Honorific nicknames in popular music are often
religious,
familial or (most frequently)
royal and aristocratic in nature and
are used as a form of expression in the media, or to identify the
significance of an artist by fans. Honorific
nicknames were used in
classical music in Europe as early as the
early nineteenth century, with figures like
Mozart being called "The father of
modern music" and
Bach "The
father of modern piano music". They were also particularly
prominent in
African American
culture in the post-
Civil War
era, perhaps as a means of conferring status that had been negated
by
slavery, and as a
result entered early jazz and blues music, including figures such
as
Duke Ellington and
Count Basie.
In American culture, despite its
republican constitution and ideology,
honorific nicknames have been used to describe leading figures in
various areas of activity, such as industry, commerce, sport and
the media;
father or
mother have been used for
innovators, and royal titles like
king and
queen
for dominant figures in a field. In the 1930s and '40s, as jazz and
swing music were gaining popularity, it was the more commercially
successful white artists
Paul Whiteman
and
Benny Goodman who became known as
"The King of Jazz" and "The King of Swing" respectively, even
though these forms of music originated in African American culture.
These patterns of naming were transferred to rock and roll when it
emerged in the 1950s. There was a series of attempts to find (and a
number of claimants to be) the "King of rock 'n' roll", a title
that became most associated with
Elvis
Presley. This has been seen as part of a process of the
appropriation of credit for innovation of the then new music by a
white establishment. Different honorifics have been taken or given
for other leading figures in the genre, such as "The Architect of
Rock and Roll", by
Little Richard
from the 1990s, but this term, like many, is also used for other
important figures, in this case including pioneer electric
guitarist
Les Paul.
Similar honorific nicknames have been given in other genres,
including
Aretha Franklin, who was
literally crowned "Queen of Soul" by disk jockey Pervis Spann on
stage in 1968. Other nicknames have been adopted in direct
emulation of these, including
Michael
Jackson's title "King of Pop" from 1989. Honorific nicknames
are often part of a process of marketing and may be adopted or
dropped by the press and fans over time. They have been strongly
promulgated and contested by various artists and occasionally
disowned or played down by their subjects. Some notable honorific
nicknames are in general usage and commonly identified with
particular individuals.
Male titles
Female titles
Group titles
See also
Notes
- A. R. Frey, Sobriquets and Nicknames (1888, published
online by BiblioBazaar, 2009), p. 115.
- S. S. Walker, "What's in a name: Black awareness keeps the
African tradition of 'meaningful names' alive", Ebony,
vol. 32 (8), (June 1977), pp. 74-8.
- D. Evans, "From Bumble Bee Slim to Black Boy Shine: Nicknames
of Blues Singers" in D. Evans, ed., Ramblin' on my mind: new
perspectives on the blues: African American music in global
perspective (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2008), pp.
179-222.
- S. Deger-Jalkotzy and I. S. Lemos, Ancient Greece: from the
Mycenaean palaces to the age of Homer (Edinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press, 2006), p. 272.
- M. Benoliel and Linda Cashdan, The Upper Hand: Winning
Strategies from World-Class Negotiators (Adams Media, 2006),
p. 26.
- B. G. Rader, Baseball: a history of America's game
(Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 3rd edn., 2008), p.
140.
- Y. Bynoe, Stand and deliver: political activism,
leadership, and hip hop culture (Soft Skull Press, 2004), p.
155.
- M. T. Bertrand, Race, rock, and Elvis: Music in American
life (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2000), p.
220.
- G. B. Rodman, "A hero to most?; Elvis, myth and the politics of
race", Cultural Studies vol. 8 (3), (1994), p. 474.
- J. Warner, On this day in black music history (Hal
Leonard Corporation, 2006), p. 56,
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum,
http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/les-paul, retrieved 5/09/09.
- A. Kempton, Boogaloo: the quintessence of American popular
music (University of Michigan Press, 2005), p. 58.
- Christopher P. Andersen, MJ Michael Jackson:
unauthorized (Simon & Schuster, 1994), p. 215.
- R Jones and S. Brown, Michael Jackson, the man behind the
mask: an insider's story of the king of pop (Select Books,
2005), p. 49.
- R. H. Fiske, Vocabula Bound: Essays on the English Language
from The Vocabula Review (Marion Street Press, 2004), p.
245.
