Who is the most famous African American to change the pop culture in USA?

Question

Who is the most famous African American to change the pop culture in USA?

If there was no Martin Luther King there won't be an Obama today.

Just like that if there weren't people like Morgan Freeman there won't be any black performers today..

So who do you think the most famous African American(s) who changed the performing arts in USA?

Morgan Freeman

The King & Carter Jazzing Orchestra

Steve Wonder

Michael Jackson

Bill Cosby

Lionel Richie

Denzel Washington

Will Smith

Jemie Fox

I think it is Bill Cosby

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Spy

Additional Questions....

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Answer 1

You stole my thunder, with out a doubt it is Bill Cosby!  Not only for his TV roles, but his comedy albums and live shows.  I saw him a couple of years ago, and he is still a riot.

Answer 2

Alvin Ailey

Richard Pryor

F. Gary Gray

Martin Luther King

Etta James

Kevin Clash (Elmo)

Aretha Franklin

Dorothy Dandridge

Whoopi Goldberg

Wanda Sykes

Butterfly McQueen

Answer 3

If I had to pick from that list, I would say

a) Bill Cosby, who took "black television" and crossed it over into "mainstream" television.

b) Denzel Washington, the first true black Hollywood superstar, in my opinion. He has never been relegated to roles just because of his race. I think he paved the way for Will Smith, who is another race-transcending super star.

Answer 4

With no disrespect at all to the wonderful people you have named, may I suggest the brave, resourceful and incredible Sojourner Truth.

Someone doesn't have to be famous, to be important.

Cheers :-)

Answer 5

Mr. T, the Cosby show gives me gas. I dont get why women liked it, heck Seinfeld was funnier than the cosby show and Seinfeld isnt funny at all.

Answer 6

Most of the people on your list are all fairly recent.  Black influences on popular culture go back a lot further than that.  I would imagine that Scott Joplin was probably the first major black composer of popular music, though I don't know that for a fact.  He must be accounted a major influence.

I think other major jazz performers apart from the king and Carter jazzing orchestra are worthy of note.  Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Jellyroll Morton, King Oliver, names to conjure with.  Mamie Smith,t he first black singer to record jazz songs, made a record of "That Thing Called Love" and "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down" which sold 75,000 copies in Harlem alone in its first month of release.  Bessie Smith sold six million records in six years.  Between March and November 1923 King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band made thirty-seven records.

In the field of acting, there were many great black performers in the cinema in the 30s. True, their roles tended to be limited to servants or similar, but they often gave very memorable performances.  Nobody could forget Hattie MacDaniel in 'Gone With The Wind' for example, for which she rightly won an Oscar.

Answer 7

He's not on the list, but I would say Louis Armstrong.  He was one of the first great black men in entertainment and came long before most of these other guys, with exception to The King and Carter Jazzing Orchestra.  He helped make Jazz mainstream which united blacks and whites. I suppose we could argue he and the The King and Carter Jazzing Orchestra are similar but I think Mr. Armstrong has lead a longer legacy as a result of his impact on society.