# Who are some black rock singers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982 "2007-11-11T02:37:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/41 "2007-11-11T20:12:46Z")
Add [Joan](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifARMmcqhD8) [Armatrading](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBRNfWGxBp8) to the list. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/42 "2007-11-11T21:11:11Z")
Corrine Baily Rae ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/43 "2007-11-11T21:13:17Z")
Also, Tina Turner! When she wanted to jump-start her career in the 80s, she made a conscious decision to work with mainstream rockers like Mark Knopfler. Since Rock is basically Blues dumbed down so we white folks can get into it, being on this list is not necessarily a Good Thing. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/44 "2007-11-12T01:25:10Z")
[QUOTE=Krokodil] Since Rock is basically Blues dumbed down so we white folks can get into it, being on this list is not necessarily a Good Thing. [/QUOTE] How do you figure? If anything, lots of rock music is far more complex in form and style than the relatively simple blues. If you’re just making a joke, that’s one thing, but rock has grown far beyond its blues-based beginnings, and there’s so much more variety than just I-IV-V chord progressions, that you sound like one of these NPR-listening music snob/purists who think that rock is some inferior music compared to blues. (I notice this a lot among jazz listeners as well.) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/45 "2007-11-12T01:54:06Z")
Agreed…I am puzzled by that remark. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/46 "2007-11-12T04:13:52Z")
Meshell Ndegeocello ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/47 "2007-11-12T05:40:13Z")
Shingai Shoniwa of The [Noisettes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noisettes) ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/48 "2007-11-12T05:53:57Z")
Doug Pinnick, Kings X Not sure what he has done lately. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/49 "2007-11-12T06:04:34Z")
George Benson – not exactly rock, but a mean guitar player. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/50 "2007-11-12T14:27:22Z")
[Fugi](http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=snj2mhbvwk&ref=browse.php&refQ=kwfilter%3DFunkadelic%26amp%3Bincl_oos%3D1%26amp%3Bincl_cs%3D1%26amp%3Bformat%3Dall), Charlie Allen of Pacific Gas & Electric, Rick James proteges Shotgun, Nona Hendryx. Parlaiment Funkadelic were arguably more rock than soul- Eddie Hazel’s solo album definitely rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/51 "2007-11-12T14:33:10Z")
Steve Ewing of [the Urge](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_urge). ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/52 "2007-11-12T23:28:01Z")
Just listening to Faith No More and remembered Chuck Moseley ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/53 "2007-11-13T00:03:25Z")
[QUOTE=Neptunian Slug] Doug Pinnick, Kings X Not sure what he has done lately. [/QUOTE] Doug Pinnick pinch-hit for Corey Glover during Living Colour’s most recent European tour. Corey committed to a Broadway show before the dates were finalized. I heard he did a good job. I think various members of **Fishbone** handled lead vocals. Philly’s **Res** had a great debut single, “They Say Vision.” **Terance Trent D’Arby** sang rock on many tracks, and fronted INXS briefly after Michael Hutchence’s death **Rick James** has impressive rock credentials (playing and writing with Neil Young). **The Isley Brothers** straddled the R&B and rock genres in the late 60s and early 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/54 "2007-11-13T00:55:50Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] How do you figure? If anything, lots of rock music is far more complex in form and style than the relatively simple blues. If you’re just making a joke, that’s one thing, but rock has grown far beyond its blues-based beginnings, and there’s so much more variety than just I-IV-V chord progressions, that you sound like one of these NPR-listening music snob/purists who think that rock is some inferior music compared to blues. (I notice this a lot among jazz listeners as well.) [/QUOTE] I’m with ya, Lou! And _modern_ “blues”? I have a definition for it: “A guitar solo with some words tacked onto each end.” That definition applies to all modern blues, since every song sounds the same after a while. Oh, and I like [Fefe Dobson](http://umusic.ca/fefedobson/index.php). ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/55 "2007-11-13T03:19:08Z")
Fifty-five posts and nobody remembers **Sly Stone**? Or **War**? Or **Jon Butcher**? (okay maybe not so much) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/56 "2007-11-13T05:14:30Z")
**Chuck Berry** **Fats Domino** ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982/57 "2007-11-20T19:00:16Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] How do you figure? If anything, lots of rock music is far more complex in form and style than the relatively simple blues. If you’re just making a joke, that’s one thing, but rock has grown far beyond its blues-based beginnings, and there’s so much more variety than just I-IV-V chord progressions, that you sound like one of these NPR-listening music snob/purists who think that rock is some inferior music compared to blues. (I notice this a lot among jazz listeners as well.) [/QUOTE] Ouch! Well, I base my snap dismissal of artistically ambitious Rock on an adolescence (late 70s) engulfed by “art rock” by the likes of Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull and ELP. Frankly, three-chord songs about girls and cars are a lot less pretentious and I respect them more, but I do see Rock as an inherently debased medium. And I don’t just listen to NPR; there’s also a local Pacifica affiliate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-black-rock-singers/425982.md?page=2)