 – 6 March 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method. [toc] Life Born in Kecskemét, Hungary, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child. In 1905 he visited […]

Edda Művek is a highly successful Hungarian rock band formed in 1973 initially under the name “Griff”. Undergoing a brief name change to Edda, the band finally settled for Edda Művek shortly thereafter. The name “Edda” was inspired by the Prose Edda of Norse Mythology while the word, “Művek” (works), is a symbolic reference to […]

Thomas Augustine Arne (/ɑːrn/; 12 March 1710 – 5 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song “Rule, Britannia!” and the song “A-Hunting We Will Go“. Arne was a leading British theatre composer of the 18th century, working at Drury Lane and Covent Garden. He wrote many operatic entertainments for […]

Hiram “Hank” Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, Williams recorded 35 singles (five released posthumously) that reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including […]

Burt Freeman Bacharach (/ˈbækəræk/ BAK-ə-rak; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who has composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Grammy Award winner and three-time Academy Award winner, Bacharach’s songs have been recorded by […]