Philadelphia, PA
- There would have been no 1970s soul, no R&B, no disco, without Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the inventors of the Sound of Philadelphia. One of the most critical moves Gamble and Huff made was to differentiate their sound from Motown’s by incorporating strings, horns, and harps—courtesy of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Founded in 1900, The Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the world’s most significant classical music organizations, and one of the most prolific recordings acts in history.
Philadelphia Music History
Other major music names have hailed from Philadelphia. Think Chubby Checker, Hall & Oates and Patti LaBelle, and more recently, The Roots, Will Smith, Pink, The Dead Milkmen, Chill Moody, and Kurt Vile.
The city also had played host to significant music events in the past, including Live Aid in 1985 and Live 8 in 2005. Today, artists of all genres entertain crowds at large and intimate venues and during music events, such as the Roots Picnic, Made in America and Wawa Welcome America’s free Fourth of July concert.
