rhythm and blues

Johnnie Harrison Taylor (born May 5, 1937, Crawfordsville, Arkansas; died May 31, 2000, Dallas, Texas) was an American vocalist in a wide variety of genres, from gospel, blues and soul to pop, doo-wop and disco. Taylor had one release, "Somewhere to Lay My Head", on Chicago's Chance Records in the 1950s, as part of the doo-wop group Five Echoes.Taylor was also part of the gospel group,The Highway QC's also,replacing Sam Cooke,who had become the lead singer of the Soul Stirrers in 1951.Then,after Cooke left the Soul Stirrers in 1957,Taylor was hired to take Cooke's place as lead singer.

Playa is an American R&B trio. Comprised of members Steve "Static" Garrett, Smokey, and Black, Playa is best known for their 1997 hit single, "Cheers 2 U", produced by longtime collaborator Timbaland. Static is notable for being a successful songwriter of hit singles and album tracks for artists such as Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Truth Hurts, and Brandy.

The Downliners Sect was a British rhythm and blues band of the beat boom era, formed in 1963 when the existing Downliners band split up. Stylistically, they were similar to The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things and the Rolling Stones, playing basic R & B on their first album "The Sect". They subsequently modified their musical style, and after an EP of 'sick' songs (eg 'I want my Baby Back') they experimented with both country ("The Country Sect") and rock ("Rock Sect's In").

Read more about The Downliners Sect on Last.fm.

Widely regarded as one of the early architects of the neo-soul era, Brian Jackson's enduring sound is capturing the hearts and souls of yet another generation. Today, Brian is not only a respected jazz artist but also a frequent collaborator with emerging artists who carry on the Tradition of inspiring and informing the masses through conscious music. The Tradition started in 1970 when the Brooklyn-born producer, composer, and musician Jackson began writing songs with another prodigy, 20-year-old Lincoln University classmate and poet Gil Scott- Heron.