These African women amaze with their appearance. The most famous black actors Negro singer

Strong in spirit, great people always enthrall. And doubly rejoice, watching the success of the life of a beautiful and talented woman. In addition, it's great if it comes from an African-American environment, that segment of the population that has been oppressed for centuries. Black singers are a big and beautiful diamond in the crown of American musical art. These are powerful voices with a special African timbre, a separate culture brought from the shores of hot Africa by the ancestors of these great women.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to even closely consider the biographies of all pop-jazz and R'n'B stars in the article, so we will focus on the 7 most, in our opinion, the most popular and bright personalities of the past and current years of American show business.

Queen B came on the scene as a child. From the age of 9, the R'n'B singer took part in a super-popular girl band called Destiny's Child, and then continued her career as a solo singer. Every single Beyoncé album has been awarded the Grammy Award for Best R'n'B Album. No other singer in the world has such an achievement.

A girl was born in a creative family. The mother of the future most popular American black singer is a fashion designer and stylist, and her father is a producer and sound engineer. The talents of the child manifested themselves in early childhood when little Beyoncé began to participate and win in all music competitions in her native Houston. Soon a group also gathered, which became known to all Americans as Destiny's Child (only the name changed several times in the course of work). Beyoncé hasn't always shone. For example, at one of the competitions, the musical group was defeated, because the producer of the girls focused on rapping, while, according to Beyonce herself, they just needed to sing.

However, the failure did not stop the group. Over the following years, the girls released several successful and well-selling albums. The first single was produced by the singer's father, which hit the financial condition of the family. However, subsequently all the troubles with money were settled, since the group can be considered successful.

The musical project thus existed from 1997 to 2000. From that moment on, the group broke up into solo performers, each of which successfully worked and is working in its own direction. But in 2004, the girls got together for the last time, recorded a new album, and already during the concert tour officially announced the breakup of the trio.

Leaving the team, Beyonce took up, in addition to music, a career as an actress and was successful in this field, having won 2 Golden Globe awards. Over time, the singer's musical style has become more diverse.

Beyonce's personal life is almost cloudless, except for the only public conflict between the singer's husband, rapper Jay-Z, and her sister Solange Piaget. However, over time, the world returned to this musical family, in which, in addition, the next generation is growing up - in total, the couple has three children.

Dorothy Dandridge

A short (only 42 years), but the brightest life was lived by a black singer with a strong voice, actress and dancer - Dorothy Jean Dandridge.

Many talented performers are helped to stand on musical way their parents. Dorothy is no exception. When Miss Dandridge was still a child, her mother organized a musical duet for her and her sister, which was called the Amazing Children. Dorothy turned out to be strong in spirit and began to earn money on radio and in cinema. Still, music remained her main love.

Despite this, the singer became popular precisely because of the work of the actress. Success and recognition came to her in 1954 after filming in the film "Carmen Jones", where she played the main role. In addition to this film, the woman starred in a number of other recognizable paintings.

The world lost a talented singer in September 1965, when she was at the peak of her creative powers. Dorothy Dandridge died at her home after drinking a large dose of antidepressants. It was hardly suicide, because the singer had creative plans for the near future. In particular, she was going to perform one of these days in one of the New York cabarets.

In honor of the memory of this amazing woman, the film "Meet Dorothy Dandridge" was made, in which the incomparable Halle Berry played the main role.

Katerina is best known as an actress, and her most popular role is that of Bonnie Bennet from The Vampire Diaries. The girl owes her unusual appearance to a mixture of Liberian and Polish blood (Katerina's mother is Polish, and her father is Liberian). In addition, this actress, singer and dancer is a polyglot and speaks Spanish, Polish and French in addition to English.

Since we are considering the biographies of black singers, Katerina has the most direct relation to this. This hard-working young woman manages to combine filming with her own musical concerts. A few years ago, she released a music album that she recorded in her personal studio. In addition, she was for some time a backing vocalist in the band Black and Peace.

The girl does not allocate for herself more or less important part creativity. She likes to act in films, and dance, and make music. She does not plan to deny herself one of these activities. The press, among other things, closely follows the style of Katerina in clothes, which they consider quite cool.

Ciara

Ciara Princess Harris is one of the popular black singers who do more than just music. In addition to R'n'B and hip-hop, the girl is fond of dancing and works as a model. She has released several successful albums, and many of her singles have received prestigious music awards like the Grammy.

most iconic and successful work Ciara's albums are Goodies, Ciara: The Evolution and Ciara (the latest to date). But even not the most successful albums of the singer were awarded high music awards. Ciara writes songs herself, being a talented poetess. Her creations are recognized far beyond the United States and the English-speaking world.

