1970-2025: 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 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. 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: The Ying Yang Twins

68. 2022: Tobe Nwigwe

69. 2023: Erykah Badu

70. 2022: Lil Keke

71. 2022: Slim Thug

72. 2023: Big KRIT

73. 2022: Big Mike

74. 2024: DMC

75. 2022: Devin the Dude

76. 2023: Yungstar

77. 2022: Z-Ro

78. 2022: Frankie J and Baby Bash

79. 2023: David Banner

80. 2024: E-40

81. 2024: Too Short

82. 2022-03: Lil Flip

83. 2023: Jazze Pha

84. 2022: Willie D

85. 2022: That Girl LayLay

86. 2023: Cupid

87. 2023: Tela

88. 2023: Scarface

89. 2023: Chalie Boy

90. 1996: Billy D. Washington

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