- "The 'Queen of Soul' is not happy about Grammy incident",
NME News http://www.nme.com/news/tabloid-hell/34352,
retrieved 05/09/09
- "What's in a nickname?", BBC Magazine,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7829013.stm, retrieved
05/09/09.
- "Guitar legend, 'architect of rock 'n' roll' Les
Paul dies at 94", Philadelphia News, 14/08/09
- "Les Paul", Artist biography on display in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- "Called the 'Architect of Rock and Roll,' the flamboyant piano
virtuoso is known for the classic hits Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally,
Good Golly Miss Molly and Lucille."
in
- "Initially a cult figure, by 1985, 'The Boss', as he became
known to his fans, was the world's most successful white rock star
since Elvis." in
- "'He is the most imitated, most listened to, most recognized,
voice of the second half of the twentieth century,' the New York
disk jockey William B. Williams said in the fifties, tagging him
forever with the epithet Chairman of the Board." in J. Lahr,
Show and Tell: New Yorker Profiles (University of
California Press, 2002), p. 52.
- "Dennis produced an enormous catalogue of albums and singles,
and earned the undisputed title of 'Crown Prince of Reggae'."
- "Others will point to the likes of the 'crown prince of reggae'
Dennis Brown, for his contribution to roots reggae and his
influence on a generation of reggae artistes." in
- "Musical pioneer Bill Monroe is known as 'the father of
bluegrass music'.", at Rock and roll hall of fame,
http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/bill-monroe, retrieved
06/09/09.
- Gunde, Richard. [2002] (2002) Culture and Customs of China.
Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313308764
- allmusic ((( Death > Biography )))
- Metal Rules Interview with Chuck
Schuldiner
- The Best Of NAMM 2008: Jimmy Page, Satriani Models
Among The Highlights | News @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com
- "He was awarded the title of JanapadaBrahma (which literally
means the Father of Folk Music) by the Government."
- "A common sight towards the end of the sixties in New York and
London announced 'Clapton is God'." in Vinita, Profiles in
Popular Music (Sura Books, 2005), p. 71.
- "What happens when the 'God of Song' descends on Genting
Highlands during a cold and wet weekend? He warms and melts the
hearts of both young and old with his charm and huge repertoire of
hits, that's what! And that was precisely what Hong Kong superstar
Jacky Cheung - arguably the most popular and enduring of the four
Heavenly Kings - did at his two sold-out concerts last Friday and
Saturday at the Arena of Stars. (For the uninitiated, Cheung, Andy
Lau, Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai are the four "Heavenly Kings" of
Chinese pop, the over-the-top title probably bestowed by the
imaginative Hong Kong media because of the singers' immense
popularity. Cheung, of course, has been elevated even higher on the
celestial plane!)"
- "Recently, the girls proved their credibility as live
performers, appearing as guests to Hong Kong's legendary "God of
Songs" Sam Hui during his two live dates in Malaysia for the
50,000-strong crowds at Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala
Lumpur." in
- "Affectionately referred to as the 'Godfather of Brit pop,'
Davies is co-founder, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the
Kinks, one of the most long-lived and influential rock groups of
the 1960s British Invasion." in
- "It had already been noted that Neil Young was an important
influence on grunge musicians, and in the mid- 1990s it became
common to see Neil Young described as 'the godfather of grunge'."
in
- "Lawrence Welk often referred to Witkowski and Kirchberg as his
influences growing up and dubbed them the 'Godfathers of Polka'" in
Wunnerful, Wunnerful: The Autobiography of Lawrence Welk,
(Bantam Books, 1973), ISBN 0-13-971515-0: 31
- "But somewhere between his last album, "Naughty
Little Doggie," and his latest one, "Avenue B," the godfather of punk turned 50, a
change that apparently has provided him with plenty of food for
thought, judging by the song subjects on the record, scheduled for
release September 14 on Virgin." in
- "Looking remarkably healthy for a man who nurtured a
world-class drug habit for many years, the "Godfather of Punk" Iggy
Pop is set to close the Other Stage on Saturday night." in
- "Rudy Ray Moore has been called the Godfather of Rap (a title
that has also been used to describe sociopolitical soulster Gil
Scott-Heron)." in
- "Known as "the Godfather of Ska," Laurel Aitken was Jamaica's
first real recording star." Laurel Aitken Biography on Allmusic, retrieved
11/23/2009.
