11 Musicians and Writers You Should Know

Jessie Fauset

Jessie Fauset graduated from Cornell University in 1905 and began working as a teacher. During this time, her essays, poems, and short stories drew the attention of W.E.B. Du Bois, who hired her as the literary editor of the NAACP’s official magazine The Crisis in 1919. In the role, Fauset helped elevate the works of other prominent Harlem writers like Jean Toomer and Claude McKay.

Fauset also wrote four novels of her own and served as co-editor for The Brownies’ Book, a publication that taught African American children about their heritage.

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James Van Der Zee

James Van Der Zee played the violin and piano while growing up in Massachusetts and formed the five-piece Harlem Orchestra after moving to New York City in 1906. But he was even more skilled as a photographer.

He took pictures of a number of prominent Black Americans like Florence Mills and Hazel Scott, but Van Der Zee is best known for his documentation of weddings, funerals, family gatherings, clubs, and other aspects of middle-class Black life. Shortly before his 1983 death, he received a Living Legacy Award from President Jimmy Carter.

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Zora Neale Hurston

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Augusta Savage

Augusta Savage spent a lot of time sculpting animals and other figures during her childhood in Florida—probably too much time, in fact. She often skipped school to do so, drawing the ire of her father.

Undeterred, Savage moved to New York City in the 1920s and studied art at The Cooper Union, where she earned a scholarship. She became known as a portrait sculptor, creating busts of Black Americans like Du Bois and Marcus Garvey. She also designed an ornate sculpture for the 1939 World’s Fair titled The Harp, inspired by the James Weldon Johnson poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

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Bessie Smith

Singer Bessie Smith, at over 6 feet tall and more than 200 pounds according to The Kennedy Center, had an imposing presence and an equally impressive voice. She performed at theaters like the Lafayette and the Lincoln in Harlem but was known as one of the first Black vocalists to find mainstream success. Her first album in 1923 sold around a million copies according to NPR, and Smith toured extensively.

Her music—including songs like “Backwater Blues” and “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”—influenced artists like Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin.

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Aaron Douglas

Inspired by his mother’s watercolor paintings, Aaron Douglas picked up an artistic touch from an early age and earned a fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 1922.

He moved to New York City three years later and became part of Harlem’s thriving arts scene. His illustrations of Black life drew the attention of Alain LeRoy Locke, who commissioned Douglas to illustrate his book The New Negro.

He also used his talent to inspire young artists, becoming an assistant professor at Fisk University and founding the school’s art department.

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Duke Ellington

According to Columbia University, jazz composer Duke Ellington rose to prominence in Harlem through his orchestra’s appearances at the Cotton Club throughout the 1920s. One of his compositions, “Harlem” from 1950, pays tribute to the neighborhood, with its content reflecting the area’s African American and Afro-Caribbean heritage.

Ellington was among the first Black musicians to celebrate his race, proudly using the word “Black” in many of his songs. According to PBS’ American Masters series, he viewed music as a form of activism. “You can say anything you want on the trombone, but you gotta be careful with words,” he told The New Yorker in 1944.

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Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong, who grew up in a poor New Orleans neighborhood nicknamed “The Battlefield,” was arrested at age 11 for firing a gun into the air during a New Year’s Eve celebration. However, it was a blessing in disguise. At the boys home he was sent to, he played the cornet and fell in love.

He became one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, earning the nickname “Satchmo” and recording songs such as “Star Dust” and “What a Wonderful World.” He also became the first Black American to receive feature billing in a major Hollywood film: 1936’s Pennies from Heaven starring Bing Crosby.

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Related: How Louis Armstrong Revolutionized American Music

Langston Hughes

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Countee Cullen

Countee Cullen graduated from New York University in 1925 and earned a master’s degree from Harvard University the following year, building his foundation as a multitalented writer.

Inspired by his favorite poet, John Keats, Cullen published the poetry collections Copper Sun and The Ballad of the Brown Girl in 1927 thus staking his mark in the Harlem Renaissance. He also wrote the satirical novel One Way to Heaven in 1932 and penned the play The Third Fourth of July.

Harlem’s 135th Street library branch and multiple public schools are now named in Cullen’s honor.

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Ella Fitzgerald

Later in life, Ella Fitzgerald established herself as the “First Lady of Song,” but her big break came at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in 1934. She won an amateur singing contest—and its top prize of $25—setting off her legendary career as a jazz singer.

Fitzgerald continued to perform throughout the 1930s at another Harlem club, the Savoy, before quickly becoming a national star. By the end of her career, she had recorded more than 200 albums and won 13 Grammy Awards. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor, in 1992.

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Related: Ella Fitzgerald’s Friendship with Marilyn Monroe

Tyler Piccotti first joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor in February 2023, and before that worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. When he's not writing and researching his next story, you can find him at the nearest amusement park, catching the latest movie, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

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