African-American Music Appreciation Month is celebrated in June to recognize Black musicians and their contributions to art and culture. Listen to some artists on CD or Hoopla, and check out some of these books to learn more about their stories and impact on American culture.
Music
Better Luck in the Next Life – Chiiild
My Vision: Reloaded – Luh Tyler
Juvenile Nonfiction
The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music
Legendary singer Roberta Flack reflects on her early childhood and her love of music.
Marian Anderson
Chronicles the life of a renowned classical singer who, despite numerous setbacks, became a singing sensation, a voice of the Civil Rights Movement, and the winner of the first ever Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nina: A Story of Nina Simone
This illuminating and defining picture book biography illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Christian Robinson, tells the story of little Eunice who grew up to become the acclaimed singer Nina Simone and her bold, defiant, and exultant legacy.
Rock, Rosetta, rock! Roll, Rosetta, roll!
Before there was Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The Godmother of Rock & Roll started as a little girl from Arkansas with music in her air, in her hair, in her bones, wiggling her toes. With a big guitar in hand and a big voice in her soul, she grew into a Rock & Roll trailblazer in a time when women were rarely seen rocking out.
She Raised Her Voice!: 50 black women who sang their way into music history
From jazz and blues, hip hop and R&B, pop, punk, and opera, Black women have made major contributions to the history and formation of musical genres for more than a century. In this fully illustrated middle grade anthology, 50 strong, empowering, and inspiring Black women singers’ bios will teach kids to follow their dreams, to think outside the box, and to push the boundaries of what’s expected. Written by music writer and journalist Jordannah Elizabeth and illustrated by Briana Dengoue, She Raised Her Voice! will inspire readers to find their voice and their own way of expressing themselves.
Adult Nonfiction
Didn’t We Almost Have it All: In Defense of Whitney Houston
In the decade since Whitney Houston’s passing, the world has mourned her death amid new revelations about her relationship to her Blackness, her sexuality, and her addictions. Didn’t We Almost Have It All is an exploration of Whitney’s life as a woman in the spotlight who often had to hide who she was.
Life’s too short: A Memoir
Nearly 40 years into his illustrious career, Darius Rucker tells the story of his life through the music that made him, including songs by everyone from Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder to R.E.M., KISS, Prince, and, of course, his own music with Hootie & the Blowfish and as a solo artist.
Promise That You Will Sing About Me: The Power and Poetry of Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is one of the most influential rappers, songwriters and record producers of his generation. Widely known for his incredible lyrics and powerful music, he is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Promise That You Will Sing About Me explores Kendrick Lamar’s life, his roots, his music, his lyrics, and how he has shaped the musical landscape of this generation.
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir
The first memoir from the legendary Sly Stone, the front man of the iconic band Sly and the Family Stone.
Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography
More than a quarter of a century after his tragic death in 1996 at the age of just twenty-five, Tupac Shakur continues to be one of the most misunderstood, complicated, and influential figures in modern history. Drawing on exclusive access to Tupac’s private notebooks, letters, and uncensored conversations with those who loved and knew him best, this estate-authorized biography paints the fullest and most intimate picture to date of the young man who became a legend for generations to come.