Artists & Writers
Painters, poets, and storytellers of the human soul.
records written
Modern era
Cary Grant
January 18, 1904 – November 29, 1986
British-American actor (1904–1986)
Modern era
Jack Nicholson
b. April 22, 1937
American actor and filmmaker (born 1937)
Contemporary era
Tom Hanks
b. July 9, 1956
American actor and film producer (born 1956)
Contemporary era
Jim Carrey
b. January 17, 1962
Canadian-American actor and comedian (born 1962)
Contemporary era
Leonardo DiCaprio
b. November 11, 1974
American actor and producer (born 1974)
Contemporary era
Bruce Lee
November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973
Martial artist and actor who carried kung fu to the world
Contemporary era
Jackie Chan
b. April 7, 1954
Hong Kong actor and martial artist (born 1954)
Contemporary era
Shah Rukh Khan
b. November 2, 1965
Indian actor, producer and television personality
Contemporary era
Chadwick Boseman
November 29, 1976 – August 28, 2020
American actor (1976–2020)
Modern era
Louis Armstrong
August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971
American jazz musician, trumpeter and singer (1901–1971)
Modern era
Ella Fitzgerald
April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996
American jazz singer (1917–1996)
Modern era
Billie Holiday
April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959
American jazz singer (1915–1959)
Modern era
Nat King Cole
March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965
American singer and jazz pianist (1919–1965)
Modern era
Edith Piaf
December 19, 1915 – October 10, 1963
French singer (1915–1963)
Modern era
B.B. King
September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015
American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (1925–2015)
Modern era
Ray Charles
September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004
American singer, pianist and songwriter (1930–2004)
Modern era
Sam Cooke
January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964
American singer and songwriter (1931–1964)
Modern era
Nina Simone
February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003
American singer, songwriter and pianist and civil rights activist (1933–2003)
Modern era
Aretha Franklin
March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018
American singer, songwriter, and pianist (1942–2018)
Modern era
James Brown
May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006
American musician (1933–2006)
Modern era
Chuck Berry
October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017
American musician (1926–2017)
Modern era
Little Richard
December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020
American musician (1932–2020)
Modern era
Buddy Holly
September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959
American rock and roll singer (1936–1959)
Modern era
Johnny Cash
February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003
American country singer (1932–2003)
Modern era
Bob Dylan
b. May 24, 1941
American singer-songwriter (born 1941)
Modern era
John Lennon
October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980
British musician (1940–1980)
Modern era
Paul McCartney
b. June 18, 1942
English musician and member of the Beatles (born 1942)
Modern era
George Harrison
February 25, 1943 – November 29, 2001
English musician and member of the Beatles (1943–2001)
Modern era
Mick Jagger
b. July 26, 1943
British singer and songwriter; vocalist of The Rolling Stones
Modern era
Janis Joplin
January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970
American singer (1943–1970)
Modern era
Jim Morrison
December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971
American singer and poet; lead vocalist of The Doors (1943–1971)
Contemporary era
Eric Clapton
b. March 30, 1945
British musician
Contemporary era
David Bowie
January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016
English musician and actor (1947–2016)
Contemporary era
Freddie Mercury
September 5, 1946 – November 24, 1991
British singer, songwriter and musician, frontman of the rock band Queen (1946–1991)
Modern era
Roger Waters
b. September 6, 1943
English musician, co-founder of Pink Floyd (born 1943)
Contemporary era
David Gilmour
b. March 6, 1946
English musician, member of Pink Floyd (born 1946)
Contemporary era
Syd Barrett
January 6, 1946 – July 7, 2006
British musician (1946–2006)
Modern era
Nick Mason
b. January 27, 1944
English drummer
Modern era
Richard Wright
July 28, 1943 – September 15, 2008
English keyboardist, co-founder of Pink Floyd (1943–2008)
Contemporary era
Ozzy Osbourne
December 3, 1948 – July 22, 2025
English musician and television personality (1948–2025)
Contemporary era
Bruce Springsteen
b. September 23, 1949
American rock singer (born 1949)
Contemporary era
Stevie Wonder
b. May 13, 1950
American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, composer and record producer (born 1950)
Modern era
Marvin Gaye
April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984
American R&B and soul singer (1939–1984)
Modern era
Tina Turner
November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023
American-born Swiss singer and songwriter (1939–2023)
Contemporary era
Bob Marley
February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981
Reggae prophet who carried one love from Kingston to the world
Modern era
Fela Kuti
October 15, 1938 – August 2, 1997
Nigerian musician and activist (1938–1997)
Modern era
Miriam Makeba
March 4, 1932 – November 9, 2008
South African singer and civil rights activist (1932–2008)
Contemporary era
Dolly Parton
January 19, 1946 – August 25, 2026
American singer-songwriter (1946–2026)
Contemporary era
Prince
June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016
American musician (1958–2016)
Contemporary era
Madonna
b. August 16, 1958
American singer (born 1958)
Contemporary era
Mariah Carey
b. March 27, 1969
American singer (born 1969)
Contemporary era
George Michael
June 25, 1963 – December 25, 2016
English singer (1963–2016)
Contemporary era
Kurt Cobain
February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994
American rock musician (1967–1994)
Contemporary era
Amy Winehouse
September 14, 1983 – July 23, 2011
English singer-songwriter (1983–2011)
Contemporary era
Tupac Shakur
June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996
American rapper and actor (1971–1996)
Contemporary era
The Notorious B.I.G.
May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997
American rapper (1972–1997)
Contemporary era
Dr. Dre
b. February 18, 1965
American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor
Contemporary era
Snoop Dogg
b. October 20, 1971
American rapper (born 1971)
Contemporary era
Jay-Z
b. December 4, 1969
American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur
Contemporary era
Eminem
b. October 17, 1972
American rapper, record producer and actor