One of the most talented artists of the disco era, Donna Summer first found success by teaming with producer Giorgio Moroder and developing a highly sexualized, hooky dance sound highlighted by percolating electronics and moaning, sensual vocals. An …

Not many pop groups end up on postage stamps, as Abba has in its native Sweden; but then again, few groups become their homeland's most identifiable export. The group's stratospheric success was built on a foundation of buoyant, exquisitely arranged …

Debra (b. 9 July 1954), Joan (b. 13 September 1956), Kim (b. 21 August 1957) and Kathy Sledge (b. 6 January 1959) were all born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. They started their recording career on the Money Back label with 1971's "Ti…

Brainchild of guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards, Chic was one of the most successful groups of the disco era, both financially and creatively. Employing sparse, syncopated rhythm tracks as the basis for a slickly produced, yet highly…

The most successful female vocal group of the '60s, The Supremes were one of the quintessential Motown acts, scoring countless memorable hits that helped to define that label's distinctive R&B/pop hybrid. Diana Ross was the group's leader, but the Su…

Kool & The Gang were one of the most popular outfits to emerge from the '70s funk/R&B movement. They began as a hard-grooving funk band, hitting big with "Jungle Boogie," but they later incorporated disco and pop into their sound. Their greatest succ…

Aretha Franklin is one of the most important and influential female soul singers of the 20th century. The daughter of famed preacher Rev. C.L. Franklin, Memphis-born Aretha started out singing gospel while still in her teens in the 1950s, subsequentl…

This racially integrated band was formed in Florida, USA, in 1973 by Harry Wayne (KC) Casey (b. 31 January 1951, Hialeah, Florida, USA; vocals, keyboards) and Richard Finch (b. 25 January 1954, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; bass). Arguably the cornerst…

Earth, Wind & Fire was the brainchild of musical Renaissance man Maurice White, a successful ex-session drummer who recorded with everyone from Chuck Berry to John Coltrane. Essentially an R&B group, Earth, Wind & Fire expanded its sound to include e…

In the spotlight since the age of four, Michael Jackson rose to fame as the lead vocalist for the Jackson Five. In the late 1970s, Jackson embarked on a solo career as a young adult with the Quincy Jones-produced OFF THE WALL. With one hit album unde…

Wild Cherry's claim to fame was the US number 1 and UK Top 10 funky dance single, "Play That Funky Music", in 1976 has probably outlived the name of its creators in the minds of most fans. Wild Cherry was a white quintet formed that year in Steubenvi…

The Village People from New York City, USA, were a concept before they were a group. The brainchild of French record producer Jacques Morali (d. 15 November 1991, Paris, France), the troupe was assembled in 1977. Morali, who had been enjoying great s…

b. Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This vocalist caught the mood of the disco craze as it sashayed towards its Saturday Night Fever zenith in the late 70s. Although her debut album reached Billboard's Top 40, she is remembered chiefly for the single "I Live T…

Vocalists Izora Rhodes Armstead (b. 1942, Texas, USA, d. 16 September 2004, California, USA) and Martha Wash (b. USA) met in the San Francisco-based gospel group, NOW (News Of The World) prior to joining the backing group of rising disco star Sylvest…

One of the most talented and successful R&B groups of the '70s, the Commodores appealed to a mainstream audience with a string of well-crafted, energetic hit singles and a dynamic live act. Most importantly, however, the group included Lionel Richie …

When Cherilyn Sarkasian reinvented herself as the more photogenic half of '60s pop duo Sonny & Cher, no one could guess it would be merely the first step in an ongoing artistic redefinition that would continue for decades. After the smash success of …

b. Cheryl Lynn Smith, 11 March 1957, Los Angeles, California, USA. The full-throated Lynn became a hit-maker at the height of disco's popularity, singing dance tunes that retained the gospel vocal approach of classic soul. Lynn grew up in the church …

Although the press and public were initially focused on singer Debbie Harry's model-like good looks, Blondie was one of the first new wave bands of the 1970s to experiment with other musical styles. Beginning as part of the '70s CBGB scene in New Yor…

While Hot Chocolate were never as popular in the United States as they were in the U.K.--where the group was a consistent chart presence for several decades--the multi-racial British pop/soul/funk outfit scored a huge international hit with 1975's "Y…

Herb Fame (b. Herbert Feemster, 1 October 1942) and Francine Barker (b. Francine Hurd). These two Washington, DC, USA-based singers were signed separately to the same record label, Date, and met on a promotional tour. Producer Dave Kapralik put the c…