Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996) was a gifted American jazz artist. Dubbed “The First Lady of Song,” she was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums. She received many other awards, including honorary doctorates from Yale, Dartmouth, and several other universities.

Josephine Baker (1906–1975) was an American dancer, singer, actress, and civil rights activist who found fame as an expatriate in Europe. She was the first African American woman to star in a motion picture, to perform with an integrated cast at the American concert hall, and one of the first African American entertainers who achieved acclaim both in movies and on the stage.

Bessie Smith (ca. 1895–1937) was a blues and jazz singer from the Harlem Renaissance who is remembered at as the Empress of the Blues. Her first recording, “Down-hearted Blues,” was a major hit and it launched Smith into the national spotlight. Beyond blues, Smith played and recorded with jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet. Her incredible talent led her to become the highest-paid Black entertainer of her time.