Every Black Artist Who Has Performed at Rodeo Houston

RELATED: [RODEO HOUSTON 2025] Here’s the Full Lineup RELATED: Every Artist Bun B Has Brought to the Houston Rodeo (2022-24) 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.  

1. 2024: 50 Cent

2. 2004: Ashanti

3. 2004 & 2007: Beyonce

4. 1990-91: Bill Cosby

5. 1985: Billy Ocean

6. 2010: Black Eyed Peas

7. 1997: Bo Diddley

8. 2004: Bow Wow

9. 2000: Boyz II Men

10. 1999 & 2002: Brian McKnight

11. 2022-2025: Bun B

12. 1991: C+C Music Factory

13. 2019: Cardi B

14. 2020: Chance the Rapper

15. 1970, 1972-87, 1989, 1991, 2002: Charley Pride

16. 2007: Cheetah Girls

17. 2012: China Anne McClain from A.N.T. Farm with the McClain Sisters

18. 1992: Color Me Badd

19. 2009-10, 2016: Darius Rucker

20. 2001-02: Destiny's Child

21. 2001: Diana Ross

22. 1997: Earth Wind and Fire

23. 2017: Fifth Harmony

24. 1991, 1993-94, 2006: Frankie Beverly & Maze

25. 1994, 1996, 2001, 2009 (with The Pips 1984): Gladys Knight

26. 1990: James Ingram

27. 2011: Janet Jackson

28. 2016: Jason Derulo

29. 2008, 2012, 2015: John Legend

30. 2019, 2022: Kane Brown

31. 2019, 2022: KC and The Sunshine Band

32. 2007: Kem

33. 2022: Khalid

34. 1982-83, 1986, 1996: Kool & The Gang

35. 2018: Leon Bridges

36. 1999: Lionel Richie

37. 1990: Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

38. 2003: LL Cool J

39. 1989, 1998: Luther Vandross

40. 2004: Marques Houston

41. 2004 (with Destiny's Child — 2001-02): Michelle Williams

42. 1999: Monica

43. 1995, 2007: Natalie Cole

44. 2004: Omarion

45. 1987, 1990, 1992, 2001: Patti LaBelle

46. 1995: Peabo Bryson

47. 2006: Raven Symone

48. 2003: Ray Charles

49. 1975: Rufus with Chaka Khan

50. 1993: Sinbad

51. 2000: Smokey Robinson

52. 2009: Solange

53. 1991: Stevie B

54. 1972-73: The Fifth Dimension

55. 1985: The Commodores

56. 1991: The Isley Brothers

57. 1973-74: The Jackson 5

58. 1993: The Winans

59. 2014: Usher

60. 1988: Zapp (featuring Roger)

61. 2023: Juvenile & Mannie Fresh

62. 2024: Drake

63. 2024: Rick Ross

64. 2024: Nelly

65. 2023: 8Ball and MJG

66. 2024: Eve

67. 2024: That Mexican OT

68. 2024: The Ying Yang Twins

69. 2022: Tobe Nwigwe

70. 2023: Erykah Badu

71. 2022: Lil Keke

72. 2022: Slim Thug

73. 2023: Big KRIT

74. 2022: Big Mike

75. 2024: DMC

76. 2022: Devin the Dude

77. 2023: Yungstar

78. 2022: Z-Ro

79. 2022: Frankie J and Baby Bash

80. 2023: David Banner

81. 2024: E-40

82. 2024: Too Short

83. 2022-03: Lil Flip

84. 2023: Jazze Pha

85. 2022: Willie D

86. 2022: That Girl LayLay

87. 2023: Cupid

88. 2023: Tela

89. 2023: Scarface

90. 2023: Chalie Boy

91. 2022: H-Town

92. 2022: Letoya Luckett

93. 2022: Big Pokey & Paul Wall

94. 2025: Keith Sweat

95. 2025: Jagged Edge

96. 2025: Yolanda Adams

97. 2025: Ludacris

98. 2025: T.I.

99. 2025: Don Toliver

100. 2025: Coco Jones