callings of the archive
Singer-songwriter Biographies
Every archived life recorded as singer-songwriter, ordered by their place in the ledger.
Contemporary era
Joseph Michel Martelly
b. February 12, 1961
Musician and former President of Haiti
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
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
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
Johnny Cash
February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003
American country singer (1932–2003)
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
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
Syd Barrett
January 6, 1946 – July 7, 2006
British musician (1946–2006)
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
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)
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)
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
George Michael
June 25, 1963 – December 25, 2016
English singer (1963–2016)
Contemporary era
Amy Winehouse
September 14, 1983 – July 23, 2011
English singer-songwriter (1983–2011)
Contemporary era
Taylor Swift
b. December 13, 1989
American singer-songwriter (born 1989)
Contemporary era
Avril Lavigne
b. September 27, 1984
Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1984)
Contemporary era
Kelly Clarkson
b. April 24, 1982
American singer-songwriter (born 1982)
Contemporary era
Hayley Williams
b. December 27, 1988
American singer
Contemporary era
Hilary Duff
b. September 28, 1987
American actress and singer (born 1987)
Contemporary era
Conan Gray
b. December 5, 1998
American singer-songwriter
Contemporary era
Gracie Abrams
b. September 7, 1999
American singer-songwriter (born 1999)
Contemporary era
Adele
b. May 5, 1988
English singer-songwriter (born 1988)
Contemporary era
Atif Aslam
b. March 12, 1983
Pakistani playback singer and songwriter
Modern era
Violeta Parra
October 4, 1917 – February 5, 1967
Chilean musician and folklorist
Modern era
Carlos Gardel
December 11, 1890 – June 24, 1935
Uruguayan singer, songwriter, actor; the most prominent figure in the history of tango
Contemporary era
Ramon Muntaner
September 29, 1950 – December 9, 2021
Catalan singer-songwriter and composer
Contemporary era
Dido
b. December 25, 1971
English singer and songwriter (born 1971)
Modern era
Surinder Kaur
November 25, 1929 – June 14, 2006
Indian singer (1929-2006)
Contemporary era
Andrea Bocelli
b. September 22, 1958
Italian tenor and singer-songwriter (born 1958)
Contemporary era
Whoopi Goldberg
b. November 13, 1955
American actress, comedian, author and television personality
Contemporary era
Patrick Swayze
August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009
American actor, producer, singer and dancer (1952–2009)
Contemporary era
Billie Eilish
b. December 18, 2001
American singer-songwriter (born 2001)
Modern era
Muddy Waters
April 4, 1913 – April 30, 1983
American blues musician (1913–1983)
Modern era
Etta James
January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012
American singer (1938–2012)
Modern era
Ritchie Valens
May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959
American musician (1941–1959)
Modern era
Otis Redding
September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967
American singer and songwriter (1941–1967)
Contemporary era
Al Green
b. April 13, 1946
American singer
Modern era
Smokey Robinson
b. February 19, 1940
American R&B singer, songwriter and producer (born 1940)
Modern era
Curtis Mayfield
June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999
American singer-songwriter (1942–1999)
Contemporary era
Ed Sheeran
b. February 17, 1991
English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1991)
Modern era
Hank Williams
September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953
American singer-songwriter (1923–1953)
Modern era
Willie Nelson
b. April 29, 1933
American country musician (born 1933)
Modern era
Kenny Rogers
August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020
American country singer (1938–2020)