- "And today, James Brown's status as "The Godfather of Soul"
remains undiminished." in
- "...the musical legacy of Robert Johnson has entranced later
generations of rock and blues musicians such as the Rolling Stones
and Led Zeppelin. Fans and experts alike call him the "grandfather
of rock and roll", in "The grandfather of rock'n'roll: The devil's
instrument", The Independent, 26 July 2006,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-grandfather-of-rocknroll-the-devils-instrument-409317.html,
retrieved 09/09/09.
- "Three weeks after the press conference, with almost no advance
notice, a new album by His Purple Majesty suddenly arrived in
stores" in
- "The highlight of the evening was an impromptu performance by
his 'Purple Majesty'." in
- "This is the year of His Royal Badness! Prince was inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he just dropped a new cd
Musicology, and he
is currently on a tour that is selling out multiple dates in major
cities" in
- "Depending on whom you speak with, especially former employees
who have dealt with Prince's madness on various levels, 'His Royal
Badness' can either be especially charming or the most bugged
bastard since batman took residence inside a cave." in
- "The 42-year-old singer, who was known in his home country as
'King', died in hospital on Tuesday." in BBC – "Hungary's pop 'King' dies", retrieved
09/09/09.
- "Zambo, 42, who was known by his fans as the "King," died on
January 2 after shooting himself in the head with a pistol in his
home.", in CNN – "Crowds say farewell to Hungarian pop
king", retrieved 09/09/09.
- "One other artist, John Lee Hooker is by most standards the
undisputed 'king of the blues'." in
- "Much later, as the reigning King of the Blues, BB would
explain that the "blues isn't just some sad music about a broken
heart, a busted dream, or a painful love affair. Blues is much more
than any of these things. If I could pick three descriptions of it,
I'd say it ain't nothing but living, laughing and loving." in
- "Inevitably called 'King of the Blues', BB King is today
probably the most commercially successful blues singer with black
audiences." in
- "But it also reminds us that Brown, despite his lack of a good
singing voice, could still provide tough competition to Noel
Gallagher in the fight for the title "King of Britpop" in
- "Dubbed the 'king of Chinese pop' by local media, Jay Chou has
released eight studio albums, spawning several hits." in
- "His nickname, 'The King of Country Music,' may sound a bit
mawkish and old- fashioned, but, in many ways, it is remarkably
accurate." in
- "Stevie B was highly influential in the Latin freestyle and
High-Energy dance music scene, mostly from Miami, of the late
1980s. Many referred to him as “The King of Freestyle” and is
bestknown for his 1990 number one hit, “Because I Love You ”
off the “Love & Emotion” album." in
- "His North American breakthrough came in 1972, when he sang the
role of Tonio in Donizetti's Daughter of the Regiment at New York's
Metropolitan Opera. In his big number, "Pour mon ame", he had to
sing nine high C's, a feat that virtually every tenor pulls off by
singing falsetto. Not Pavarotti. ... He was from then on known as
'The King of the High C's'."
- "He was known as 'King of the Jukebox' and was one of the first
black artists to have both white and black supporters following his
jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie tunes." in
- He wears the crown as the King Of Pop because no artist has
broken his record of selling nearly 60 million copies of a single
Album (Thriller).
- "Shadmehr Aghili (King of Persian Pop) lived in Hashemi Street,
Tehran." in [1], retrieved on 2008-10-06
- "Shadmehr Aghili born in 1972 known as "King of Persian Pop"."
in [2], retrieved on 2009-05-11
- "Shadmehr Aghili live in concert in Los Angeles after 3 years
with a brand new album. Shadmehr is known as the King of Persian
Pop among Iranian people." in [3], retrieved on 2009-09-08.
- [4]
- "Known as the king of Latin pop, Gabriel also has sold more
than 35 million albums worldwide." in
- "If R. Kelly is the current king of R&B, Usher is the
reigning prince." in
- Edward A. Berlin, King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and his
Era (Oxford: Oxford University Press US, 1995).
- "In the past five years, Western music critics have reached
into their grab bag to label him the 'Algerian Elvis' and the
'poster boy for the modern form of Algerian desert blues.' In the
decade before that, he was known as Cheb Khaled (cheb means "young
man" in Algeria's Arabic dialect) or, more simply, the 'King of
Rai.'" in
- "Considered by some the 'King of Rap,' Kurtis Blow is at the
very least one of the genre's leading pioneers." in
- "It probably makes sense to call him - as several people do in
the movie [Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll (1987)] - as the
'King of rock 'n' roll'", in D. Denby, "What's in a game",
New
York Magazine, Oct 19, 1987, p. 102.
