Prince
Black Singers Male: He admitted during an interview with Tavis Smiley that he had a stuttering problem when he was a kid and the other kids teased him but who knew he would get a record deal in his late teens and skyrocket to international fame as he did? I remember in high school when Prince‘s first album came out one of my classmates who was a musician stated “This dude is going to be a huge star” as he read the multiple credits from that first album where Prince arranged, produced and wrote much or all of his material. In those days that was rare. Prince has constantly reinvented himself over the decades boldly going where many black male celebrities never would.
Frilly shirts that could be considered blouses, high-heeled boots, make-up, and permed hair easily made him the 80s reincarnation of Little Richard’s style but Prince could do it all and he did. His contract dispute with Warner Brothers where he labeled himself a Slave along with changing his name to a Symbol could have destroyed his career but his music spoke for itself and even today, he can fill an auditorium with the old and a new generation of fans that have extended over 30 years. UPDATE: Prince died April 21, 2016. Click Next for Next Singer
Charlie Wilson’s voice is the backbone of RnB music today. His style remains as relevant today as it was decades ago…I am LOVE me some Charlie Wilson…Shabba Dabba twee twee twee !!
I saw Uncle Charlie in Albany, GA on August 3rd the show was awesome. I really enjoyed it. I loved when you acknowledge God as head of your life and then gave him some praise. Keep up the good work and May God continue to Bless you.
Your Best Fan
Wow. Maxwell, Dr. Dre and Charlie Wilson but no Earth, Wind & Fire? Really? What about The Isley Brothers 50 plus years in the business and still making top 10 albums. I would put them before Dr. Dre and Maxwell.
How about Ronald Isley and Levert. L.L. Cool J. Chaka Khan. Patti Labelle.
I LOVE RHIS MAN’S MUSIC SO MUCH! !!!!!!!!
This piece doesn’t hold much validity. Any act with a fan base is able to tour without a new recording. There are lots of those (Chaka, Earth, Wind and Fire, etc.) That’s not to say Maxwell or Charlie Wilson wouldn’t LIKE to have a new hit. They’re certainly trying.
Sade and Prince, on the other hand, truly transcend the hit record and can do whatever they want. Trying to make the connection between Sade’s longevity and Maxwell simply because he used a member of Sade’s production team for his first record a million years ago, is weak. And the only thing that makes Dre relevant is that he’s rich.