Trivia: A soul singer of great power and sensitivity, best known for singing with the Pips, Gladys Knight has also appeared (in small roles) as an actress in two feature films, Pipe Dreams (1976) and Twenty Bucks (1993).

Trivia: Widely hailed as one of the greatest urban music discoveries of the new millennium, glamorous R&B recording sensation Ashanti entered the public eye thanks, in large part, to the efforts of record mogul Irv Gotti, the powerhouse also responsible for launching Ja Rule's career. Such albums as Chapter II, Concrete Rose, and The Declaration sold an unholy number of copies in a brief span of time, ensuring superstardom for the ascendant diva. In actuality, however, the young woman -- born Ashanti S. Douglas -- had already established a viable presence in a key number of theatrically released feature films and telemovies long prior to her 2002 debut album. She received her formal training in dance at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center, and made one of her earliest television appearances as a dancer, at age nine, in the Phylicia Rashad-headlined musical update of Pollyanna, Polly (1989). Bit parts in feature films ensued, including Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992) and Ted Demme's Who's the Man? (1993). Unsurprisingly, Ashanti's acting career received a boost from musical stardom; she landed small roles in the quasi-Bollywood comedy Bride and Prejudice (2004) and the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer before tackling her first lead, as Dorothy Gale, in the made-for-television special The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005). Ashanti then rose to higher billing with plum roles in the teen sex comedy John Tucker Must Die (2006) and the action-filled video-game adaptation Resident Evil: Extinction (2007).

Trivia: Grew up in San Diego, California.Studied at Valencia Park Elementary School.Stevie Wonder introduced her to Adrian Gurvitz, who would later co-produce her debut album.Published unplugged covers and mashups on her YouTube channel, which became very popular.The second actor to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Billie Holiday.

Trivia: One of the most popular African-American comedians of the late 1990s, TV star turned screen actor Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop in the small town of Terrell, Texas, on December 13, 1967. Foxx was raised by his grandparents after his parents separated. He enjoyed a happy upbringing, going to church every day with his grandparents and excelling at everything from academics to music to football. During his teen years he had his first taste of the entertainment business as his church's choir director and music director, and also started his own R&B band. Foxx studied music while a student at the U.S. International University in San Diego; it was during his college days that he got his start as a stand-up comedian. Attending a comedy club one night with some friends, he was encouraged to take the stage and perform some impersonations, which proved incredibly popular with the audience. Foxx's enthusiastic reception led to his decision to move to L.A. and pursue a comedy career. At the age of 22 he was hired for In Living Color, and he subsequently landed a recurring role on Charles Dutton's sitcom Roc. Foxx eventually broke through onto the big screen with small appearances in movies like The Truth About Cats and Dogs, The Great White Hype, and Booty Call. Foxx's big break in film came in 1999 with Any Given Sunday, and he would henceforth find himself on a short list of bankable dramatic actors in Hollywood. He would go on to star in Michael Mann's Ali and Collateral, before playing legendary musician Ray Charles for the biopic Ray, which found Foxx taking home a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his performance. Foxx would continue to remain a top-tier actor, starring in major films like Stealth, Jarhead, Miami Vice, Dreamgirls, The Soloist, Law Abiding Citizen, Django Unchained, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and the 2014 remake of Annie.

Trivia: Raised by missionary parents, he lived in various cities across the United States before settling in Cleveland, OH. Given the nickname of Machine Gun Kelly for his rapid-fire lyrical delivery. Became the first rapper to win Amateur Night at Harlem's famous Apollo Theater in 2009. Was named MTV News' Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2011, helping to build his fervent fan base. His first studio album Lace Up debuted at the #4 spot on the US Billboard 200 in 2012.

Trivia: Although she never had received any formal vocal training, Glendale, AZ's Jordin Sparks managed to make her way into the final 24 on the sixth season of American Idol. Only 17 at the time of her audition, she was one of that year's youngest competitors; as the competition winded down in May 2007, Sparks found her fiercest competition eliminated, and was eventually crowned the next American Idol. She continued her music career and eventually moved to acting, making her film debut in Sparkle (2012), which was Whitney Houston's film final role. Her next major film role was in 2014's apocalyptic thriller Left Behind.