Black Music Month: Celebrating Artists Who Shaped Our Sound

Nearly every genre of music can trace its roots back to the creativity and artistic expression of Black Americans. Black musicians helped shape musical styles from the blues to hip-hop, rock & roll to house music, and everything in between, inspiring countless genres and cross-pollinations along the way. African American Music Appreciation Month, observed each June, is an opportunity to celebrate these lasting contributions.

To highlight the impact of Black musicians on artists today, we're revisiting a blog theme we did a few years ago, in which we asked PRS artists to share a Black musician or song that inspired them to pick up the guitar. We have a new group of artists who answered below. Check out their answers, and listen to our curated playlist featuring the songs and artists they mentioned:

Artist: Prince - Song: ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’
"I chose Prince because he embodied the full spectrum of artistry. I couldn’t pick just one song, because each one reveals a different side. ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ taught me how groove can be playful yet powerful. ‘Purple Rain’ showed me how to pour raw vulnerability into music and connect souls. And ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ reminds me that music should be fearless, wild, and electrifying. Prince’s legacy taught me that I can’t box myself in... every note should be a part of a bigger story, just like his songs."

Artist: Jimi Hendrix - Song: Voodoo Chile
"Jimi represented freedom and endless possibilities for me with his guitar playing and songwriting. I remember first seeing him on a VHS tape my dad played in the living room at Woodstock! Voodoo Chile was absolutely wild and inspired me immensely."

Artist: ODETTA - Song: 'He's got the whole world in his hands'
"My mom bought my first acoustic guitar, and she loved ODETTA and played her music a lot during my childhood. First forward, years later, I met her, and we became friends."

Artist: Jonathan DuBose Jr. - Song: If You Miss Me

Artist: Freddie King - Song: Going Down

Artist: Wes Montgomery - Song: Days of Wine and Roses
"This is a tough question! My love of music has me all over the place, from Rock to Jazz. I would say the artist that really got me to play, that really shaped my early beginnings, I’d probably say was Wes Montgomery. I remember the first time I heard his rendition of Days of Wine and Roses being captured by the chords he played alone to start the song. Hearing Wes play, be as full as an organ player and as clear as a pianist, inspires the way I play today, from how I chord to how I phrase my solos."

Artist: Tracey Chapman - Song: Fast Car

Artist: Prince - Song: Let's Go Crazy
"Prince is one of my favorite artists of all time. His Stage presence, guitar playing, and production style have shaped the artist that I am today. 'Let's Go Crazy' is a masterpiece. The rock guitars act like a well-crafted vocal section in the verses, and the solo at the end is outrageously good. You can learn a lot of great techniques from the solos in this song. I use the super fast lick in the outro in my playing a lot. George Benson is another major influence. The first time I heard 'Give Me The Night', my mind was blown. It was the first time I had heard guitar scatting, and I remember spending days trying to learn that solo. The groove on that song is crazy. He also does a really cool rhythmic octave phrase towards the end of the song. I use it all the time!"

Artist: George Benson - Song: Clockwise
"So I would say circa 1996, I had just graduated from junior high school, by this time I had already been gigging around town (NYC), mostly working in the Latin scene, and this is also the time when I was really starting to open my musical palette and started getting into different genres. As my journey went, a friend in school handed me this album that would literally change my whole life, not only as a fan but as a musician inspired to pick up my guitar and go at it day in and day out. The Album is called "The Essence Of George Benson," and the song that wouldn't let me sleep at night from this album was called "Clockwise". It wouldn't let me sleep cause I couldn't figure out how a human could possibly play guitar in this way LOL. He is literally from another planet. George Benson is one of the musicians I look up to most in this music world. To this day, so many years later, I'll listen to one of his songs and get inspired in the same way. Eternally grateful for his musical genius."

Artist: Tosin Abasi- Song: Song of Solomon
"That was one of my first “wow, how do I play that song!”

Artist: Prince - Song: Dreamer