Experience the legacy of the Fisk Jubilee Singers in "Jubilation!" - $10 Individuals / $5 for Groups / Free for Members!
MoreSupporting R&B artists through our collaboration with the leading organization providing financial assistance and healthcare to musical pioneers.
The Rhythm & Blues Foundation stands as the definitive organization dedicated to supporting the virtuosos who created the soundtrack of American culture. We provide essential assistance to R&B masters while preserving their artistic legacy through scholarly recognition, educational excellence, and archival stewardship.
Our signature Pioneer Awards celebrate the genius of legendary artists whose innovations transformed global music—ensuring their contributions to humanity’s greatest musical revolution are properly honored and preserved.
The Rhythm & Blues Foundation emerged in 1988 from conversations between R&B legend Ruth Brown, attorney Howell Begle, and Atlantic Records visionary Ahmet Ertegun about compensation inequities facing musical pioneers. We became the first institution to champion the rights of artists whose genius had been undervalued.
Ertegun’s founding gift of $1.5 million established our commitment to supporting the masters who shaped modern music. This vision expanded through partnerships with Motown founder Berry Gordy and Universal Music Group, creating the Gwendolyn B. Gordy Fuqua Fund and The Motown/Universal Fund—ensuring artists receive the support their excellence deserves.
Since 1988, the Foundation has:
The Foundation continues its mission through three specialized funds:
These initiatives ensure that the masters who created the foundation of modern music receive both the immediate support they need and the lasting recognition their artistry demands.
The Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s partnership with the National Museum of African American Music creates a powerful alliance between artist support and cultural preservation. Together, we ensure that R&B excellence is both celebrated in the present and preserved for future generations to study and appreciate.
This collaboration represents the gold standard for how musical institutions can honor living masters while building scholarly understanding of their transformative contributions to global culture.