Rhythm & Blues

The musical genre Rhythm & Blues, or R&B, was first coined by Billboard Magazine’s Jerry Wexler, who first used R&B in 1948 as a music marketing term. Although the technical definition of R&B has evolved in classification over the years, this great musical tradition’s roots are found in Blues and Gospel, and has produced such legendary recording artists as: Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and such stars as Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey.