Drawn from a mosaic of influences, including folk, gospel, and blues, R&B represents both everything that came before and nothing that was heard before. This is the music that bridged the gap between audiences and helped, at the very height of racism in America, to dismantle racial barriers. So much of today"s music is derived directly from the highly influential and critically important sounds of R&B that without it we would have never known the classic soul of the late "50s and "60s, the glory days of the genre. Similarly, rock n" roll as seen through the eyes of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley would have never evolved without the foundation laid by their R&B predecessors. Through substantial entries on the chief architects and innovators, Icons of R&B and Soul offers a vibrant overview of the music"s impact in American culture and how it reflected contemporary society"s politics, trends, and social issues. Numerous sidebars highlight Motown, prominent record labels, hit...