The 50 greatest male R&b singers of all time

1. Marvin Gaye

Soundtrack | High Fidelity

Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. (known professionally as Marvin Gaye; April 2, 1939 - April 1, 1984) was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, earning him the nicknames ...

2. Stevie Wonder

Soundtrack | Wild Wild West

Born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, United States, to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway. Due to being born six weeks premature, Stevie Wonder was born with a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, which made him blind. Stevie Wonder, even with this disability, made his ...

3. Michael Jackson

Soundtrack | Michael Jackson: Thriller

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, and entertained audiences nearly his entire life. His father, Joe Jackson (no relation to Joe Jackson, also a musician), had been a guitarist, but was forced to give up his musical ambitions following his marriage to Michael's ...

4. Ronald Isley

Soundtrack | Okja

Ronald Isley was born on May 21, 1941, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His love of music was encouraged at early age, by his father, a professional vocalist, and his mother, a church pianist who also provided musical accompaniment for him and his brothers at their early performances.

For over 50 years, he has ...

5. Teddy Pendergrass

Soundtrack | The Nutty Professor

Teddy Pendergrass was born on March 26, 1950 in Kingstree, South Carolina, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for The Nutty Professor (1996), Undercover Brother (2002) and 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002). He was married to Joan Pendergrass and Karen Still. He died on January 13, 2010 in Bryn ...

6. Al Green

Soundtrack | Scrooged

Al Green was born on April 13, 1946 in Forrest City, Arkansas, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Scrooged (1988), Hellboy (2004) and He's Just Not That Into You (2009). He was previously married to Shirley Kyles.

7. R. Kelly

Composer | Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1-12

R. Kelly was born on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, and attended Kenwood Academy High School, where his music teacher-mentor Lena McLin inspired him to become a singer. He used to sing on street corners. He started off his career with a group by the name of Public Announcement. R. Kelly a ...

8. Prince

Soundtrack | Under the Cherry Moon

Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Mattie Shaw, a jazz singer and social worker, and John L. Nelson, a lyricist and pianist. His father's stage name was "Prince Rogers". His parents were both from African-American families from Louisiana. They separated during his youth, ...

9. Keith Sweat

Soundtrack | Blue Streak

Keith Sweat is a Harlem-born R&B singer/songwriter who released his debut album, 'Make It Last Forever', at the end of 1987. The album sold over three million copies, spawning the hits "I Want Her" (#1 R&B, #5 pop), "Something Just Ain't Right" (#3 R&B), "Make It Last Forever" (#2 R&B), and "Don't ...

10. Ray Charles

Actor | The Blues Brothers

A tragic fate may have given this visionary a heightened sensitivity, perception, awareness, even expansion to his obvious musical gifts that he may have never touched upon had he not suffered from his physical affliction. Whatever it was, Ray Charles revolutionized American music and was ...

11. Curtis Mayfield

Soundtrack | Armageddon

Rhythm and blues performer/songwriter credited with defining 1960's Chicago sound in hits like "It's All Right" and "Gypsy Woman." His style influenced other artists from pop to hip hop. Has been a quadriplegic ever since he was struck by lighting rig during outdoor concert in New York, 1990. ...

12. Sam Cooke

Soundtrack | Innerspace

Sam Cooke was born January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He was one of eight children of Charles Cook Sr., a Baptist minister. When Sam sang as a little boy in church, everyone made note that his voice had "something special". He sang in church and in local gospel choirs until a group called...

13. Luther Vandross

Soundtrack | The Goonies

Designated the "heartbeat" of R&B during the 1980s and 1990s, Luther Vandross led a productive singing and songwriting life before to this preeminence. The soul balladeer's strong commitment to the art of music continued on its Grammy-winning course, even after an acute stroke in 2003 left him ...

14. Raphael Saadiq

Soundtrack | Mudbound

Raphael Saadiq was born on May 14, 1966 in Oakland, California, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for Mudbound (2017), Insecure (2016) and Abduction (2011).

15. Smokey Robinson

Soundtrack | Big Time

Multi-talented performer/writer/producer Smokey Robinson's career, and life, is inextricably tied up with Motown Records' founder Berry Gordy (his first two children are named Tamla, for the Gordy-owned label Smokey recorded for, and Berry, for Gordy himself). He and Gordy have had a professional ...

