Sylvia Robinson, the Mother of Hip-Hop

 is remembered today by hip-hop fans as a pioneer of the genre. How did the R&B singer-songwriter once known for her duo Mickey & Sylvia become the "mother of hip-hop?" As the story goes, Sylvia Robinson was out at a club in Harlem one night in 1979. The record label she and her husband owned, Sugar Hill Records, was struggling — they were hoping they could avoid bankruptcy. And they were always open to new sounds that might revitalize the music scene — and their business. Robinson heard the DJ talking rhythmically over the music, and the crowd loved it. She had never heard it before, though it was a common enough sound in the inner city. For a couple of years, MCs like Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow had been putting on live shows that intertwined DJing and rapping in a stream-of-consciousness groove that could last for hours. These raps were becoming a fixture of the club scene, but they hadn't yet been committed to vinyl. Robinson decided it was time to bring this music out of the clubs and onto the radio. Within days, she had assembled a group of amateur rappers — none of whom had met each other before — into the Sugarhill Gang. She brought them into her studio, recorded their raps over a disco beat in a single 15-minute take, and history's first rap record was born.

Nokie Edwards (1935–2018), guitarist for The Ventures

Lead guitarist for the influential instrumental rock band.

Dick Leitsch (1935–2018), pioneering gay rights activist

Pioneering gay rights activist led 1966 “sip-in” protest at New York City bar.

Johnny Majors (1935–2020), legendary Tennessee, Pittsburgh football coach

Johnny Majors was the legendary head football coach at Tennessee and Pittsburgh. He led the Pittsburgh Panthers to an undefeated season and the national championship in 1976.  

Ron Popeil (1935–2021), Ronco founder and infomercial pitchman

Ron Popeil was the founder of Ronco and an inventor known for his informercials for products like the Veg-O-Matic and the Pocket Fisherman.

Ramsey Lewis (1935–2022), Grammy-winning jazz pianist

Ramsey Lewis was a legendary jazz pianist who had a hit in 1965 with “The In Crowd.”

Burny Mattinson (1935–2023), Disney animator for decades

Burny Mattinson was a Disney animator and the company’s longest serving employee, having worked there since 1953.

Kidd Jordan (1935–2023), jazz saxophonist and educator 

Kidd Jordan was a jazz saxophonist and educator who played alongside artists like , , Stevie Wonder, , Cannonball Adderley (1928–1975), and R.E.M., and taught jazz artists such as Wynton and Branford Marsalis, and Donald Harrison.

Jerry Moss (1935–2023), co-founder of A&M Records 

Jerry Moss was a record executive who co-founded A&M Records, for a time the world’s largest independent record company, and was later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Len Chandler (1935–2023), folk and protest musician

Len Chandler was a musician during the 1960s folk revival and protest music scene whose work drew the attention of , , and others.

Albert "Tootie" Heath (1935–2024), giant of jazz percussion 

Albert "Tootie" Heath was a jazz percussionist who played with , , Herbie Hancock, and others, including his own brothers in Heath Brothers.0

Gerry Faust (1935–2024), former Notre Dame football coach

Gerry Faust was head football coach at Notre Dame in the early 1980s, as well as a Hall of Fame high school coach.