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Who Started R&B Music?

R&B, or rhythm and blues, came to fruition during the postwar period. It was made popular by African-Americans. R&B has been interpreted in many different ways and manners. One simple definition cannot cover the vast range of music that is included in the umbrella of R&B. Music throughout the second half of the twentieth century was influenced heavily by R&B, and music today continues to feel R&B's influence.

  1. R&B Inventor

    • No one person can be credited with starting R&B.

    R&B Roots

    • R&B is derived from numerous influences, including jazz, blues, jump blues and boogie-woogie rhythms.

    Jerry Wexler

    • Jerry Wexler of "Billboard" magazine was the first to use the term "rhythm and blues."

    1949

    • R&B became the official industry term for music marketed towards African-Americans in 1949.

    Group That Topped the First R&B Chart

    • Paul Williams and His Hucklebuckers was the first group to top Billboard's first R&B chart in 1949 with the song "The Huckle-Buck."

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