Claudja Barry

Jamaica-born, Toronto-raised Claudja Barry was a disco singer of the late '70s and '80s after a stage career that included roles in Hair and Catch My Soul. Her biggest hit was "Boogie Woogie Dancin' Shoes" in 1979.


Favorite song : love for the sake of love

Betty Wright

Betty Wright (born December 21, 1953) is a Miami-based soul and R&B singer, who influenced a generation of female singer-songwriters and has also influenced the world of hip hop, which has sampled some of her more famous material


Favorite song : No Pain No Gain

Gene Harris

One of the most accessible of all jazz pianists, Gene Harris' soulful style (influenced by Oscar Peterson and containing the blues-iness of a Junior Mance) was immediately likable and predictably excellent. After playing in an Army band (1951-1954), he formed a trio with bassistAndy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy which was, by 1956, known as the Three Sounds. The group was quite popular, and recorded regularly during 1956-1970 for Blue Note and Verve. Although the personnel changed and the music became more R&B-oriented in the early '70s, Harris retained the Three Sounds name for his later Blue Note sets. He retired to Boise, ID, in 1977, and was largely forgotten when Ray Brown persuaded him to return to the spotlight in the early '80s. Harris worked for a time with the Ray Brown Trio and led his own quartets in the years to follow, recording regularly for Concord and heading the Phillip Morris Superband on a few tours; 1998's Tribute to Count Basie even earned a Grammy nomination. While awaiting a kidney transplant, he died on January 16, 2000, at the age of 66.

Favorite song : Please send me someone to love

Jill Scott

 Jill Scott (born , 1972) is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her theatrical debut in the films Hounddog (as Big Mama Thornton) and in Tyler Perry's feature film,Why Did I Get Married? That same year her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on , 2007. She has won three Grammy Awards. She currently appears in the lead role of the BBC/HBO series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.

Favorite song : The way

George Strait

Born in Texas in 1952, country singer George Strait began performing in a band while serving in the U.S. Army. He landed a recording contract in the 1980s with MCA records and produced numerous hit albums throughout the next three decades. Known for staying true to traditional country sound, he has won multiple awards and has the biggest-selling boxed set in country music history.


Favorite song : All My Ex's Live in Texas

NINA SIMONE

 Born on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone received a scholarship to study classical piano at Julliard, but left early when she ran out of money, she turned her interest to jazz, blues and folk music and released her first album in 1958. She became identified as the voice of the civil rights and wrote songs about the movement. She died in France on April 21, 2003.

Favorite song : Im Feeling Good