Unsung

Rick James' family and friends discuss the man behind the frame.

The 2000s usher in not just a decade but a millennium, and the excitement and sense of opportunity that greet their arrival are reflected in the music and an historic election in the years that follow.

The '90s is a decade of triumph and turbulence, as R&B and hip-hop go well beyond crossover to dominate the charts and define mainstream American music, while artists find ways to impact society in ways both serious and playful.

Featuring the story of Hi-Five.

The 1970s arrived on waves of social unrest, with songs that spoke to both protest and affirmation; as the music industry flourished, the '70s grew into a golden age for R&B, bringing social consciousness to the dance floor.

Tony Terry comes onto the music scene with a captivating voice and look that make him a standout in R&B; after the release of his third album, disagreements with management and a secret drug addiction threaten to derail his career and life.

Friends and family celebrate the life and career of music legend Al Jarreau, known as the Acrobat of Scat, who became the first singer to net Grammys for jazz, R&B and pop.

R&B diva Angela Winbush.

For five decades and counting Betty Wright has brought the ``real`` to R&B, with a powerful voice and sassy delivery that produced over ten top twenty hits.

In the late 1990s, Blaque rocked the music industry with a wave of hits, led by their platinum-certified single, ``808``; their journey includes setbacks, including the losses of mentor Left Eye and fellow group member Natina Reed.

The profile of sultry R&B singer Chante Moore.

Canadian-born R&B singer Deborah Cox becomes a star when her breakthrough hit, ``Nobody's Supposed to Be Here,`` tops the R&B charts for 14 weeks in 1998.

Their debut album produces four top singles and Dru Hill seems destined for superstardom, but clashes with their label and each other all but derails their career.

Kenny Lattimore helps spark an R&B revival in the mid 1990s with a smooth sound and a look to match; however, a rocky divorce from singer Chante Moore eventually overshadows his career.

Girl group Klymaxx succeeds in breaking into the boys-only world of R&B in the mid '80s only to fall from grace before achieving superstar success.

Switch, the multi-talented, multi-instrumental Midwestern powerhouse band bursts onto the black music scene as newcomers to the legendary Motown roster in the mid-'70s.

The story of the legendary Teddy Pendergrass.

The Boys are an R&B group made up of brothers Khiry, Hakeem, Tajh, and Bilal Abdulsamad.

The Debarge Family was poised for success before changing musical trends, family squabbles and deadly addictions led to their end.

Features the story of The Emotions.

The Jones Girls, a trio of sisters with some of the silkiest harmonies in the history of soul; Shirley Jones opens up about the journey she shared with her sisters in their rise to soul fame and how she is still carrying on the legacy today.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Fat Joe takes a journey from street gangster to music mogul, and helps put Latino rappers on the map.

The Lost Boyz turned their experiences growing up on the hard streets of Queens into back-to-back gold albums; then tragedy struck, when one member was shot to death, and another got caught up in a robbery spree that put him in prison for decades.

Hip-hop artist Special Ed explodes onto the rap scene in the late 1980s with a unique flow and good looks to match; then, disputes with Special Ed's label lead to legal battles that deal a devastating blow to his career.

Mentored by Dr. Dre, R&B singer Michel'le takes the music scene by storm with her debut album; however, her mentorship and romantic attachments prove costly; after years of silence, Michel'le opens up about life as a survivor of domestic violence.