- "Ebony hailed Domino as the "King of Rock 'n'
Roll" in
- "Just as journalists had crowned white bandleaders Paul
Whiteman and Benny Goodman as the kings of jazz and swing, in the
1950s they enthroned Presley, Haley, and Freed as the kings of rock
'n' roll" in
- "His original status as the King of Rock and Roll has never
been seriously challenged, and he's remained a bottomless source of
inspiration for the generations of rock and rollers who've taken up
the cause in the decades since that July night in Memphis".
- "Burke, long ago dubbed the King of Rock 'n' Soul, was worth
the wait." in M. Newman, "Soul man Solomon Burke: Live on Film;
Capricorn's Smoking New Companion" in Billboard
Jul 8, 1995, Vol. 107 (27), p. 10.
- "Known as England's 'King of Skiffle.' Member of Chris Barber's
Jazz Band in 1954" in J. Whitburn,, The Billboard book of top
40 hits (Billboard Books, 8th edn., 2004), p. 188,
- "To Mark the ten years, officials at the Apollo crowned Brown
'King of Soul'." in
- "Paying tribute to the King of Soul -- Twenty-seven years after
his death, Otis Redding's influences is still strong." in
- "For many people the name Benny Goodman is synonymous with
swing. His record sales and performances helped usher in the swing
craze of the 1930s; for more than a decade, the 'king of swing'
enjoyed incredible heights of popularity."
- "Just as millions of fans considered Selena the 'queen' of
Tejano music, her closest male counterpart, Emilio Navaira, has
often been called the "king" of Tejano music." in
- "Red Foley was then 'Mr. Country Music', the first country
artist to sell a million records..." in J. C. Hefley, Country
Music Comin' Home (Hannibal Books, 1992), p. 93.
- Searching for Sounds: Sounds for Music -
Stephen V. Rice and Stephen M. Bailey, May 2004
- BBC News, "Pope of Mope turns 50",
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8062610.stm, retrieved
15/09/09.
- "He was the 'Prince of Motown,' strong, silent and majestic" in
R. Gulla, Icons of R&B and soul: an encyclopedia of the
artists who revolutionized rhythm vol. 2 (Greenwood, 2008), p.
338.
- "This lesson is well-taken in the face of Ozzy's revealed
humanity; his label as Prince of Darkness seems untenable as
anything more than a stage name" in
- "Sniper, born in London, England and raised in Ayia Napa, Cyprus is hailed as 'The Prince of Euro' by legendary
DJs Tim
Westwood and Green Lantern." in
- "Prince of Pop Justin Timberlake strolls into town this week
for three incredible dates at the SECC as part of his 2007
FutureSex/ Love Show - and you can be there, courtesy of our
friends at Sony Ericsson and Vodafone." in
- "'Prince of Pop' Erik Santos to go to Beijing - Manila,
Philippines - Singer Erik Santos has reason to be proud these days
after being chosen to sing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics this
August." in
- "If R. Kelly is the current king of R&B, Usher is the
reigning prince. He drops in on fans with his fifth CD,
'Confessions,' just when it looked as if Justin Timberlake
were beginning to take over his territory." in
- "With his debut single "Run It," 16-year-old Chris Brown
back-flipped his way into becoming the first male solo artist to
release a song that went straight to No. 1. He was later crowned
the Prince of R&B." in
- "His noncommittal response was perhaps not the teary
confessional that was expected after the Grammy-night altercation
which changed everything for the then crown prince of R&B."
in
- "Dubbed "the Prince of Soul," Marvin Gaye endured lifelong
turmoil, never grasping the genius of his own talent..." in N.
Talevski, The unofficial encyclopedia of the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame Edition illustrated (Greenwood Press, 1998), p.
402.
- 146 Nimrod Baranovitch, China's new voices:
popular music, ethnicity, gender, and politics, 1978-1997
(Univeristy of California press, 2003), p. 146
- "Bessie Smith became the 'Empress of the Blues' based on her
strong vocal abilities...When Nina Simone 'the High Priestess of
Soul' performed at the Academy" in M. E. Bratcher, Words and
songs of Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone: sound
motion, blues spirit, and African memory: Studies in African
American history and culture (Routledge, 2007), p. 2.
