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The Quiet Storm: A Historical and Cultural Analysis of the Power, Passion, and Pain of R&B Groups
USA Today Bestseller
2025 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Non-Fiction - Music/Entertainment
From hits to history, explore the impact of R&B’s iconic groups that shaped our culture.R&B groups once dominated the airwaves, shaping generations with their rhythms. But as the industry evolved, these iconic voices vanished from the charts, leaving music lovers to What happened? DJ and music historian Amani Roberts unravels the mystery behind the rise, influence, and decline of Black R&B groups. Drawing from extensive industry knowledge, Roberts offers an insider’s look into the evolution of the genre, spanning from the 1950s to the early 2000s—from chart-topping hits and cultural revolutions to the hidden dynamics behind the music.
Discover the untold stories and memorable rhythms behind the R&B groups that laid the foundation for today’s music. From the soulful melodies of the 1960s to the funk-infused beats of the 1980s, explore how these groups drove social change, influenced popular culture, and battled the changing tides of the music business as technology shifted how music was made. Roberts explains why these acts were left behind—and what can be done to bring their legacy back.
Inside, you’ll history from the 1950s to the early 2000s, highlighting over 60 iconic groups and their impact, from The Drifters to Destiny’s Child.The untold stories behind the hits and the hidden struggles these groups faced.A critical look at the music industry’s transformation from the rise of hip-hop to the shift to music streaming and how it reshaped R&B forever.Behind-the scenes stories of industry politics, from record label disputes to racial segregation policies that affected the careers and success of legendary groups.Forward-looking ideas on how the legacy of R&B groups can be revived in today’s music.Perfect for R&B enthusiasts, music historians, and anyone who has ever felt the pull of a soulful ballad, The Quiet Storm is more than a walk through musical history. Filled with personal anecdotes and emotional stories, this definitive guide will help music lovers rediscover the magic that made R&B music unforgettable.
2025 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Non-Fiction - Music/Entertainment
From hits to history, explore the impact of R&B’s iconic groups that shaped our culture.R&B groups once dominated the airwaves, shaping generations with their rhythms. But as the industry evolved, these iconic voices vanished from the charts, leaving music lovers to What happened? DJ and music historian Amani Roberts unravels the mystery behind the rise, influence, and decline of Black R&B groups. Drawing from extensive industry knowledge, Roberts offers an insider’s look into the evolution of the genre, spanning from the 1950s to the early 2000s—from chart-topping hits and cultural revolutions to the hidden dynamics behind the music.
Discover the untold stories and memorable rhythms behind the R&B groups that laid the foundation for today’s music. From the soulful melodies of the 1960s to the funk-infused beats of the 1980s, explore how these groups drove social change, influenced popular culture, and battled the changing tides of the music business as technology shifted how music was made. Roberts explains why these acts were left behind—and what can be done to bring their legacy back.
Inside, you’ll history from the 1950s to the early 2000s, highlighting over 60 iconic groups and their impact, from The Drifters to Destiny’s Child.The untold stories behind the hits and the hidden struggles these groups faced.A critical look at the music industry’s transformation from the rise of hip-hop to the shift to music streaming and how it reshaped R&B forever.Behind-the scenes stories of industry politics, from record label disputes to racial segregation policies that affected the careers and success of legendary groups.Forward-looking ideas on how the legacy of R&B groups can be revived in today’s music.Perfect for R&B enthusiasts, music historians, and anyone who has ever felt the pull of a soulful ballad, The Quiet Storm is more than a walk through musical history. Filled with personal anecdotes and emotional stories, this definitive guide will help music lovers rediscover the magic that made R&B music unforgettable.
504 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 18, 2025
4 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Amani Roberts
7 books8 followersAmani Roberts is an internationally renowned speaker, author, and DJ specializing in awakening creativity within hospitality and music professionals through his blend of music and nostalgia. He has addressed thousands at programs with Meeting Professionals International, California State Universities, 7-Eleven, Taco Bell, and Berklee College of Music, covering creativity, music, and live podcasting.
Amani’s career began in California’s music scene, creating podcasts and DJing in bars and clubs. He honed his skills at Scratch Academy in Los Angeles, launching his global DJ career. He has co-released three remix EPs, runs a corporate DJ business, and hosted The Amani Experience Podcast. He also co-hosts Adventures in Business, a podcast and live-streaming show, sharing insights and engaging with a global audience.
Amani has collaborated with industry giants like Marriott, Forbes, Chartmetric, and AHLA, earning recognition such as MPI Top 50 Up & Comers Professional, three-time Marriott Chairman’s Circle Winner, 2024 Meetings Today Trendsetter, and BizBash Top 500 (2020). His insights have been featured in People, Yahoo! Finance, Forbes, and the Los Angeles Times.
He was the first African American president of MPI Southern California in 45 years and is a member of the National Speakers Association (national and Las Vegas chapters). He also serves on the California State University Hospitality Alliance Advisory Board. An award-winning professor at CSU Fullerton, he teaches music business in the College of Business and Economics.
