As we are reaching the end of Black History Month, we wanted to take some time to highlight a few of the incredible Black producers throughout history.
Gamble & Huff are an American songwriting and production team credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as The Sound of Philadelphia “TSOP”) of the 1970s.
Their partnership lasted over three decades, forming the label Philadelphia International Records.
Together, they wrote and produced more than 175 gold or platinum records!
The duo made music that addressed political and social issues faced by the African American community, showcased in songs like “Am I Black Enough For You” by Billy Paul and “Give the People What They Want” by the O’Jays.
Gamble is well known for his philanthropic work. Over the course of his life, he established a nonprofit focusing on adult education, a construction company to provide jobs, a business support center, a charter school, and other organizations aimed at empowering inner city communities.
Here are a few of their biggest hits:
Quincy Jones is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer.
His career spans nearly 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record 80 Grammy Award nominations, 28 Grammys, and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992. Jones got his start in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor working with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Peggy Lee.
In the 1960s, Jones moved on to work in pop music and film scores. He composed the theme songs for shows such as Sanford & Son, The Cosby Show, MadTV, and more. He also scored the music for The Wiz.
After working together on The Wiz, Jones began producing Michael Jackson’s own studio albums. He worked with Jackson on Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.
In 1985, Jones used his influence to draw most of the major American musicians to collaborate on We Are the World to raise money for the victims of famine in Ethiopia.
Here are a few of his biggest hits:
Nile Rodgers is an American guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and arranger.
The co-founder of the disco band Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on albums that have cumulatively sold more than 500 million units and 75 million singles worldwide.
Rodgers met bassist Bernard Edwards in 1970. Together, they formed Chic, a band that fused jazz, soul, and funk grooves with melodies and lyrics with a European dance influence. The band scored numerous top ten hits and helped propel disco to a new level. Their song Good Times was sampled by The Sugarhill Gang’s Rappers Delight (which just so happened to be the first multiple-platinum hip hop single). The song was later sampled by the likes of Queen (Another One Bites the Dust) and Blondie (Rapture).
After Chic disbanded, Rodgers went on to write and produce work for Diana Ross, Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, and more.
Most recently, Rodgers collaborated with Daft Punk (RIP) for their latest album. He co-wrote and played guitar on three tracks.
Here are a few of his biggest hits:
Pharrell Williams is an American musician, record producer, songwriter, singer, fashion designer and entrepreneur.
Pharrell has won 13 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. He has also received two Academy Award nominations.
With close friend Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo The Neptunes in the early 1990s. The pair also created N.E.R.D. with Shay Haley.
Pharrell helped to create some of the most iconic pop songs of the 2000s such as Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl, Nelly’s Hot in Herre, Britney Spears’ I’m A Slave 4 U, Justin Timberlake’s Senorita, Kelis’ Milkshake, and much more.
In 2013, Pharrell collaborated with Daft Punk and Nile Rodgers (from yesterday!) on Get Lucky.
Pharrell worked on the music score for Despicable Me (1&2) with composers Hans Zimmer and Heitor Pereira. His most notable contribution was the smash hit Happy.
More recently, Pharrell has worked with Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, and Frank Ocean.
In 2017, he reunited with N.E.R.D. to release an album titled No One Ever Really Dies.
Here are a few of his biggest hits:
Ready to start recording and producing your own music? Check out our Recording & Production class or book a session at our full-service Recording Studio.