The personal life of the singer has not yet developed somehow. But she has a son with her ex-boyfriend Future. In addition to being creative, the woman leads an active social life, helping terminally ill children to fulfill their dreams.

Rihanna

The work of one of the most famous black singers Rihanna is a mixture of R'n'B, reggae and pop music. Thanks to this musical symbiosis, the girl has developed a unique and recognizable style throughout the world. In addition to music, Rihanna is busy acting and designing.

The girl began to sing quite early, in her teens. And at the age of 16 she was able to please the successful producer Evan Rogers. And at that moment she moved from Barbados to America to build her career without even graduating from high school. In the USA, the popular rapper Jay-Z began to patronize the talented girl, who saw prospects in her.

So, 17-year-old Rihanna in 2005 "blew up" the music world with her composition Pon de Replay. And in the same year, her first album Music of the Sun was released, which went platinum. The prolific composer Rihanna did not make the public wait long for her second brainchild and in 2006 released an album called A girl like me, the best composition which had the song SOS held for a long time in the TOP-5 of the world's leading charts.

The next year was marked for Rihanna by the release of another album, which included the song Umbrella, which made her a superstar literally all over the world and revealed the girl's vocal abilities to the maximum. The next album was released two years later, and critics noted the gloominess and aggression poured into the songs by Rihanna due to severe mental trauma resulting from a difficult break with her lover Chris Brown. But literally the next year she released a lively and explosive album Loud. This one was also iconic creative project, because Rihanna clearly reconsidered her priorities and showed the world her self-sufficiency and audacity.

In total, Rihanna has released 8 music albums to date, sang in a duet with such stars as Shakira, Eminem, Jay-Z, Paul McCartney, etc. For her songs, she has been awarded the cool Grammy award more than once.

Another great black singer who died early and tragically, Whitney Houston, lived only 48 years. Nevertheless, she left a huge ingenious creative legacy behind her. It's no secret that she had problems with drugs and from time to time she appeared in various scandalous stories. But this does not change the fact that Whitney Houston was a real gem in the world of music.

Her childhood was spent among musicians. Firstly, the singer's mother and aunt were notable figures in the rhythm and blues world of the 60s and 70s of the XX century. And secondly, the girl grew up among the musicians of the Baptist choir. Moreover, her unique talent allowed her to be a soloist in the church choir at the age of 11.

The girl was engaged in touring activities throughout her youth and led a bohemian lifestyle. In the 80s, she had 2 contracts with record companies, but the collaboration with Arista Records brought the girl popularity.

Whitney released her first album in 1985. Popularity did not immediately fall on her head, but after America heard the song You Give Good Love, the young woman became famous. Her talent was so overwhelming that she broke into those shows on television, where black artists had not even thought of inviting before. And, it would seem, the first not very successful album of the singer diverges from the shelves in the amount of 13,000,000 copies, although a year after the release.

The second collection was so liked by the world community that it surpassed the work of The Beatles themselves in popularity. Less successful was Whitney's third album, but this did not plunge her into depression, as she wisely believed that this was the path for a long career. But the next collection of songs, released in 1990, went platinum, and fans bought 10,000,000 copies of it. However, a live tour in support of this project is considered a failure.

a separate chapter in creative life this most talented African American was the release of the film "The Bodyguard" (1992). The singer performed 6 songs that became hits. And the single I Will Always Love You became the main one in Whitney's career. In addition to "The Bodyguard", the singer recorded several more soundtracks for other films.

After success in the cinema, Whitney releases another album, which was received favorably by critics and the public. The name of this brainchild of the singer is My Love Is Your Love.

But now the singer's career began to decline, and only in 2000 did she release a collection of songs. Everything, it would seem, begins to improve, Whitney concludes contracts for the next few albums. But they fail.

In 2004, Whitney Houston went on tour, during which she also performed in Russia. Then, in the work of the singer, complete silence sets in, lasting several years. And only in 2009 she released her seventh and, unfortunately, the last album.

The real name of this famous black singer is Anna May Bullock. Despite the fact that the girl’s childhood passed in such conditions that she could not expect any musical success, over time, this strong and outstanding woman with her singing, composing, acting and dancing talent was recognized as the Queen of Rock and Roll.

The premonition of success gave the girl a move to St. Louis and an acquaintance with rock musician Ike Turner. It was Ike who saw Anna's talent and passion for music and helped create Tina Turner's signature style.

