The GRAMMY Museum Experience Prudential Center is proud to celebrate Black History Month. During the month of February we will honor the contributions and legacies of New Jersey artists who’ve left an indelible mark on our deeply rich musical landscape through the years from jazz, funk, soul, pop, R&B, to Hip Hop and beyond. To hear some of their incredible music check out our NJ Legends Black History Month Spotify playlist!
About George
We celebrate the legacy of GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, George Clinton. Raised in Plainfield, NJ, George is best known as a singer, songwriter, producer and balndleader of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective which developed an influential and eclectic form of funk music during the 1970s and would go on to heavily influence 1990s hip-hop and G-funk.
Get on board the Mothership with Parliament Funkedlic and this performance from Houston, TX in 1978.
About Dionne
We celebrate the legacy of GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Dionne Warwick. Born in Orange, NJ, Dionne is one of the most-charted female vocalists of all time.
Check out Dionne’s performance of “I Say a Little Prayer for You” from the Ed Sullivan show in 1968.
About
We celebrate the legacy of Jersey City’s own, Kool & The Gang who successfully traversed the musical landscapes of jazz, soul, funk, rock, and pop music.
“Get up with the get down” and this Kool & The Gang television appearance on Soul Train from 1974.
About Sarah
We celebrate the legacy of Newark’s own, Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990). Affectionately nicknamed “Sassy” and “The Divine One” she is the recipient of the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award. Sara once famously said, “When I sing, trouble can sit right on my shoulder and I don’t even notice.”
Leave your troubles behind and check out Sarah’s magical performance of “Misty” from Sweden in 1964 in this video clip.
About The Count
We celebrate the legacy of Red Bank, NJ born, William James “Count” Basie (1904-1984). A jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer, Count Basie introduced several generations of listeners to the Big Band sound and left behind a seminal catalog. In his autobiography, he wrote, “I think the band can really swing when it swings easy when it can just play along like you are cutting butter.”
Swing easy tonight with this legendary performance of Count Basie and his orchestra from 1965.