BLACK HISTORY MONTH
MUSIC RELATED FACTS
Black Swan Records was a United States record label founded in 1921 in Harlem, New York. It was the first widely distributed label to be owned and operated by, and marketed to, African Americans. (Broome Special Phonograph Records was the first to be owned and operated by African Americans) The label name was revived in the 1990s for compact disc reissues of historic jazz and blues recordings.
Motown Records was the first record label owned by an African American to feature African-American artists paving the way into mainstream crossover success.
In 1943, First African American artists to have a #1 hit on the Billboard charts: Mills Brothers ("Paper Doll").
In 1947, First African American artist to receive sole credit for a #1 hit on the Billboard charts: Count Basie ("Open the Door, Richard")
In late October 1948, America's first black radio station with an all Black on- air staff that
Programmed Black music all day is WDIA in Memphis, Tennessee.
Oct 3, 1949 - The first black radio station started in Atlanta. The 1000-watt AM station, WERD, was owned and operated by Jesse B. Blayton, Sr. He purchased the station for $50000.
Jack "The Rapper" Gibson - The Father of Black Radio went on the air as "Jockey" Jack in 1949. Jack the Rapper is also credited with developing a new design for radio control rooms where he elevated the equipment forcing disc jockeys to stand.
In 1950, First African American solo singer to have a #1 hit on the Billboard charts: Nat King Cole ("Mona Lisa")
In 1953, First African-American woman to be made a member of ASCAP: Jessie Mae Robinson
In 1958, First African American to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Tommy Edwards, "It's All in the Game"
In 1959, First African-American Grammy Award winners, in the award's inaugural year: Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie (two awards each)
In 1959, First African American group to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: The Platters, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
In 1968, First fine-arts museum devoted to African-American work: Studio Museum in Harlem.
In 1980, First African-American Channel Black Entertainment Television
In 1986, First African-American musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in the inaugural class: Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and Little Richard
In 1986, The Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill, the latter becoming the first rap album to enter No.1 Spot on the Billboard 200.
In 1987, First African-American woman, and first woman, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Aretha Franklin
In 1990, First all African-American band to win the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance: Living Colour for "Cult of Personality"
In 1998, Tom Joyner becames first African American in Radio Hall of Fame.
In 2001, First African-American woman to win the ASCAP Pop Music Songwriter of the Year award: Beyoncé Knowles
Source Website
Urban Radio Nation: http://urbanradionation.com/history_of_black_radio.html
List of African American First: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_firsts
Other Sites
Celebrate Black History: http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/101-facts-firsts.jsp
Black History in Columbus, Georgia: http://www.columbushomeshow.com/blog/black-history-in-columbus-ga.html
