Motown wasn't the only genre that dominated Detroit's black music scene. In the 1950s and 60s, R&B music was heard in clubs and on street corners throughout Detroit. Combining jazz, gospel and blues, artists like Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, Jackie Wilson and Little Willie John mastered this unique and slightly sensual sound. It was well received.

R&B soon gained national attention. Local artists like Wilson Pickett, and then later Anita Baker and Aretha Franklin, achieved international acclaim, helping to establish R&B as one of the most dominate forms of popular music.

Artist Sampler

Anita Baker
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters
Aretha Franklin
Little Willie John
Nathaniel Mayer
Freda Payne
Wilson Pickett
Sir Mack Rice
Edwin Starr
Nolan Strong
Andre Williams
Jackie Wilson