Amani holds a master’s in music business from Berklee College of Music and a BBA from Howard University. He is the author of DJs Mean Business (2020) and The Quiet Storm (2025), exploring entertainment, business, and culture. His innovative approach positions him as a leading expert in the hospitality and music business landscape.
Learn more at https://www.amaniexperience.com.
Amani’s career began in California’s music scene, creating podcasts and DJing in bars and clubs. He honed his skills at Scratch Academy in Los Angeles, launching his global DJ career. He has co-released three remix EPs, runs a corporate DJ business, and hosted The Amani Experience Podcast. He also co-hosts Adventures in Business, a podcast and live-streaming show, sharing insights and engaging with a global audience.
Amani has collaborated with industry giants like Marriott, Forbes, Chartmetric, and AHLA, earning recognition such as MPI Top 50 Up & Comers Professional, three-time Marriott Chairman’s Circle Winner, 2024 Meetings Today Trendsetter, and BizBash Top 500 (2020). His insights have been featured in People, Yahoo! Finance, Forbes, and the Los Angeles Times.
He was the first African American president of MPI Southern California in 45 years and is a member of the National Speakers Association (national and Las Vegas chapters). He also serves on the California State University Hospitality Alliance Advisory Board. An award-winning professor at CSU Fullerton, he teaches music business in the College of Business and Economics.
Amani holds a master’s in music business from Berklee College of Music and a BBA from Howard University. He is the author of DJs Mean Business (2020) and The Quiet Storm (2025), exploring entertainment, business, and culture. His innovative approach positions him as a leading expert in the hospitality and music business landscape.
Learn more at https://www.amaniexperience.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 23, 2025
A thoughtfully researched book.
Mr. Roberts has compiled an enjoyable and well thought out overview of R&B groups, spanning from the 1950’s and through the beginning of the 21st century. Each group highlighted is given their own vignette and these small slices are jam packed with information. My only criticism, is that I was hoping that Mr. Roberts would have dug deeper into the roots of R&B. Perhaps he will in a future book? If he does, I will definitely read it.
Mr. Roberts has compiled an enjoyable and well thought out overview of R&B groups, spanning from the 1950’s and through the beginning of the 21st century. Each group highlighted is given their own vignette and these small slices are jam packed with information. My only criticism, is that I was hoping that Mr. Roberts would have dug deeper into the roots of R&B. Perhaps he will in a future book? If he does, I will definitely read it.
October 3, 2025
I needed a book to read and saw this one on the shelf and I love my rnb groups so I thought I would give this a read. The author talks about the rise and then fall of rnb groups from the 50s all the way to the 2000s from the Commodores to Atlantic Starr, En Vogue to the Isley Brothers, New Edition to The Drifters - over 60 acts are showcased in 2 to 3 pages with a ranking of all their songs on the Billboard charts. This was a great read in that I learned some things: 2004 was the last time a true rnb group (Destiny's Child) dominated the airwaves (Silk Sonic is mentioned as a possible exception), a quick history of Napster to LimeWire to mp3s to the Ipod, Gladys Knight and a guy named Bobby Vancouver were the impetus for the Jacksons and ultimately Michael Jackson being discovered, Carole King wrote many of The Ronettes earlier songs, Jimi Hendrix was the guitarist for the Isley Brothers before he found solo fame and a cool story about Farrah Fawcett being the inspiration behind "Midnight Train to Georgia". A fun, interesting and fast read if you enjoy history or rnb or both.
August 15, 2025
Book 21 of 2025. 4 out of 5 stars.
This book was a solid read. While there were typos and spelling errors here and there, I did enjoy reading about R&B groups (majority of them I already knew beforehand). It was cool to also read the author’s favorite samples from the groups and the songs listed at the end of each section. I wish information about the groups discussed were in depth, but I was satisfied. I appreciated the tail end of the book on why R&B groups are not in the forefront; from the extinction of printed Black magazines such as Vibe, Ebony, and Essence to the Great Recession of 2008 as well as streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify.
All in all, solid, great book.
This book was a solid read. While there were typos and spelling errors here and there, I did enjoy reading about R&B groups (majority of them I already knew beforehand). It was cool to also read the author’s favorite samples from the groups and the songs listed at the end of each section. I wish information about the groups discussed were in depth, but I was satisfied. I appreciated the tail end of the book on why R&B groups are not in the forefront; from the extinction of printed Black magazines such as Vibe, Ebony, and Essence to the Great Recession of 2008 as well as streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify.
All in all, solid, great book.
March 17, 2025
A very enjoyable read.
I grew up with the R & B groups of the 1950s so I enjoyed reading about them and going back on YouTube and listening to their songs. It's a pretty comprehensive book.
I grew up with the R & B groups of the 1950s so I enjoyed reading about them and going back on YouTube and listening to their songs. It's a pretty comprehensive book.
January 1, 2026
4.3. Good book and fun to read for the music lover.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews