1970-2026: Every Black Artist Who Has Performed at Rodeo Houston - Page 8
Source: Frank Micelotta / Getty
Updated January 9th, 2026
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. One year later, The Houston Fat Stock Show and Livestock Exposition was created and what is now known as The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo began to take shape.
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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 big name acts 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!
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. 2026: Lizzo
Lizzo houston,events
35. 1982-83, 1986, 1996: Kool & The Gang
36. 2018: Leon Bridges
37. 1999: Lionel Richie
38. 1990: Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
39. 2003: LL Cool J
40. 1989, 1998: Luther Vandross
41. 2004: Marques Houston
42. 2004 (with Destiny's Child — 2001-02): Michelle Williams
43. 1999: Monica
44. 1995, 2007: Natalie Cole
45. 2004: Omarion
46. 1987, 1990, 1992, 2001: Patti LaBelle
47. 1995: Peabo Bryson
48. 2006: Raven Symone
49. 2003: Ray Charles
50. 1975: Rufus with Chaka Khan
51. 2026: Shaboozey
52. 1993: Sinbad
53. 2000: Smokey Robinson
54. 2009: Solange
55. 1991: Stevie B
56. 1972-73: The Fifth Dimension
57. 1985: The Commodores
58. 1991: The Isley Brothers
59. 1973-74: The Jackson 5
60. 1993: The Winans
61. 2014: Usher
62. 1988: Zapp (featuring Roger)
63. 2023: Juvenile & Mannie Fresh
64. 2024: Drake
65. 2024: Rick Ross
66. 2024: Nelly
67. 2023: 8Ball and MJG
68. 2024: Eve
69. 2024: That Mexican OT
70. 2024: The Ying Yang Twins
71. 2022: Tobe Nwigwe
72. 2023: Erykah Badu
73. 2022: Lil Keke
74. 2022: Slim Thug
75. 2023: Big KRIT
76. 2022: Big Mike
77. 2024: DMC
78. 2022: Devin the Dude
79. 2023: Yungstar
80. 2022: Z-Ro
81. 2022: Frankie J and Baby Bash
82. 2023: David Banner
83. 2024: E-40
84. 2024: Too Short
85. 2022-03: Lil Flip
86. 2023: Jazze Pha
87. 2022: Willie D
88. 2022: That Girl LayLay
89. 2023: Cupid
90. 2023: Tela
91. 2023: Scarface
92. 2023: Chalie Boy
93. 2022: H-Town
94. 2022: Letoya Luckett
95. 2022: Big Pokey & Paul Wall
96. 2025: Keith Sweat
97. 2025: Jagged Edge
98. 2025: Yolanda Adams
99. 2025: Ludacris
100. 2025: T.I.
101. 2025: Don Toliver
102. 2025: Coco Jones
1970-2026: Every Black Artist Who Has Performed at Rodeo Houston - Page 8 was originally published on theboxhouston.com
