Rhythm and Blues (Music) – Page 6

Gwen McCrae, Singer Who Helped Open the Dance Floor to Disco, Dies at 81

Originally a gospel singer, she went on to meld soulful melodies with dance-floor-friendly grooves on songs like the 1975 Top 10 hit “Rockin’ Chair.”

By Clay Risen

Deaths (Obituaries) Oakland (Calif) Rhythm and Blues (Music) Saadiq, Raphael Tony! Toni! Tone! (Music Group) Wiggins, DWayne (1961-2025)

D’Wayne Wiggins, One Third of the R&B Group Tony! Toni! Toné!, Dies at 64

As a paragon of the New Jack Swing sound, the band recorded three platinum albums and a slew of hits, including “Feels Good.”

By Clay Risen

Ayers, Roy (Musician) Coffy (Movie) Deaths (Obituaries) Everybody Loves the Sunshine (Song) Jazz Jazz Is Dead (Record Label) Mann, Herbie Polydor Records Rap and Hip-Hop Rhythm and Blues (Music)

Roy Ayers, Vibraphonist Who Injected Soul Into Jazz, Dies at 84

He helped introduce a funkier strain of the music in the 1970s. He also had an impact on hip-hop: His “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” has been sampled nearly 200 times.

By Andrey Henkin

Deaths (Obituaries) Fight the Power (Song) Isley Brothers Isley-Jasper-Isley Jasper, Chris (1951-2025) Pop and Rock Music Rhythm and Blues (Music) That Lady (Song)

Chris Jasper, Who Helped Revitalize the Isley Brothers, Dies at 73

A classically trained pianist turned songwriter, he was a cornerstone of the soul group’s sound during its fertile second act in the 1970s.

By Alex Williams