Detroit’s Sonic Soul: The Impact of Black Music

No city is more synonymous with music than Detroit. It is here that many artists from Diana Ross and The Supremes to Aretha Franklin to Aaliyah and even Sonny Bono had their origins.

Much of the city's raw musical talent can be attributed to the town being a true melting pot as massive numbers of African Americans, Europeans, and Canadians flooded into the city lured by the promise of high-paying jobs in the automotive industry.

While the Great Migration featured migrants of many ethnicities--African Americans from the South had the largest numbers as they fled Jim Crow and racist social systems that inhibited their personal growth and success.

Herb Boyd writes in his seminal work, Black Detroit, that "Suddenly, almost overnight, Detroit’s dramatic increase in population put the city in the national spotlight; it became a symbol of full employment, high wages, and a better life for African Americans."

It is with this backdrop that we find African American migrants from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi flocking to the city and bringing with them their talents and traditions.

"Detroit has been an important American city with an African American majority for the last 50 years," writes historian Ken Coleman. "With that being said, we have an incredibly rich music history, from jazz to gospel to Motown, hip-hop and techno."

Coleman, a former Historical Society of Michigan trustee, notes that Detroit's rich historical legacy is instrumental to its present and future. "We must continue to research and record Detroit's music history. It's important for today's school-aged children to know and appreciate that history."

He adds, "I want to see schools and other organizations continue to visit the Motown Museum and the William V. Banks Broadcast Museum & Media Center, which lifts up the history of WGPR Radio and TV, Black-owned institutions."

With this rich historical background, Visit Detroit is pleased to present some of the musical legends that have made Detroit an essential culture hub.

The Winans Family

A name that is synonymous with gospel in Detroit, The Winans Family has among them 15 distinct music acts ranging from the original group featuring Ronald, Carvin, Marvin, and Michael Winans, the second, third, fourth and fifth siblings respectively. The group won 7 Grammy Awards with over 27 million albums sold worldwide.

Also among some of the family's successes are BeBe & CeCe Winans--the seventh and eighth children. The duo won three Grammy awards--including one for their iconic hit single, "Heaven," and sold more than 5 million albums.

Worth an Honorable mention is Vickie Winans the former wife of Pastor Marvin Winans who also had sensational success including the gospel classic, "Long as I Got King Jesus."

The Clark Sisters

Another family that is equally synonymous with gospel music in our city are The Moss/Clark Family. Founded by matriarch Mattie Moss Clark--a songwriter and choir director who was known as a taskmaster who trained her daughters to be some of the finest gospel singers in the world.

The Clark Sisters as a group are the highest-selling gospel group in history. They made history as the first gospel act to go gold with their first single, "You Brought the Sunshine." Additionally, each member of the group--Jacky Clark Chisholm, Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard all have had solo success.

Also stemming from the Moss/Clark family are Kierra Sheard, Moss' granddaughter who is a successful singer and actress and J. Moss, Mattie's nephew who is a member of the Grammy Award-winning production company, PAJAM.

Deitrick Haddon

One of the leaders of the progressive gospel sound, Haddon is a singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, record producer, and pastor. He was also one of the cast members in Oxygen's reality television show Preachers of L.A. In 2002, his debut album Lost & Found spawned a hit single, "Sinners Prayer." Haddon also introduced hip-hop into gospel music with his 2006 album, 7 Days produced by Tim & Bob who are multi-platinum producers of numerous R&B hits.

Alice Coltrane

Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda was a jazz pianist, organist, harpist, singer, composer, swamini, and the wife of John Coltrane. Turiyasangitananda translates as the Transcendental Lord’s highest song of Bliss. She began her career in the 1960s playing jazz as a professional in Detroit with her own trio and as a duo with vibist Terry Pollard. She had a natural musical artistry matured into amazing arrangements and compositions. Her twenty recordings cover a time span from Monastic Trio (1968) to Translinear Light (2004).

Marcus Belgrave

Belgrave is Detroit’s internationally recognized jazz trumpet great. He came to prominence in the late 50’s, touring and recording with the late great Ray Charles’ Orchestra, at
the height of Ray’s hit-making era. Marcus is heard as a trumpet soloist on some of Ray’s most famous “hits”… both albums and singles. He was also given the title of Jazz Master Laureate for the City of Detroit. Belgrave was also an original member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and performed the music of Louis Armstrong to ovations with Symphonies across America.