- "Society of Singers' Ella Awards honor to Gladys Knight. She is
a true legend and on this evening at the Beverly Hilton Hotel she
was touted as the 'Empress of Soul.'" at
- "...living up to the hype of being the First Lady of Country
Music." at
- "Dubbed 'The First Lady of Song,' Ella Fitzgerald 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."
- "The singer who was affectionately known as 'The First Lady of
Song' died peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends,
said spokeswoman Andrea Hecht" at
- "Smith is often described as the godmother of punk." in J.
Tarr, The words and music of Patti Smith (Praeger, 2008),
p. 29.
- Janet Jackson, music's princess of pop, is at a crossroads of
her life and career: She is pursuing acting roles and she has
parted ways with her longtime partner, Rene Elizondo...Having
established herself as the world-renowned princess of pop music, in
addition to making strides as an actress, one would think there is
not much left on her to-do list. But the possibilities are
endless.
- "Madonna, called the Princess of Pop, told Cosmopolitan
magazine: 'I don't remember if there was music playing when I lost
my virginity, but the best music to make love to nowadays is
anything funky or soulful, like the Gab Band, Prince or the Isley
Brothers.'" in
- "Once upon a time, long before anybody had even heard of
Britney, Christina, Jessica or Mandy, Australian singer Kylie
Minogue ruled the charts as princess of pop. Back in 1988 her first
single, I Should Be So Lucky, spent five weeks
at number one, making her the most successful female artist in the
UK charts with 13 successive Top 10 entries. To date, Kylie has
spent 217 weeks on the singles charts, notching up 25 Top 20 hits
including four number ones. No mean feat in the fickle world of pop
where you can be yesterday's news in a matter of months." in
- "Dionne Warwick, sometimes called the Princess of Pop,
routinely topped both the pop and R&B charts" in
- "Overnight the unknown 14-year old became an international
star. This earned her the nickname 'Pricess of R&B'.", in W.
Sutherland, Aaliyah Remembered (Trafford Publishing,
2005), p. 21.
- "Rising above it all was Monica, the headline female act, who's
currently sharing the title of 'R&B Princess' with young singer
Brandy" in
- "It was only a matter of time before |the Princess of Rock 'n'
Roll decided to rely on her royal bloodline and make a music
career." in
- "Odetta, who has died of kidney failure aged 77, received many
honours during her life, most notably from Martin Luther
King, who called her 'the queen of American folk music', and
the then US president Bill Clinton, who in 1999 awarded her the
National Medal of the
Arts and Humanities. She had been due to sing at Barack Obama's inauguration
in January." in
- "Koko Taylor is Chicago's reigning 'Queen of the Blues.'
in
- "Dinah Washington was 'the Queen of the Blues,' and often
identified as 'the Queen'." in
- "Jully Black has been called a lot of things. But she gets a
good laugh at those who have called her the 'new queen of Canadian
R&B'." in
- Anita Mui, or Mei Yanfang, known as the "ever-changing" queen
of Cantopop.
- "When Amy Grant and Vince Gill sang a duet for her 1994 album
House of Love, he was the king of country and she was the queen of
Christian pop." in
- "In 1952, Kitty Wells was named the Queen Of Country Music by
Fred Rose..." in
- "A crown, presented to the singer in 1973, is among the
costumes, awards, mementos and other artefacts now on display in
'Kitty Wells, Queen of Country Music', a career-spanning
biographical exhibit at Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and
Museum running through next June." in
- "Queen of Country. The title has been bestowed on Dolly Parton,
Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn and a few other female country stars."
in
- If any long-running singer deserves to wear the crown, or at
least the tiara, of Queen of Country, then surely it's the Coal
Miner's Daughter herself, Loretta Lynn, right? Right. (Sorry,
Dolly).
- "Through massive record sales and live shows that take on a
Bruce Springsteen-like endurance, McEntire has earned her
unofficial moniker as 'The Queen of Country'." in
- "Although Gaynor was crowed the 'Queen of Disco' after dance
floor favourites like "Honey Bee," "Never Can Say Goodbye" and
"Casanova Brown" ..." in P. Shapiro, Turn the Beat Around: The
Secret History of Disco (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2006), p.
