Any Black AOR singers?

[KurtmanJP]

A bizarre thought just popped into my mind today. Are these any Black/African American AOR/Melodic Rock singers out there? I can't think of a single one.

[koogles]

Jean Beauvoir (Crown of Thorns) qualifies, I think. So does John Butcher Axis.

 

In the 80s, a few well-known R&B singers/groups did some AOR tunes (Lionel Richie's "Running with the Night", Kool & The Gang's "Misled" and Billy Ocean's "Loverboy" rocked reasonably hard).

 

Then there's Living Color, Mother's Finest, etc. who rocked through the color lines.

[KurtmanJP]

Jean Beauvoir (Crown of Thorns) qualifies, I think. So does John Butcher Axis.

 

In the 80s, a few well-known R&B singers/groups did some AOR tunes (Lionel Richie's "Running with the Night", Kool & The Gang's "Misled" and Billy Ocean's "Loverboy" rocked reasonably hard).

 

Then there's Living Color, Mother's Finest, etc. who rocked through the color lines.

 

That's interesting. But then again, I didn't look at a picture of Crown Of Thorns until now. Heard "Motorcycle Loretta" on an AOR station. Pretty awesome song! *Is still an AOR n00b*

[vandervelde]

two albums of Carl Anderson, An Act Of Love and Pieces Of The Heart are aor in my book...two albums of Luther Vandross also pretty melodic with guitars from Gaitsch, Huff...Jean Beauvoir and his Crown Of Thorns and Voodoo X is ofcourse natural choice...

[manicego]

Bernie K. of Total Eclipse (hard rock band with AOR leanings) - he was also the singer for metal band Sound Barrier.

[RichieZ]

I agree with Tony Koogles, Jon Butcher before he went into a blues direction was a cool melodic singer.

[koogles]

Jean-Michael Byron (briefly in TOTO) was black, wasn't he? He had a very soulful voice... many too much so for Toto... but he was part of one of the biggest AOR institutions of all-time.

[melodicrockoz]

isn't the singer in action ( the band's cd just came out on escape records? ) happen to be black?

I think Hal Johnson singer guitarist out of swedish aor sensations bad habit is black too, right?

Also someone mentioned the singer in bristish hard rock band bailey brothers, Des Bailely is black.

[zrock63]

I picked up a cassette from Black Sheep "Trouble in the Streets" over the weekend and the singer is black, more of a hard rock/metal band than aor.

[Invisible_man]

Kool & The Gang's "Misled"

 

Kool & the Gang - Tonight (AOR Mix) 1984..... I know that version is on their Gold collection

 

great song with a neat guitar solo and good beat, could have fit on a Toto or Foreigner album very well. "Misled" is also very good. K&G were a neat band

[Fat Freddy]

Mother's Finest? I seem to remember a rock-oriented album by them called "Black Radio Won't Play This Record"

*EDIT* I see Koogles mentioned them already. Nevermind. That's all I got.

[66 mustang]

does thin lizzy fit here?

[heaven&hell]

All I knew of was Jean Beavior.

[Rockposer]

Also someone mentioned the singer in bristish hard rock band bailey brothers, Des Bailely is black.

 

So's his brother

[melodicrockoz]

Nikki Buzz is another, I think he only did the one cd called The Nikki Buzz band. It came out on a small indy label in Belguim, musically it's very similar 2 the first Crown ofThorns album

[heavyharmonies]

Not a singer, but Greg Howe would fit the bill.

[Captain Howdy]

Maybe not specifically AOR singers, but a few black rock singers, not already mentioned, who spring to mind are:

Doug Pinnick

Lenny Kravitz

Jimi Hendrix

Skin

[heaven&hell]

Maybe not specifically AOR singers, but a few black rock singers, not already mentioned, who spring to mind are:

Doug Pinnick

 

Doug is a great singer for whatever genre you throw him in.

[rickinmd]

how about the Bus Boys? Not exactly aor, but rock..

[mosvalve]

A BIG thumbs up for Doug Pinnick & King's X

 

and I could come up with:

 

The Hinder singer

The Sevendust singer

24-7 Spyz

[cdjunky41]

Nikki Buzz is another, I think he only did the one cd called The Nikki Buzz band. It came out on a small indy label in Belguim, musically it's very similar 2 the first Crown ofThorns album

 

He was also in VENDETTA which RETROSPECT just put out.

[melodicrockoz]

Nikki Buzz is another, I think he only did the one cd called The Nikki Buzz band. It came out on a small indy label in Belguim, musically it's very similar 2 the first Crown ofThorns album

 

He was also in VENDETTA which RETROSPECT just put out.

 

 

 

I saw that but I wasn't sure it was the same person, I'm now extra excited about picking up that vendetta cd

[Captain Howdy]

A BIG thumbs up for Doug Pinnick & King's X

 

and I could come up with:

 

The Hinder singer

The Sevendust singer

24-7 Spyz

Hinder are all white, unless I am missing something.

[Captain Howdy]

BTW, on the back of 24-7 Spyz, I'd have to mention Bonez of Stuck Mojo as well, also Ice-T with his Body Count metal band.

[Geoff]

A BIG thumbs up for Doug Pinnick & King's X

 

and I could come up with:

 

The Hinder singer

The Sevendust singer

24-7 Spyz

Hinder are all white, unless I am missing something.

I was going to say the same, unless that dude's one of those white negros, but he sure as hell doesn't look like it.