The group "Kings of Rhythm", in which Anna was the soloist, was quite popular in the USA in the 60-70s of the XX century. And this passionate vocalist even earned a Grammy award while being part of the team. In 1962, Ike and Tina started a family, and thus a soloist appeared on the stage under the pseudonym Tina Turner.

At that time, Mr. Turner left the team, and his wife began to solo in a new group with him. So the world saw the team The Ike & Tina Turner Revue. The musicians worked tirelessly, being in a creative search for their hit. And one day they met Phil Specter, who organized special project for Tina called River Deep Mountain Hight. At the same time, the cult group Rolling Stones made an offer to Revue to participate in one of their tours.

But problems began in paradise, and once Tina, unable to withstand the growing tyranny, beatings and drug addiction of her husband, literally left him into the unknown. And the singer receives her first success during one of her tours in Europe, performing the song Let's Stay Together. In addition, Tina met manager Roger Davis, who convinced the singer to build a successful solo career.

The total success covered the artist after meeting with David Bowie and recording his songs 1984 and Let's Stay Together, turning a talented and ambitious woman into a world-class star in just a matter of days. And, of course, Tina Turner's best hit was Simply the best.

In just her 78 years, the black singer released 10 studio albums, got into the Guinness Book of Records after she collected the largest paid concert (188,000 people), which took place at one of the venues in Rio de Janeiro, and also deservedly took home 8 Grammy awards. In addition, the singer sang songs for several films, in particular, for one of the James Bond movies and is still actively working and acting in music videos.

Russian black singers

Russia is a multinational country, and its inhabitants also include people with African roots. There are several wonderful Russian mulattos who have chosen singing as their career. Imagine a photo of black singers living and creating in Russia.

Above you can see singer Cornelia Mango. The girl broke into the domestic show business not so long ago and has already managed to win the love of an entire army of fans. Cornelia is 32 years old, her participation in the Star Factory project brought her popularity.

Tina Ogunleye was born on May 17, 1979. DJ, singer, former member of the Slivki group. Father is Nigerian, mother is Russian.

Alice Edun is a singer. Born in St. Petersburg. Father is Nigerian, mother is Russian. Now he lives and works in Italy.

Victoria Pierre-Marie is a blues and jazz singer. Born in Moscow on April 17, 1979. Her father is a Cameroonian, her mother is Russian. In 1996, Victoria was awarded the title of "Russian Queen of the Blues" by the president of the Association of Jazz Musicians, Yuri Saulsky.

It only remains to note that Russian singers with black roots have undeniable talents and are an adornment of our stage.

This top presents the most beautiful black actresses and singers of the last century and the present.

27. Keke Palmer / Keke Palmer(born August 26, 1993, Illinois, USA) is an American actress and singer.

26. Kenya Moore / Kenya Moore(born January 24, 1971) is an American actress, model, author, and producer. Competition winner "Miss Michigan 1993" and "Miss USA 1993", entered the Top 6 at the competition "Miss Universe 1993".

25. Whitney Houston / Whitney Houston(August 9, 1963, Newark - February 11, 2012, Beverly Hills) - American pop, soul and rhythm and blues singer, actress, producer, fashion model. One of the most commercially successful performers in the history of world music.

24. Michael Michele / Michael Michele(b. August 30, 1966) - American actress, has African-American roots on the maternal side. He is best known for his role as Dr. Cleo Finch on the television series ER.

23. Pam Grier / Pam Grier(born May 26, 1949) is an American actress. A notable actress in 1970s exploitation films of the woman in prison such as Big Cage, Black Mom, White Mom and Caged Women, as well as blaxploitation, she later became one of the favorite actresses of feminists and African Americans.

22. Kerry Washington / Kerry Washington(born January 31, 1977, The Bronx, New York) is an American actress and political activist. She is best known for her roles in Ray, Fantastic Four, The Last King of Scotland, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Django Unchained, and more.

20. Rihanna / Rihanna(b. February 20, 1988, Barbados) - R&B and pop singer and actress. At the age of 16, she moved to the United States to start her career as a singer. She later signed with Def Jam Recordings. She is of Afro-Guyanese ancestry on her mother's side.

19. Paula Patton(born December 5, 1975, Los Angeles) is an American actress. Famous films: "Deja Vu", "Treasure". She is of African-American ancestry on her father and Caucasian on her mother.

18. Vanessa Williams / Vanessa Williams(born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, and model who went down in history in 1984, becoming first black woman to be crowned Miss America.

16. Alicia Keys / Alicia Keys(born January 25, 1981, New York) - singer, pianist, poetess and composer, performing in the styles of rhythm and blues, soul and neo-soul, winner of fourteen Grammy awards.