16. Barry White

Soundtrack | Baby Driver

Barry White first made his mark in the music business in the 1960s as a session musician, even serving for a spell as an A&R man for a small, independent Los Angeles record label. He first hit it big in 1973 with a series of albums and singles emphasizing lush orchestrations and elaborate ...

17. Usher

Actor | The Faculty

Usher Raymond IV was born in Dallas, Texas, to Jonetta Patton (née O'Neal) and Usher Raymond III. He began singing when he was six years old, joining the local church choir at the behest of his mother who acted as choir director. Jonetta, a single mom, raised Usher and his younger brother, James, ...

18. Ginuwine

Soundtrack | Honey

Ginuwine is a Washington, DC-based contemporary soul artist who released his debut album, "Ginuwine: The Bachelor'' on 8th Oct 1996 to great acclaim. It had hit song "Pony". 100% Ginuwine followed on 16 March 1999 generating the hits "So Anxious", " None Of Ur Friends Business", and "Same Ol G". ...

19. Jaheim

Soundtrack | Not Easily Broken

Jaheim Hoagland was born on May 26, 1978 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Jaheim had a rough childhood. His father died when he was very young and his mother was forced to raise him and his two brothers. Crime was also part of the young man's life. Jaheim came out of jail when he was 16, which is when...

20. Musiq

Soundtrack | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps

Musiq was born on September 16, 1977 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Musiq: Halfcrazy (2002) and Meet the Browns (2008).

21. James Brown

Actor | The Blues Brothers

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and ...

22. Gerald Levert

Soundtrack | Crank

Gerald Levert was born on July 13, 1966 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Crank (2006), Coming to America (1988) and The Fast and the Furious (2001). He died on November 10, 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

23. Lionel Richie

Soundtrack | The Color Purple

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and television judge. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recording the hit singles "Easy", "Sail On", "Three Times a Lady" and "Still",...

24. Maxwell

Soundtrack | Life

Maxwell was born on May 23, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Life (1999), Little Man (2006) and Girls Trip (2017).

25. Chris Brown

Actor | Takers

Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to Billboard, Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contemporaries as the "King of R&B". His musical style has been defined as polyhedral, ...

26. Little Richard

Actor | Last Action Hero

Richard Wayne Penniman, better known as Little Richard, the self-proclaimed "Architect of Rock 'n' Roll", traveled in his early days with the legendary vaudeville star Spencer "Snake" Anthony. One of Richard's early bands had the young, then unknown singer James Brown (the Godfather of Soul), a ...

27. Aaron Neville

Soundtrack | The Bodyguard

New Orleans-born Aaron Neville started singing in a group called The Hawkettes, in which his brother Art Neville also sang. He had some minor hits over the years, mostly regional, but finally hit the big time in 1966 with the delicate "Tell It Like It Is". For a variety of reasons--including the ...

28. Avant

Soundtrack | Coach Carter

Avant was born on April 26, 1978 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Coach Carter (2005), Shark Tale (2004) and Two Can Play That Game (2001).

29. Trey Songz

Actor | Texas Chainsaw 3D

Trey Songz was born on November 28, 1984 in Petersburg, Virginia, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Texas Chainsaw (2013), American Honey (2016) and Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009).

30. David Ruffin

Soundtrack | I Want You Back

The man most of us know by his unmistakable, calming yet disturbed raspy voice was born Davis Eli Ruffin on January 18, 1941, in Whynot, Mississippi. His father, Eli Ruffin, was a Baptist minister. Only months after his birth his mother Ophelia Ruffin died, and his father later remarried, to a ...

31. Aaron Hall

Soundtrack | Juice

Aaron Hall was born on August 10, 1964 in Bronx, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Juice (1992), Boomerang (1992) and Alpha Dog (2006).

32. Freddie Jackson

Soundtrack | Top Five

Freddie Jackson was born on October 2, 1956 in Harlem, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Top Five (2014), All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) and King of New York (1990).

33. Montell Jordan

Soundtrack | Everest

Montell Jordan was born on December 3, 1968 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Everest (2015), This Means War (2012) and Multiplicity (1996). He has been married to Kristin Jordan since June 1994. They have four children.