213.
- "Recall that throughout most of the eighties and even into the
nineties, Aaron was known as the queen of heavy-metal rock, the
loudest, brashest and sexiest female rock belter this side of Janis
Joplin." in
- "Beyond being the best-selling female hip hop artist to date,
and often referred to as the queen of hip hop, what separates Missy
Elliott is her ability to allow her aesthetic to speak for itself.
She uses her artistry to transcend cultural norms in hip hop and in
the music industry." in
- "Universally known as the 'Queen of Hip Hop Soul' because of
her frequent collaborations with rap artists and Hip Hop
producers..." in"
- "Since her debut at age nine, she was the queen of Japanese pop
music." at
- Known as the queen of Japanese pop music...
- "Known far and wide as the 'Queen of Latin Pop,' Gloria Estefan
is one of the most recognized artists in the world." in
- "...the so-called Queen of Pop eludes both followers and
critics by shifting her image..." in R. Gairola, "Re-worldling the
Oriental: Critical Perspectives on Madonna as Geisha" in S.
Fouz-Hernández and F. Jarman-Ivens, eds, Madonna's drowned
worlds: new approaches to her cultural transformations,
1983-2003 (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2004), p.
104.
- "If Ella Fitzgerald is the queen of jazz, Billie Holiday first
lady of the blues, and Aretha Franklin the queen of soul, then who
is the queen of pop? In the 1990s, it would seem to be a three-way
tie between Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion.
Certainly all three have their devotees and detractors, but their
presence has been inescapable." in
- "In what was called 'the biggest media event since the
inauguration of Nelson Mandela,' the singer performed for
more than 70,000 South Africans at her concert for Johannesburg's
Ellis Park Stadium, "billed as "Whitney—The Concert for a New South
Africa.... There was also a private visit to Swaziland, where the 'Queen of
Pop Music' visited King Mswati III." in
- "Janet Jackson hasn't skipped a beat. She is still the Queen of
Pop." in
- "It is three years since she dissolved Destiny's Child after
three albums and a run of award-winning hymns to womanly
empowerment such as Survivor and Independent Woman; six since her
duet with the Brooklyn rap demigod Jay-Z served notice to the world
that America's foremost hip-hop star and its emerging queen of
R&B were an item." in
- With four Mobo nominations, Beyonce is the undisputed
queen of R&B.
- "Once again The Candy Store and Fresh City Promotions have
pulled a major rabbit out of the hat with the launch party for the
new album by Mary J Blige, the undisputed Queen of R&B,
Growing
Pains." in
- In the wake of her 'Breakthrough' success, the reigning queen
of R&B tries to please her many followers—but, most of all,
herself.
- "Years before Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Etta James, Ruth
reigned as the original queen of r&b. She achieved a
distinctive sassy and streetwise style, which made her one of the
most popular singers of her era. Her career has been so influential
that Atlantic Records is sometimes referred too as 'the house that
Ruth built' and for good reason." at
- Years before Aretha Franklin was crowned Queen of Soul, Ruth
Brown reigned as the original Queen of R&B.
- "The reigning 'queen of R&B,' as decreed by her backing
vocalist (and opening act) Jermaine Paul and countless others, Keys owned
the stage at a packed WaMu Theater, highlighting her elegant
artistry and dynamic personality in a 90-minute set." in
- On Friday, the queen of R&B, Alicia Keys, took over
RodeoHouston.
- "A quarter of a century on, R&B reigning queen Janet
Jackson is still on top of her game. It's no easy feat beating her
brother Michael, the King of Pop, with six No. 1 albums under her
belt. Was it just pure luck? We didn't think so." in
- Miss jackson to tour? R&B queen Janet Jackson will be the
featured performer during the aol super bowl xxxviii halftime show,
produced by mtv. Super bowl xxxviii will be held February 1 at
reliant stadium in Houston and will air on cbs.
- "Rave fave Rozalla has a Plymouth date. The Zambian-born
singer, who has seven top 30 hits to her name, plays Zeros on
Saturday, October 3. She enjoyed her biggest hits with Everybody's
Free (number six) and Faith (11) in 1991. Her album, with the same
title as the top 10 single, earned her the tag the Queen of Rave."
in
- "Cher - singer, Oscar-winning actress and campaigner -is the
original queen of reinvention, an expert at re-creating herself."
in
- Bowing out, if not exactly gracefully, Cher, that surgically
enhanced queen of reinvention, last week brought her farewell tour
to Glasgow.