Regina Carter

A recipient of the MacArthur “genius” award and a Doris Duke Artist Award, Regina Carter is a dynamic jazz violinist. She attended Cass Technical High School in Detroit, and her training continued at the New England Conservatory of Music and at Oakland University in Michigan for jazz. She taught violin in public schools in Detroit and on a U.S. military base in Germany. She first gained attention with Straight Ahead, an all-female jazz quintet that recently celebrated its 25-year reunion at the Detroit Jazz Festival. She also recorded and toured for six years with The String Trio of New York.

Kem

R&B Superstar, KEM, ascended from the shadows of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Detroit to become a legendary figure in Motown’s rich musical history. KEM independently released his first album, KEMISTRY in 2002. He was later signed to Motown Records which re-released it. The album spawned the hit single, "Love Calls" and KEM went on to release six more albums and a memoir, Share My Life, A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption. In 2012, he founded Mack & Third, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is built on the premise that no basic human need should go unmet due to lack of resources. Mack & Third provides funding to humanitarian aid organizations related to: homelessness; hunger; substance abuse; domestic violence; natural disasters; education; and other worthwhile causes.

Anita Baker

Anita Baker first began singing with her church’s gospel choir in Detroit after being given up for adoption. She is known for her three-octave range. After starting her career with the Detroit band, Chapter 8, she later signed with Elektra Records and released the album Rapture. The album and its second single, “Sweet Love,” earned Baker her first Grammy wins for Best R&B Female Vocalist and Best R&B Song. By 1988, her third album, Giving You the Best I Got cemented her stardom when she won three more Grammy awards. Baker has eight Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is often credited with popularizing the Urban Adult Contemporary music genre.

Aaliyah

With a name that means “The highest, most exalted one, the best," Aaliyah Dana Haughton first appeared on Star Search at age 9, while she didn't win, she went on to land a five-night stint performing with Gladys Knight in Las Vegas with the assistance of her uncle Barry Hankerson. In 1994, Aaliyah released her first album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number at the age of 14. The first single, “Back And Forth,” was a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a No.1 R&B song. She graduated from the Detroit Performing Arts High School in 1997 with a 4.0 GPA despite being an active recording star. Aaliyah went on to act in several films including the popular Romeo Must Die. Considered one of the most iconic R&B singers of the hip-hop generation, Aaliyah sadly passed away along with eight others on August 25, 2001 in a plane crash after filming her final music video, Rock the Boat.

Slum Village

Founded in the early 90's by 3 childhood friends: Baatin, T3, rapper and producer J Dilla, Slum Village grew up together in the Conant Gardens neighborhood of Detroit. In 2001, J Dilla left the group to pursue his solo career but still hung around helping Young RJ with production. Slum Village had several member changes including Elzhi who left the group in 2011 and Baatin who passed away in 2009. The group is still touring and performing with the last remaining founding member, T3, and Young RJ. Slum Village is considered one of the foundational groups of Detroit Hip-Hop.

Blade Icewood

Born Darnell Quincy Lindsay, Blade Icewood was raised on the East Side of Detroit before later moving to Southfield. He was a member of the Street Lord'z rap group and is considered one of the most influential rappers in the Detroit underground rap genre. He released three albums and is best known for his single, "Boy Would You (Boss Up)." The single spawned "The Blade Dance" which has been imitated by NFL and television stars.

Kash Doll

Kash Doll is a Detroit-born rapper and actress who has made a significant impact in the music industry over the last decade. Known for her confident delivery and unapologetic style, she first rose to prominence with hits like “For Everybody” and “Ice Me Out”. She recently released her highly-anticipated sophomore album, The Last Doll. She has frequently collaborated with rapper Big Sean and can often be seen sitting courtside at Detroit Pistons games.

Juan Atkins

Considered a pioneer of Detroit Techno, Juan Atkins became friends in high school with two young men who shared an interest in this new style of music – Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. The trio would later be referred to as the “Belleville Three” – credited with the rise of Detroit Techno. Atkins formed the group Cybotron with Rick Davis in 1980, and produced music inspired by their shared interest in futurism. Their hit single, “Clear,” hit the top of US charts. Founder of the Metroplex label, Atkins is still producing and touring.

Carl Craig

Considered one of the leaders of the "Second Wave of Detroit Techno," Craig is one of Techno's most wide-ranging artists, Carl Craig integrates inspirations and sounds from a variety of musical genres into his work. He has released several recordings on both his own Planet E Communications record label and frequently utilizes aliases to explore new directions. Craig regularly acknowledges that growing up in Detroit amidst the pervasive post-industrial landscape, Craig spent significant time in desolate warehouses creating his own sound and found inspiration from the City’s architecture. Craig has released eight studio albums, and a dozen DJ Mixes and EP's.