Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938) is an American blues, soul, R&B, and jazz singer and songwriter. In the 1950s and 60s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer. She is best-known for her 1961 ballad "At Last", which has been classified as a "timeless classic" and has been featured in many movies and television commercials since its release.

Richard Berry was an American singer and songwriter, best known as the composer and original performer of the rock standard "Louie Louie". He was born in Extension, Louisiana, and moved with his family to Los Angeles as a baby. He began singing and playing in local doo-wop groups, recording with several of them including The Penguins, The Cadets and The Chimes, before joining The Flairs (who also recorded as The Debonaires and The Flamingoes) in 1953.

Maxwell Davis was an American R&B saxophonist, arranger and record producer. He was born in Independence, Kansas. In 1937 he moved to Los Angeles, California, playing saxophone in the Fletcher Henderson orchestra. After some years playing swing and jazz, he became more involved in the West Coast R&B scene in the mid-1940s, becoming a regular session player and arranger for the fast growing independent labels such as Aladdin.

Bobby "Blue" Bland was born Robert Calvin Bland, January 27 1930, in Rosemark, Tennessee) and is an influencial African-American singer, and an original member of The Beale Streeters. He is sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues". Along with such artists as Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Junior Parker, Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with blues and R&B. =Career= Bobby "Blue" Bland was born 27 January 1930, in Rosemark, Tennessee, USA.

Junior Parker (May 27, 1932-November 18, 1971) was a Memphis blues singer and musician. Junior Parker was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi as Herman Parker, Jr. He played on the various blues circuits beginning in his teenage years, playing with artists like Sonny Boy Williamson (his mentor) and Howlin' Wolf. Parker was discovered by Ike Turner in 1952, who signed him to Modern Records. He put out one single on this record label, …

Floyd Dixon (8 February 1929 - July 26 2006) was an American rhythm and blues pianist. Dixon was born Jay Riggins Jr. in Marshall, Texas. He was influenced by blues, gospel, jazz and country music growing up. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1942 and Dixon met his influence Charles Brown there. Self-dubbed "Mr. Magnificent," Dixon signed with Modern Records in 1949, specializing in jump blues and sexualized songs like "Red Cherries", "Wine Wine Wine", …

“Little” Willie Littlefield is an American R&B pianist and singer. Influenced by Albert Ammons, Charles Brown, and Amos Milburn, his first recording, “Little Willie’s Boogie” was a hit in Texas in 1949, and brought him to the attention of Jules, one of the Bihari brothers of Modern Records in Los Angeles. There, he recorded “It’s Midnight”, which became a national hit reaching # 3 on the Billboard R&B charts.

Esther Mae Jones who performed as Little Esther and as Esther Phillips, was an American singer; she performed in the pop, country, jazz, and rhythm and blues fields, including soul music. Born in Galveston, Texas, she entered an amateur contest in 1949 at Johnny Otis's Barrelhouse Club in Los Angeles. Otis was so impressed that he recorded her for Modern Records and added her, billed as Little Esther, to his travelling revue, …

Connie Curtis Crayton, known as Pee Wee Crayton, was an American R&B guitarist and singer. Crayton began playing guitar seriously after moving to California in the mid-1930s, and settling in San Francisco. While there he absorbed the music of T-Bone Walker, but developed his own unique approach. His aggressive playing contrasted with his smooth vocal style, and was copied by many later blues guitarists.

Andrew 'Smokey' Hogg (b Jan 27, 1914, near Westconnie, Texas - d May 1, 1960, McKinney, Texas) was one of the most popular of the post war Texas country blues artists. He grew up on the farm and was taught to play guitar by his father Frank Hogg. While still in his teens he teamed up with a fine slide guitarist and vocalist, …

Ernie Freeman (b 16 August 1922, Cleveland, Ohio - d 16 May 1981, Hawaii) was an American pianist and arranger. He played on numerous early rock and R&B sessions in Los Angeles in the 1950s, particularly on the Specialty, Modern, and Aladdin labels, as well as for white artists such as Duane Eddy and Bobby Vee. He issued a number of instrumental records of his own, including his cover of Bill Justis' "Raunchy" in 1957, which became his biggest solo success.

Mary Love, born (sources differ) as Mary Ann Allen or Mary Ann Varney (27 July 1943, Sacramento, California), and later known as Mary Love Comer, is an American soul and gospel singer, and Christian evangelist. After being discovered by Sam Cooke's manager, J.W. Alexander, she began singing on sessions in Los Angeles before recording “You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet” for the Modern record label in 1965.

Harrison Nelson Jr. (July 17 1925 - March 19 1999), known as Peppermint Harris, was an American rhythm and blues singer and guitarist. Originally from Texarkana, Texas, he first recorded in Houston, as Peppermint Nelson, in the late 1940s, accompanied by his friend Lightnin' Hopkins. He then made further recordings including "Raining In My Heart" for a label run by Bob Shad, who allegedly forgot Nelson's name and released them as by Peppermint Harris.

John Johnson Jr., known since childhood as Plas Johnson, is an American tenor saxophonist, probably most familiar as the lead on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme". He and his pianist brother Ray first recorded as the Johnson Brothers in New Orleans in the late 1940s, and Plas then toured with R&B singer Charles Brown. After army service, he moved to Los Angeles and began session recordings as a full-time musician, …

Driftin' Slim (February 24 1919 in Keo, Arkansas - september 17, 1977 in Los Angeles, California), was an Afro-American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. He not only recorded as Driftin' Slim, but also as Model 'T' Slim and under his real name Elmon Mickle. His recordings were released on the - amongst others - Modern, RPM, Blue Horizon, Styletone, Milestone, Kent, and Flyright labels.

Mark Giguere is Lead Information Technology (Policy and Planning) for the Office of Records Services, Modern Records Programs of the National Archives & Records Administration at College Park.

James landed at Chicago's Chess Records in 1960, signing with their Argo subsidiary. Immediately, her recording career kicked into high gear; not only did a pair of duets with her then-boyfriend (Moonglows lead singer Harvey Fuqua) chart, her own sides (beginning with the tortured ballad "All I Could Do Was Cry") chased each other up the R&B lists as well.