- "The queen of reinvention, Madonna, even named her 2004 world
tour Reinvention." in
- The queen of reinvention has achieved the seemingly impossible
yet again.
- "She is after all, the Queen of Reinvention." in
- "Christina Aguilera has been the queen of reinvention
throughout her decade in the music industry" in
- Christina Aguilera has been the queen of reinvention throughout
her decade in the music industry
- "Janis Joplin found hers in Texas and left for the West Coast,
there to become queen of rock and roll." in
- ...Janis Joplin, the nation's reigning queen of rock 'n'
roll.
- "...with Rolling Stone magazine dubbing Nicks, 'The Reigning
Queen of Rock and Roll'." in
- Take Edge of Seventeen, the elegy for John Lennon which
launched the solo career of Stevie Nicks, queen of rock and roll
and former better half of Fleetwood Mac.
- "Some women have even been given titles. Tina Turner who is The
Queen of Rock and Aretha Franklin, dubbed the Queen of Soul. Donna
Summer is the Queen of Disco and Mary J. Blige is the Queen of
Hip-Hop, Gloria Estefan is the Queen of Latin Pop, Madonna is the
Queen of Pop, while Britney Spears and Christina Aquilera are the
Princesses of Pop." in L. Bollinger and C. O'Neill, Women in
Media Careers: Success Despite the Odds (University Press of
America, 2008), p. 147.
- "She is also known as 'Sister Ree,' 'Lady Soul' 'La Diva
Franklin,' and 'The Queen of Soul.'" in
- "Born August 19, 1954, in Kingsville, Texas, she is recognized
as 'la reina de la onda Tejana' (the queen of Tejano music)."
in
- "In a music heavily dominated by men, Lydia Mendoza, the First
Queen of Tejano Music, stands out." in
- "Springfield acquired the title “White Queen of Soul” as a
result of her many hit cover versions of songs by African American
artists such as the Shirelles, Inez and
Charlie Foxx, and Baby Washington." in
- "Following her frequent trips to the US, she took to the black
American music of Motown and was dubbed the White Queen of Soul."
at
- "The Beach Boys have often been called 'America's Band', and
Allmusic.com has stated that 'the band's unerring ability... made
them America's first, best rock band.'"
- "Touted as 'America’s band', they also benefited from all the
media attention surrounding the rescue and recovery of their
erstwhile leader Brian from a series of lost years spent in druggy,
bed-ridden exile."
- "...signature rifts, and it becomes clear why Aerosmith has
been tagged 'America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band.' Few bands on
the globe—forget just the United States—have accomplished what
Aerosmith have. The band has sold more than 70 million albums
worldwide and has won countless awards, including three Grammys.
And, with a few exceptions, Aerosmith has delivered on its promise:
to make music that strikes the listener in the heart, feet, soul
and groin." in
- Whatever there is to say now about Aerosmith, the long-lasting,
hard-rocking quintet that has often been billed or hyped as
America's greatest rock and roll band, it could've been said two
decades ago.
- "For one quick breath, the old R.E.M. extended family came
together in a show of support. It is fitting that this update
edition ends with the departure of Holt and Barry. It's the end of
the world as we know it, and the end of an era for the band who in
its lifespan has come to be known as America's Greatest Rock and
Roll Band." in
- "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are widely considered to be
America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band. Over the course of three
decades they have built a reputation among their peers as the gold
standard for what a rock-and-roll band can be" (foreword,
Bogdanovich) in
- "...Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. These bands
comprise "The Big Four of Thrash..." at
- http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/namec.htm
- "The Five Stairsteps were 'The First Family of Soul.' A title
bestowed upon the Chicago-based teenaged group in part because of
their astounding five-year run of hits, which included the 1970
million-selling single "O-o-h Child." 'The First Family...' title was
later adapted by the Jackson 5.
- "The Stairsteps were tremendous R&B stars and were
critically acclaimed as the 'First Family of Soul'."
- "The Stones figured out early on that you can rock, and also
understand the value of branding. 'The World's Greatest Rock &
Roll Band' was a title the Stones bequeathed to themselves, and
soon enough, neither media nor fans could think of the name of the
band without its slogan."
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