1970-2025: Every Black Artist Who Has Performed at Rodeo Houston
March 17, 2025
Source: Frank Micelotta / Getty
In 1931, a small group men met for lunch at the Texas State Hotel with a goal: Preserving the cattle industry along the Texas Gulf Coast area. One year later, The Houston Fat Stock Show and Livestock Exposition was created. One year later, what is now known as The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was born.
RELATED: [RODEO HOUSTON 2025] Here’s the Full Lineup
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Since then the rodeo has grown to include parades, a carnival, cooking competitions and of course.. music. The very first musical act to be featured at the rodeo took place in 1942, when Gene Autry “The Singing Cowboy,” and his majestic horse Champion, trodded onto the scene and kicked off what would become a long-held tradition of featuring a big name act to entertain the crowd.
In 1970, Charley Pride would also make history — becoming the first black entertainer to hit the rodeo soundstage. The decades that followed would see more black entertainers including The Jackson 5, The Isley Brothers, Kool & The Gang, Ray Charles, Bun B, Drake, Beyonce and even a few popular comedians!
As previously reported, the origins of Black cowboys are hard to pinpoint, but according to BlackPast, the earliest evidence of Black people as cattle herders dates back to colonial South Carolina. Slaves were brought to the early colony from what is now Senegal in West Africa, specifically for their unique skill sets.
Click here to read more about Black cowboys,
Scroll below for a look back at the history of black performers at Rodeo Houston.
1970-2025: Every Black Artist Who Has Performed at Rodeo Houston
was originally published on
theboxhouston.com
1. 2024: 50 Cent
Source:Getty
2. 2004: Ashanti
Source:Getty
3. 2004 & 2007: Beyonce
Source:Getty
4. 1990-91: Bill Cosby
Source:Getty
5. 1985: Billy Ocean
Source:Getty
6. 2010: Black Eyed Peas
Source:Getty
7. 1997: Bo Diddley
Source:Getty
8. 2004: Bow Wow
Source:Getty
9. 2000: Boyz II Men
Source:Getty
10. 1999 & 2002: Brian McKnight
Source:Getty
11. 2022-2025: Bun B
Source:Getty
12. 1991: C+C Music Factory
Source:Getty
13. 2019: Cardi B
Source:Getty
14. 2020: Chance the Rapper
Source:Getty
15. 1970, 1972-87, 1989, 1991, 2002: Charley Pride
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16. 2007: Cheetah Girls
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17. 2012: China Anne McClain from A.N.T. Farm with the McClain Sisters
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18. 1992: Color Me Badd
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19. 2009-10, 2016: Darius Rucker
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20. 2001-02: Destiny’s Child
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21. 2001: Diana Ross
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22. 1997: Earth Wind and Fire
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23. 2017: Fifth Harmony
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24. 1991, 1993-94, 2006: Frankie Beverly & Maze
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25. 1994, 1996, 2001, 2009 (with The Pips 1984): Gladys Knight
Source:Getty
26. 1990: James Ingram
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27. 2011: Janet Jackson
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28. 2016: Jason Derulo
Source:2016 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
29. 2008, 2012, 2015: John Legend
Source:Getty
30. 2019, 2022: Kane Brown
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31. 2019, 2022: KC and The Sunshine Band
Source:Getty
32. 2007: Kem
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33. 2022: Khalid
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34. 1982-83, 1986, 1996: Kool & The Gang
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35. 2018: Leon Bridges
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36. 1999: Lionel Richie
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37. 1990: Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
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38. 2003: LL Cool J
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39. 1989, 1998: Luther Vandross
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40. 2004: Marques Houston
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41. 2004 (with Destiny’s Child — 2001-02): Michelle Williams
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42. 1999: Monica
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43. 1995, 2007: Natalie Cole
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44. 2004: Omarion
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45. 1987, 1990, 1992, 2001: Patti LaBelle
Source:R1 Digital
46. 1995: Peabo Bryson
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47. 2006: Raven Symone
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48. 2003: Ray Charles
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49. 1975: Rufus with Chaka Khan
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50. 1993: Sinbad
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51. 2000: Smokey Robinson
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52. 2009: Solange
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53. 1991: Stevie B
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54. 1972-73: The Fifth Dimension
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55. 1985: The Commodores
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56. 1991: The Isley Brothers
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57. 1973-74: The Jackson 5
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58. 1993: The Winans
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59. 2014: Usher
Source:Getty
60. 1988: Zapp (featuring Roger)
Source:Getty
61. 2023: Juvenile & Mannie Fresh
Source:Juvenile & Mannie Fresh
62. 2024: Drake
Source:Drake
63. 2024: Rick Ross
Source:Rick Ross
64. 2024: Nelly
Source:Nelly
65. 2023: 8Ball and MJG
Source:8Ball and MJG
66. 2024: Eve
Source:RODEO HOUSTON
67. 2024: That Mexican OT
Source:That Mexican OT
68. 2024: The Ying Yang Twins
Source:The Ying Yang Twins
69. 2022: Tobe Nwigwe
Source:Tobe Nwigwe
70. 2023: Erykah Badu
Source:Erykah Badu
71. 2022: Lil Keke
Source:Radio One
72. 2022: Slim Thug
Source:Slim Thug
73. 2023: Big KRIT
Source:Big KRIT
74. 2022: Big Mike
Source:Big Mike
75. 2024: DMC
Source:DMC
76. 2022: Devin the Dude
Source:Getty
77. 2023: Yungstar
Source:Yungstar
78. 2022: Z-Ro
Source:Getty
79. 2022: Frankie J and Baby Bash
Source:Frankie J and Baby Bash
80. 2023: David Banner
Source:David Banner
81. 2024: E-40
Source:Radio One Houston
82. 2024: Too Short
Source:Too Short
83. 2022-03: Lil Flip
Source:Lil Flip
84. 2023: Jazze Pha
Source:Jazze Pha
85. 2022: Willie D
Source:Willie D
86. 2022: That Girl LayLay
Source:That Girl LayLay
87. 2023: Cupid
Source:Cupid
88. 2023: Tela
Source:Tela
89. 2023: Scarface
Source:Getty
90. 2023: Chalie Boy
Source:Chalie Boy
91. 2022: H-Town
Source:H-Town
92. 2022: Letoya Luckett
Source:LeToya Luckett
93. 2022: Big Pokey & Paul Wall
Source:Big Pokey & Paul Wall
94. 2025: Keith Sweat
Source:HLSR
95. 2025: Jagged Edge
Source:Radio One
96. 2025: Yolanda Adams
Source:HLSR
97. 2025: Ludacris
Source:HLSR
98. 2025: T.I.
Source:HLSR
99. 2025: Don Toliver
Source:HLSR
100. 2025: Coco Jones
Source:HLSR
