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In 1934 The Apollo Theatre opened. This becomes a cultural and musical mecca in the heart of Harlem, New York. -
"From Spirituals to Swing" was a showcase of black performers at Carnegie Hall. Which included Count Basic Orchestra, Albert Ammons, etc. all chosen by producer John Hammond. The liner notes in 1999 said "The racial impact cannot be overlooked as African-American artists were being presented to an integrated audience at Carnegie Hall at a time when such an occurrence was, if not unheard of, extremely rare." -
Mariah Anderson was the first Black singer to perform for the New York Metropolitan Opera. -
Nat King Cole is the first black star of a national TV show "NBCs Nat King Cole Show. -
Charley Pride is the first and the last black artist to win Country Music Association's most prestigious award: Entertainer of the year n 2000, he was the first black inductee at the country music hall of fame. -
Reggae begins to insinuate its alluring riddins n the United States, with the release of Bob Marley and the Wailers. The were on the soundtrack for "The Harder They Come." Historian Roger Steffens said "That was an incredible one-two punch that knocked out America for Jamaican Music." -
Stevie Wonder was the first black artist to win Grammy Award for Album of The Year. -
The song "Happy Birthday" by Steve Wonder was written for Martin Luther King Jr. with astonishing lyrics. Wonder and Coretta Scott King helped create a petition for an MLK day. In 1983 President Ronald Regan signed the bill. -
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is released. It sold 66 million copes worldwide. It won 8 Grammy's including Album of The Year. -
The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is the first hip-hop disc to win Album Of The Year. -
Beyonce is announced the best-selling artist of the 2000s with 64 gold and platinum certificates for her albums, ringtones, videos, etc. -
Nicki Minaj dethrones Aretha Franklin as the female singer with the most appearances on the Billboards Hot 100s. With 76 appearances. -
Hip-hop surpasses rock as the most consumed music -
Kendrick Lamar was awarded Pulitzer Prize for music with his 2017 album "Damn" becoming the first non-classical/jazz artist to be honored in that category. -
This Is America," by Childish Gambino is the first rap song to win Grammy Awards for Song and Record of the Year.