Soul / Blues / R & B Georgia Music Artists J - P

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Johnny Jenkins was a blues music guitarist from Macon, GA. He was the leader of The Pinetoppers, whose lead singer was Otis Redding. Jenkins was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2012.

Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson was a soul blues singer, songwriter and guitarist from Davisboro, GA. Johnson join several groups including Muddy Waters. He recorded his debut album, Come On Home,  in 1968 with Muddy Waters band. 

Roy Lee Johnson from Centralhatchee, GA in Heard County is a soul and R & B music singer songwriter and guitarist. He co-wrote "Mr. Moonlight" which has been covered by many music artists, most popularly by The Beatles in 1964. 

E. G. Kight is an Americana blues singer, songwriter & musician from Dublin, GA. She is nicknamed "The Georgia Songbird". Kight has performed with numerous notable music artists like George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty & Merle Haggard. March 2021 her song "Burned" peaked at #9 on the Living Blues Chart.

Gladys Knight (Atlanta, GA) is a soul singer songwriter. Knight has recorded two number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles ("Midnight Train to Georgia" and "That's What Friends Are For"), eleven number-one R&B singles and six number-one R&B albums. She was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1989. 

Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith was the hip hop duo that completed group Kris Kross from Atlanta, GA.

Kut Klose is a soul R & B female trio formed in Atlanta, GA. The group consist of Athena Cage, Lavonn Battle and Tabitha Duncan who are known for the 1994 hit by Keith Sweat, who founded Kut Klose, featuring the group. They released their first album in 1995, Surrender, which peaked at #12 on the Billboard R & B chart. From that album the singles three singles charted with "I Like" peaking at #8 on the Billboard R & B/Hip-Hop chart. In 1996 Keith Sweat would feature Kut Klose on another single, "Twisted", which reached #1 on the charts.

Gitlo Lee is a soul blues singer songwriter and musician from Waynesville, GA.  Gitlo, known as The Blues Man of the South, performed with Sonny Boy Williamson.

Lil Nas X (Lithia Springs, GA) is a rapper and singer songwriter. He recorded "Old Town Road" feat Billy Ray Cyrus which spent 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs chart at the #1 spot, becoming the longest running #1 song since 1958. Released in the spring of 2019, the hit became diamond certified by November 2019. His song "Title 7" peaked at #5 and "Rodeo" peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs chart. Lil Nas X was the most nominated at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020, winning awards Best Video and Best Pop/Duo Performance.

Michelle Malone from Atlanta, GA is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer whose music is informed by roots rock, blues, folk and Georgia soul. She's performed and/or recorded with Chuck Leavell, Gregg Allman, John Mayer, Indigo Girls, Drivin' N Cryin', ZZ Top and others. Clive Davis signed her to Arista Records. Malone has released over a dozen records throughout her career. She received two Grammy nominations for her work and was awarded two Grammys for her songs recorded by Indigo Girls.

Russell Malone was a jazz guitarist from Albany, GA. Malone was with Jimmy Smith two years and Harry Connick, Jr. three years before becoming the guitarist for the Diana Krall Trio (15 million albums sold worldwide). He performed on three Grammy nominated albums, with the album When I Look In Your Eyes by Diana Krall winning a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal. He has toured and done session work with numerous recording artists -  Touring with Ron Carter, Roy Hargrove, and Dianne Reeves and has done session work with Kenny Barron, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Jack McDuff, Mulgrew Miller, and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson.

Curtis Mayfield (Atlanta, GA) was a singer, songwriter & producer  of soul music. Like many music artists he sang gospel music he learned in church. He was vocalist with The Impressions before becoming a solo artist.  He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Soul Train Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 

Marilyn McCoo was a soul R & B singer born in New Jersey, but spent her first seven years in Columbus, GA. Her family moved to Los Angeles, CA. At age 15 she made her television debut on the Art Linkletter Show. In the mid 1960's she was a member of the Hi-Fi's opening for Ray Charles. She met Billy Davis, Jr in 1966 and joined the 5th Dimension who's known for their first hit "Up, Up and Away". The song won four Grammy Awards in 1968. 

Blind Willie McTell was a blues and ragtime singer, songwriter and guitarist. McTell was born in Thomason, GA and played the streets in several cities across Georgia including Atlanta and Augusta. His first recording was in 1927 on Victor Records. He wrote "Statesboro Blues" which was recorded and made famous by The Allman Brothers. He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1990.

Monica Denise Arnold (formerly Brown; born October 24, 1980) is a singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir at the age of ten. Monica rose to prominence after she signed with Rowdy Records in 1993 and released her debut album Miss Thang two years later. She followed it with a series of successful albums, including the global bestseller The Boy Is Mine (1998) as well as the number-one albums After the Storm (2003), The Makings of Me (2006) and Still Standing (2010). Throughout her career, several of Monica's singles became number-one hits on the pop and R&B charts, including "Before You Walk Out of My Life", "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)", "Like This and Like That", "The Boy Is Mine" (with Brandy), "The First Night", "Angel of Mine", "So Gone", and "Everything to Me".

Normani is a singer from Atlanta, Ga and former member of the group Fifth Harmony. She released her first song in February 2018, "Love Lies"  a duet with Khalid, which peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified 5x platinum by the RIAA selling over 5 million copies.

OutKast, from East Point, GA, is a hip hop duo formed in 1992 by Andre "3000" Benjamin and Antoine "Big Boi" Patton. In 1994 their single "Players Ball" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks. Having received six Grammy Awards, the hip hop group is one of the most successful hip hop group of all time. The duo has sold over 25 million records.

Jackie Payne, born in Athens, GA and performing in Atlanta with the Allen Swing Band, was a soul blues singer. In 1965 he recorded his first regional hit, "Go Go Train" when he was 17 years of age. As a result of his hit, he was able to perform with the Stax revue on a 45 city tour with notable artists such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and others. Payne was the lead singer for The Johnny Otis Show for 15 years. He was nominated the Blues Music Award in 2007 and 2008 for Best Male Soul Blues Artist. He performed on Johnny Otis' album, Spirit of the Black Territory Bands, released by Arhoolie Records in November 1992, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Big-Band Jazz Album. He formed the Jackie Payne Steve Edmondson Band in the late 1990's. In 2006, The Jackie Payne Steve Edmondson Band won The Contemporary Blues Award For Best Soul Blues Album, Master of the Game.