ACROBAT

Along with Bessie Smith, Gertrude "Ma" Rainey has come to be recognised as one of the towering figures of early blues, pioneering the recording of blues by female artists during the earliest years of...

Marvin Rainwater is an artist whose roots and primary career in the USA are in the country and rockabilly market, but who had his biggest chart success with what was hailed as a rock 'n' roll record...

Johnnie Ray was one of the few singers who successfully bridged the creative and commercial gap between traditional early '50s pop and the rock 'n' roll era, which he achieved with a string of...

Jimmy Reed was a hugely influential figure of the blues and R&B scene during the 1950s and early '60s, not only for the fact that he brought his distinctive style of electric blues to mainstream...

Della Reese is one of those artists whose talent transcends the genres, and she has ensured herself a showbiz career of remarkable longevity and breadth through her ability to perform jazz, R&B,...

Jim Reeves - widely known as "Gentleman Jim" - was one of the most successful and important country artists of the 1950s and early '60s, his rich, velvet voice bringing a unique sound and style,...

Leo Reisman was a violinist and bandleader whose orchestra initially came to popularity in the 1920s as a society orchestra performing at New York's Central Park Casino, becoming one of the first...

Born Alvin McBurney in California in 1908, guitarist Alvino Rey played with the orchestras of Ev Jones and Phil Spitalny during the 1930s, changing his name to take advantage of the popularity of...

Jazz drummer Buddy Rich is famous as one of the most extrovert and impressive instrumentalists of his day, known for his virtuoso technique, power and speed, and one of the most influential drummers...

Nelson Riddle was one of great arranger/conductors of the post-war era, who also excelled as a musician and composer. He was legendarily associated with Frank Sinatra during his golden period when he...

Tex Ritter was one of the first "singing cowboys", a singer and actor who started out singing on radio in Texas in the 1920s, soon moving to New York to appear on radio and on Broadway. He made his...

Marty Robbins is undoubtedly best-known for the crossover country/pop hits like "El Paso" and "Devil Woman" that he enjoyed on both sides of the Atlantic and which came from his landmark "Gunfighter...