You donโt have to look hard to find Black female celebrities in todayโs culture. Stars like Beyoncรฉ and Rihanna are music industry hitmakers, while actresses like Viola Davis and Quinta Brunson dazzle on the big and small screens.ย
However, you canโt fully celebrate the iconic Black celebrity women of today without acknowledging and honoring those who walked before them and paved the way. Look at some of the most famous female Black celebrities over 70 and the legacies theyโve built.ย
The timeless legacy of Black female celebrities over 70
You may have heard the phrase, โThey walked so we could run,โ before. Itโs especially relevant as we dive into the lives of some of the most famous older Black actresses, singers, writers and activists.ย
These women of color accomplished incredible things, like delivering powerful performances that racked up numerous awards and exceeded expectations at the box office or releasing singles that spent weeks on the charts โ acts that are all noteworthy on their own. Whatโs more impressive, though, is that many of these influential people managed to find success in a time where racial and gender biases kept the odds stacked against them.ย
The same talents, resilience and dedication that helped these Black women change the game in the past have solidified their statuses as timeless icons. Every generation that has followed can look to them as sources of inspiration and motivation.
Profiles of iconic Black female celebrities over 70
Here are some of the most famous female Black celebrities over 70. Their accomplishments span several industries. While some helped put Motown on the map, others had breakthrough roles we still talk about today.ย
1. Cicely Tyson (1924-2021)
If there was a strong Black woman to be portrayed on stage, screen or TV, Cicely Tyson (1924-2021) was often called upon to do it. Tyson had a reputation for refusing to take roles that demeaned Black people and, unfortunately, often went without work because of it.
However, her commitment to shattering stereotypes and portraying women of color with dignity paid off. Throughout her seven-decade career, Tyson earned many recognitions, including double Emmy Awards at the 1974 ceremony for one of her most famous roles as the titular character in the television film โThe Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.โ
2. Diana Ross
While many call Diana Ross โMiss Ross,โ she named herself โThe Bossโ with the release of her ninth studio album in 1979. Considering Rossโs long list of achievements before and after that albumโs release, itโs safe to say her self-anointed nickname was appropriate.ย
Ross first rose to fame as lead singer of girl group The Supremes, and when she left to go solo in 1970, she became even more popular. Throughout her career, Ross racked up six Billboard Hot 100 Number Ones, 12 Billboard Top 10 Hits, the Kennedy Center Honors and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Ross even took her talents to the screen in films like โThe Wizโ andย โLady Sings the Bluesโย and passed her acting chops down to her daughter,ย Tracee Ellis Ross, whoโs known for her coveted roles in sitcoms like โGirlfriendsโ and โblack-ish.โย
3. Tina Turner (1939-2023)
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Tina Turner, a.k.a. The Queen of Rock โn Roll, rose to fame with her husband Ike Turner. The duo had several hits under their belt. Their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revivalโs โProud Maryโ is perhaps the most famous. But after years of abuse, Turner filed for divorce and began pursuing a solo career.
Her first attempts to go alone were unsuccessful. However, in one last-ditch effort to save her career, she released โPrivate Dancer,โ the album that would propel her to stardom and be called one of musicโs most impressive comebacks.
By her death in 2023, Turner had amassed nine solo studio albums and several awards, one of which was being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. She is one of only three women to hold that honor.
4. Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)
Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is known for her powerful performances in gospel, pop, R&B and soul. Throughout her career, Franklin released hit after hit โ โRespect,โ โThinkโ and โ(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Womanโ are among her most popular tunes.ย
During her career, which lasted until she died in 2018, Franklin made music history several times. In 1977, she set the record for most appearances by a female artist on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. She held this record until 2017, when Nicki Minaj surpassed Franklinโs 73 Hot 100 hits. Her other notable career highlights include winning eight consecutive Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Grammy Awards from 1968 to 1975 and becoming the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
5. Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight is best known as the lead singer of Gladys Knight & The Pips, a Motown group responsible for the beloved tune โMidnight Train to Georgia.โ However, Knight shines even without The Pips, having found success as both a solo musician and an actress.ย
Dubbed the Empress of Soul, Knightโs career began in 1960, when she was just 16 years old, and remains active today. She boasts over 38 albums, a host of TV and film credits and seven Grammy Awards. Knight also received the National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden in 2021.
6. Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle makes the question, โHow old is old?โ hard to answer. At 80, the Godmother of Soul just set out on another tour.
Patti LaBelleโs career spans six decades, beginning in the โ70s with a trio called Labelle. Though the group eventually found success with โLady Marmalade,โ they split, and LaBelle took off on her own.ย
As a soloist, LaBelle is one of musicโs most respected vocalists, having earned multiple Grammys, a World Music Award, an American Music Award, a Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award and BETโs 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Over the years, LaBelle has become involved with non-music business ventures, including launching a food line based on her recipes and partnering with the American Diabetes Association to advocate for people, especially Black ones, with diabetes.
7. Ruby Dee (1922-2014)
Ruby Dee was a Black actress, writer and activist who stepped into the limelight just as Hollywood began allowing Black actors to portray substantial, non-stereotypical characters. Though her first big film role was in 1950, and several others followed, Dee wouldnโt receive her first Oscar nomination until 2007 for her performance in โAmerican Gangsterโ alongside Denzel Washington.ย
Dee continued acting well into the 21st century. All the while, she advocated for racial equality during the Civil Rights movement and wrote. Her writing credits include a book with her husband detailing their half-century marriage, a one-woman show, screenplays and a book musical called โTake It From the Top!โ
8. Angela Davis
While others rose to prominence on the silver screen or concert stage, Angela Davisโs notoriety came from her work in the activism space. Davis is best known for advocating for Black prisoners, as seen through her interest in the Soledad Brothers in the 1970s. Davis landed a spot on the FBIโs most wanted list and, ultimately, served 18 months in jail for her interest in the brothers and alleged involvement with their attempted escape.
Davis was acquitted of all charges and, upon her release, continued her activist efforts, focusing primarily on fighting against racism, patriarchal oppression, war, incarceration and the death penalty. Davis has authored a dozen books and boasts a long teaching career. Currently, she is a Distinguished Professor Emerita in the University of California Santa Cruzโs Humanities Division.
9. Oprah Winfrey
Itโs hard to deny thatย Oprah Winfrey gets more vibrant with age. Her career began in 1976, and sheโs been going strong ever since, connecting with audiences just as well as she had when her talk show, โThe Oprah Winfrey Show,โย debuted. It ran for 25 years and earned numerous awards, including 16 Daytime Emmys, and was the highest-rated talk show in history.
Winfrey wears other hats besides talk show hostess โ entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, actress and producer are a few others. In each of these areas, Winfrey has managed to hit several noteworthy milestones. A few of them include making her acting debut in โThe Color Purpleโ in 1985, becoming the first Black female woman on Forbesโs โWorldโs Richest Peopleโ list in 2003 and opening a school for underprivileged girls in South Africa in 2007.
10. Grace Jones
Many know Grace Jones only as a model โ she and her unique, androgynous look have graced magazine covers and strutted down runways wearing designer clothing many times. However, sheโs a multi-hyphenate celebrity with musical talent and acting skills, not to mention a symbol of empowerment and individuality, thanks to her confidence in sporting a look that was uncommon at the time.ย
Jones, who was Andy Warholโs muse, became known as a musician in the international club scene during the 1970s, and her music career grew from there. One of her most famous tracks was โPull Up to the Bumper,โ a post-disco dance ditty that became a Top 5 single on the U.S. R&B chart.ย
Jonesโs career also branched into the movie industry, and the Jamaican-born celebrity appeared in films likeย Conan the Destroyerย alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger andย Vamp.
Celebrating the legacy of Black female icons
The next time you pay homage to the modern Black celebrity women you admire, donโt forget to acknowledge those who came before them. Had famous black female celebritiesโ like those listed above not created seats for themselves at the table, their successors may not have known they were welcome to sit, too.
