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    14 Black Musicians In Rock You Should Know

    June is Black Music Month. Chill out and rock out with these musicians.

    1. Ma Rainey

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    Future Influences: Bessie Smith (who was her pupil), Janis Joplin

    2. Bessie Smith

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    Future Influences: Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin

    3. Sister Rosetta Tharpe

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    Future Influences: Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley

    4. Fats Domino

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    Future Influence: Big Al Downing

    5. Big Al Downing

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    While he was too little known to have much influence, he would go on to have hits in multiple genres. Early in his career, he worked with rockabilly singer Wanda Jackson and they recorded the rockabilly song "Let's Have A Party".

    6. Chuck Berry

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    Future Influences:The Rolling Stones, The Beatles

    7. Little Richard

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    Future Influences: David Bowie, Paul McCartney

    8. Jimi Hendrix

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    Future Influences: Vernon Reid of the band Living Colour, Stevie Ray Vaughan

    9. Poly Styrene and her band X-Ray Spex

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    Future Influence: Tamar-Kali, Kim Gordon of the band Sonic Youth, Noisettes

    10. Bad Brains

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    Future Influences: The Beastie Boys, The Foo Fighters

    11. Living Colour

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    Future Influences: Rage Against The Machine, Limp Bizkit

    12. Death

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    Future Influence: Rough Francis, whose band members are the sons and nephews of Death's original lead singer David Hackney. For more info, check out the documentary A Band Called Death (it's on Netflix).

    13. Tamar-Kali

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    Influenced by: Poly Styrene, Betty Davis, Bad Brains, P. J. Harvey

    14. Divinity Roxx

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    Influences: Jimi Hendrix, Outkast, Foo Fighters

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