The term rhythm & blues was coined by Billboard magazine reporter Jerry Wexler in the 1940s to replace the designation "race music"— the catch-all phrase used to denote a blues — and gospel-inspired form of music played by African-Americans since the 1930s. Rhythm and blues foreshadowed the advent of rock & roll (born of equal parts R&B, country and Tin Pan Alley) and evolved into soul in the 1960s and funk in the 1970s. Contemporary R&B is a form of popular music that integrates elements of hip hop and electro. R&B's rich musical lineage includes the likes of James Brown, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.
More about the history of R&B/Soul/Funk.
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