15. Ciara / Ciara(born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, actress, model, music video director. Ciara made her debut in the summer of 2004 with the single "Goodies", which hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The album has sold over five million worldwide and received numerous awards and nominations.

13.Lupita Nyong'o / Lupita Nyong "o(b. March 1, 1983) - Kenyan actress, director and producer, winner of numerous awards, including an Oscar, for her role as slave Patsy in the historical drama 12 Years a Slave.

12.Christine Milian / Christine Milian(born September 26, 1981) is a famous American actress and singer of Afro-Cuban origin.

11. Christina Milian / Tamara Dobson(May 14, 1947 - October 2, 2006) - African-American actress and fashion model. Films: "Cleopatra Jones", "Women Behind Bars".

10. Katerina "Kat" Graham / Kat Graham(b. September 5, 1989, Geneva, Switzerland) - American actress, singer, model, music producer and a dancer. She is best known for her role as Bonnie Bennet in The Vampire Diaries. She is of Liberian ancestry through her father.

9. Joy Bryant / Joy Bryant(born October 19, 1976) is an American actress and former model. Films with her participation: "The Story of Antoine Fischer", "Scoundrel", "Bobby".

8. Nicole Scherzinger(born June 29, 1978) is an American pop R&B singer, dancer, songwriter, record producer, actress and fashion model of Filipino-Hawaiian-Russian origin, best known as the vocalist of The Pussycat Dolls.

7. Gugu Mbatha Row / Gugu Mbatha-Raw(born 1983 Oxford, UK) is an English actress. Her father is from Republic of South Africa. Films with her participation: "Doctor Who", "Desire for Revenge", "Larry Crown", "Weird Thomas".

4. Dorothy Dandridge / Dorothy Dandridge(November 9, 1922 - September 8, 1965) - American actress and singer became the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.

3.Beyonce Knowles(born September 4, 1981, Houston) is an American R'n'B singer, record producer, actress, dancer, and model. She became famous in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the female R&B group Destiny's Child. Knowles' father is African American and her mother is Creole.

2. Lisa Bonet / Lisa Bonet(b. November 16, 1967 in San Francisco, California, USA) is an American actress, best known for her role in the sitcom The Cosby Show and its spin-off Underworld. Has African American roots on the paternal side.

1. Jane Kennedy / Jayne Kennedy(b. October 27, 1951) - American actress, sports commentator. She was chosen "Miss Ohio USA" in 1970 and thus became the first African American woman to win the title. She was also one of 15 semi-finalists in the competition "Miss USA 1970",which was a rare achievement for an African American woman. Films with her participation: "Women's Prison", "Forces of Death", "Body and Soul".

Tina Turner

Born November 26, 1939 in Tennessee. No wonder Rolling Stone magazine called her one of the greatest singers of our time. Anna May Bullock (real name Tina Turner) has been singing since childhood. Winner of eight Grammy awards. For her artistry, temperament and stage expressiveness, she bears the title of "Queen of Rock and Roll", is listed in the top ten best dancers in the world.

In 1956, guitarist Ike Turner noticed her and invited her to his band. After the wedding, they formed a duet - Ike & Tina Turner, which was very popular. In 1975, during a joint tour, Tina left Ike - both personally and in professionally. She later admitted that all these years her husband used drugs and beat her. Tina Turner's career as a solo artist did not begin until 1983. On January 16, 1988, Turner entered the Guinness Book of Records by performing in front of the largest paid audience - more than 188 thousand people at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. It was later reported that Turner re-entered the Guinness Book of Records by selling more concert tickets than any other solo artist in music history.

Released in 1995 New film about James Bond "Goldeneye", the soundtrack to which was performed by Tina Turner. At the end of October 1999, Tina Turner returned to the UK Top 10 - her song ""When The Heartache Is Over"" took first place. Now Turner lives in Switzerland, on July 15, 2013 she married music producer Erwin Bach, whom she dated for 27 years.

Pearl Bailey

Born March 29, 1918 in Virginia. A great actress and singer, winner of the prestigious Tony Theater Award for the Negro version of the musical Hello, Dolly! At the age of 15, she already began performing with musical numbers, and after her brother Bill Bailey took up dancing, they organized an amateur theater with him in Philadelphia. In 1946, Bailey made her Broadway debut in the musical The Woman from St. Louis. She played in the musical films "Carmen Jones", "Porgy and Bess", "St. Louis Blues".

In 1964, Bailey and Cab Coloway appeared in the lead roles in an all-Negro version of the famous musical Hello, Dolly! Then Pearl recorded a music album with numbers from the musical. She was married to jazz drummer Lou Bellson, in 1961 they had a daughter, DJ DJ Bellson, who died in July 2009, 5 months after the death of her father.

