One of the seminal performers in 20th-century American music, Nat "King" Cole was a major figure in the development of jazz piano, the stylistic link between early jazz and pop of the sophisticated urban variety that emerged in the '30s, and finally …

b. 19 July 1906, Sullivan, Illinois, USA, d. 13 December 1971, Denver, Colorado, USA. A heavyweight bandleader in every sense, the inappropriately titled Harry "Tiny" Hill was a massive man (nearing 400 lbs in weight) who formed his first dance band …

b. Gordon Beneke, 12 February 1914, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, d. 31 May 2000, Costa Mesa, California, USA. Starting out on soprano saxophone, Beneke switched to tenor, working with various bands in the south-west. In 1938, he joined Glenn Miller where,…

b. Alvin Henry McBurney, 1 July 1908, Oakland, California, USA, d. 24 February 2004, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. An accomplished guitarist, Rey learned to play several stringed instruments as a teenager growing up in Cleveland, most notably the banjo.…

It can be safely said that Bing Crosby taught America how to sing. Before his arrival in the 1930s, the airwaves were filled with off-pitch, rakish crooners and semi-operatic belters. It was Crosby who brought nuance to popular singing, popularizing …

Before hard funksters like Prince and the Time hit the national stage before groundbreaking alternative rockers Hsker D and the Replacements Minneapolis was barely a blip on Americas musical radar -- that is until Lipps Inc broke out with one of disc…

MOR kings Huey Lewis & the News hit the jackpot in the 1980s with their slick, inoffensive brand of radio-friendly bar rock. Hints of classic R&B and New Wave helped give the group a distinct identity and broaden its appeal without confounding listen…

b. John Royce Mathis, 30 September 1935, San Francisco, California, USA. In 1956, the 19-year-old Mathis was signed to Columbia Records where he began his career with a jazz-tinged album. A US Top 20 hit with "Wonderful! Wonderful!" saw him move adro…