34. Tyrese Gibson

Actor | Baby Boy

Tyrese Darnell Gibson was born December 30, 1978 in Watts, Los Angeles, California, where he was raised. He is an R&B singer, songwriter, actor, author, television producer and model. He is well known for his actor role as Roman Pearce in the The Fast and Furious movie franchise. Other popular ...

35. Jamie Foxx

Actor | Collateral

Jamie Foxx is an American actor, singer and comedian. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, for his work in the biographical film Ray (2004). The same year, he was nominated for the Academy...

36. Ralph E. Tresvant

Producer | The New Edition Story

Ralph Tresvant was born on May 16, 1968 in Roxbury, Massachusetts to Patricia and Ralph, Sr. He has an older sister named LaTonya and a younger brother named Andre. Ralph married his childhood sweetheart Shelly in 1993. They have two girls Na'Quelle and Mariah. While in junior high school, Ralph ...

37. Isaac Hayes

Actor | Escape from New York

Isaac Hayes, the second-born child of Eula and Isaac Hayes Sr., was raised by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Willie Wade Sr. The child of a poor family, he grew up picking cotton in Covington, Tennessee. He dropped out of high school, but later his former high-school teachers to get his diploma, ...

38. Neyo

39. Johnny Gill

Soundtrack | New Jack City

Born in Washington, D.C., Johnny Gill was discovered by singer Stacy Lattisaw after singing in his family's group Wings of Faith from the age of five. His solo career began in 1983 with the Top 30 R&B single "Super Love." In 1988, he joined New Edition, replacing Bobby Brown. In 1989 he sang on two...

40. Carl Thomas

Soundtrack | Money Talks

Carl Thomas is known for Money Talks (1997), Freddy Got Fingered (2001) and The Sixth Man (1997).

41. Otis Redding

Soundtrack | Top Gun

Otis Redding was born on September 9, 1941 in Dawson, Georgia, USA. He was a music artist and composer, known for Top Gun (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987) and Road House (1989). He was married to Zelma Redding. He died on December 10, 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

42. Lou Rawls

Soundtrack | Payback

Rawls was born on 1st December 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. His father abandoned his family and Lou was raised by his grandmother. His first meeting with music was when he was seven years old, in a Baptist church choir. He was mostly influenced by the Chicago Regal theatre where he had the ...

43. Tevin Campbell

Soundtrack | A Goofy Movie

Tevin Campbell was born on November 12, 1976 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for A Goofy Movie (1995), Boyz n the Hood (1991) and Steel (1997).

44. Eddie Kendricks

Soundtrack | Downsizing

Eddie Kendricks is an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group The Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1960 until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do the Things ...

45. Jeffrey Osborne

Soundtrack | Spaceballs

Jeffrey Osborne was born on March 9, 1948 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Spaceballs (1987), Undercover Brother (2002) and Love & Mercy (2014). He has been married to Sherri Osborne since 1983. They have four children.

46. Eddie Levert

Soundtrack | Dragged Across Concrete

Eddie Levert was born on June 16, 1942 in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. He is an actor, known for Dragged Across Concrete (2018), Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) and Coming to America (1988). He is married to Raquel Capelton. They have one child. He was previously married to Martha Levert.

47. Jackie Wilson

Soundtrack | Coming to America

Jackie "Sonny" Wilson was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Highland Park, the only son of Jack and Eliza Mae Wilson from Columbus, Mississippi. His father was an alcoholic and constantly unemployed, and his mother, who had lost two earlier children, doted on Jackie and became a powerful ...

48. Teddy Riley

Soundtrack | Juice

Teddy Riley was born on October 8, 1966 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for Juice (1992), Money Train (1995) and New Jack City (1991).

49. Charlie Wilson

Soundtrack | Boss Level

Charlie Wilson was born on January 29, 1953 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Boss Level (2020), Ghosted (2023) and Boomerang (1992). He is married to Mahin.

50. Justin Timberlake

Soundtrack | Trolls

Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Lynn (Bomar) and Randall Timberlake, whose own father was a Baptist minister. At the age of 11, he appeared on the show Star Search (1983), and even though he didn't win, it didn't dampen his ambitions. He also ...