Sara Vaughn

Born March 27, 1924 in California. This is one of the greatest jazz vocalists of the 20th century. The Won star rose in 1942. Over the next three years, she worked in big bands, then embarked on a solo career. Starting in the 1950s, along with the classical jazz repertoire, she recorded popular hits that brought her wide recognition outside the jazz world. Vaughn objected when she was called a jazz singer: she believed that her range was wider. An outstanding singer fell victim to her addiction to smoking: she died at the age of 66 from lung cancer.

Janet Jackson

Janet is the youngest in the legendary Jackson family. When Jackson was just learning to walk, her older brothers - Jackie, Tito, Germain, Marlon and Michael - already performed musical numbers in nightclubs and theaters, called The Jackson 5. She first hit the stage at the age of 7, at the age of 16 Jackson signed a contract with record label A&M, who released an eponymous album in 1982. While she was criticized for modest vocal abilities and a "star" family, she worked on her third album, Control, which brought her fame. The subsequent album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, became a huge success in her career. Virgin Records, becoming one of the highest paid female performers in the world and a real sex symbol.

Now Janet is actively acting in films, hosts various shows on television and, of course, continues to sing.

Eartha Kitt

She was born on January 17, 1927. She is called a cabaret star, and she became famous thanks to her "purring" vocals and the corresponding image (for which she received the nickname "sex kitten"). Kitt made her Broadway debut in New Faces Of 1952, after which she received worldwide fame with the Christmas hit "Santa Baby" (1953). Kitt enjoyed cult following; She has been cited as one of her main influences by many female pop and rock artists. Director Orson Welles called Kitt "the most exciting woman in the world."

Natalie Maria Cole

She was born on February 6, 1950. Singer, songwriter and actress, daughter of popular jazz pianist and singer Nat "King" Cole. She achieved great success at the very beginning of her career, thanks to her R&B compositions, and by the early 1990s she gradually changed her repertoire towards pop music and jazz. Over the years of her career, Cole was nominated 19 times for the prestigious Grammy Music Award and won it nine times. In addition to her musical career, Natalie Cole has performed a number of roles on television and in big films.

Diane Carroll

Actress and singer, winner of Tony and Golden Globe awards, as well as multiple Emmy and Oscar nominees. She starred in the films "Carmen Jones", "Porgy and Bess", "Paris Blues".

She became the first African-American actress on American television with her own TV show "Julia", where, unlike her predecessors, she was the main character, and not a servant or maid. In addition, the role in "Julia" brought her the "Golden Globe" in 1969. In 1975, the actress was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the movie Claudine. In 1984, Carroll played in the television series Dynasty and Dynasty 2: The Colby Family. She underwent a successful course of treatment for breast cancer, after which she became an activist in the fight against this disease.

Diana Ross

Diane Ernestine Earl Ross ( full name listen)) was born March 26, 1944 in Michigan. She is rightfully considered one of the most popular American singers (soul styles, rhythm and blues, pop, disco, jazz, rock and roll), actress, music producer. She has been nominated multiple times for Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe, American Music Awards…

Ross is one of the few who immediately has 2 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (one for her solo career, the second for her career with The Supremes). In total, throughout her musical career, Diana Ross has recorded 57 studio albums and sold over 150 million discs worldwide. In 1999, the music channel VH1 listed Diana Ross in the list of 100

In the film Lady Sings the Blues, she played the famous black jazz singer Billy Holiday. In 1973, Ross was nominated for an Oscar for her role (she lost to her friend Liza Minnelli). Now Diana is still successful, she has

Born December 31, 1948 in Boston. American singer who performed compositions in the musical directions of rhythm and blues and disco. Her dance recordings from the second half of the 1970s to the early 1980s enjoyed the greatest success, changing the face of popular music. Donna Summer has been called the "queen of disco".

Donna Summer holds the record for the number of double albums released in a row, which occupied the first line on the Billboard 200. She also became the first singer in music history, whose singles made it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart 4 times in a year. More than 130 have been sold throughout her career. million records. She has performed both in the US and abroad. The singer gave successful world tours in Europe 7 times, Latin America, Asia and Australia. With great success, Summer's concerts were held in the UK, Brazil, Germany and in other countries. He is the owner of 6 Grammy awards. She died at the age of 64 in Florida on May 17, 2012 after a long battle with lung cancer, in 2013 she was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By the way, once she was included in the list of performers banned in the USSR with the wording - eroticism.