The roots of popular American music often trace back to African-American performers.
Over several decades, many artists have put their stamp on the pages of history. Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Chuck Berry -- these are just a few artists who helped shape and pioneer modern genres as we know it, from jazz to rock to hip-hop.
[seealso slug="civil-rights-women"]
However, there are numerous black artists who broke ground, but have slipped out of modern mainstream memory. From Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a gospel singer who championed the electric guitar, to Count Basie, the first black man to win a Grammy, here are just seven of many little-known black artists we should remember this Black History Month and beyond.
[nggallery id=21073 layout="list" title="top"]