20 Trailblazers in Black American Music

June is Black Music Month to commemorate the contribution black musicians and artists have made to the artform. Here's a list of the innovators and trailblazers who have elevated, influenced and changed R&B, jazz, and rock and roll.

1. James Brown - Soul Brotha #1, The Hardest Working Man Alive. Whatever you called him, James Brown was the king of funk. Not only did he invent funk but he was the innovator of rap. R&B and dance music would be nothing without him. R.I.P. James.

Signature Songs: "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud"; "Give It Up, Turn It Loose"; "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag."

2. Ray Charles - Charles took gospel, married it with the blues, and gave birth to R&B, changing music forever. His vocal styles inspired everyone who came after. Another true innovator.

Signature Songs: "Georgia On My Mind"; "What I'd Say, Parts 1&2"; (Night Time) Is the Right Time."

3. Billie Holiday - Holiday took the blues and made it her own. Singing from her own tortured experiences as a black woman, she tears right into your soul. Singers as diverse as Regina Bell and Mary J. Blige all hail from Holiday's tradition of musical soul bearing.

Signature Songs: "Strange Fruit"; "God Bless the Child."

4. Aretha Franklin - Like Holiday, Franklin's voice comes straight from the soul. Singing from her own experiences, Franklin is the voice of women everywhere.

Signature Songs: "Respect"; "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"; "Daydreaming."

5. Marvin Gaye - Silky, silky soul singer. Gaye took the tradition of the soulful crooner and took it to new heights. During the sixties, he sang about young song. But at the start of the 1970s, he took outward at the state of the world and elevated what R&B could be. Then he showed how sexy he could be with his bedroom jams. Gaye did it all.

Signature Songs: "What's Going On"; "Let's Get it On"; "Sexual Healing."

6. Michael Jackson - Say what you will about Jackson today, but he took R&B to the next step with his beautiful voice and dance moves. Where would Usher be today if it weren't for Michael Jackson?

Signature Songs: "Thriller"; "Billie Jean"; "Off the Wall."