Queen Bey’s artistry didn’t emerge in a vacuum—it was nurtured by a rich musical legacy rooted in Kansas City, Kansas.
In this episode, we trace the deep cultural and educational foundations that shaped her, from ragtime pioneer Charles Johnson to the groundbreaking music programs at Sumner High School and Western University, the first historically Black college west of the Mississippi.
Historian Curtis Smith and music expert Chuck Haddix reveal how KCK’s unique blend of classical training, gospel, and jazz created a fertile ground for Black excellence in music. Queen Bey inherited this artistry and carried it to the stage, screen, and Broadway, standing on the shoulders of legends like Eva Jessye, Etta Moten Barnett, and Nora Holt.
