Birthday Celebrations — August 20

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on August 20 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Don King

Born August 20, 1931

Boxing promoter and one of the most powerful and controversial figures in modern sports.

King promoted many of boxing’s largest events and worked with champions including Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, and Larry Holmes. His career helped turn heavyweight boxing into global spectacle while also generating major disputes over contracts and fighter compensation.

Isaac Hayes

Full name: Isaac Lee Hayes Jr.

Born August 20, 1942 — died August 10, 2008

Singer, songwriter, composer, producer, actor, and soul music innovator.

Hayes helped define the Stax sound as a songwriter and producer before transforming soul albums with orchestral arrangements, extended grooves, and cinematic scale. His score for Shaft made him the first Black composer to win an Academy Award for an original song.

Leroy Burgess

Born August 20, 1953

Singer, songwriter, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and pioneer of boogie and dance music.

Burgess first gained recognition with Black Ivory and later became a central architect of New York disco, boogie, and post-disco. His layered vocals, keyboards, and production helped create a musical bridge between soul, club culture, and later house music.

Al Roker

Full name: Albert Lincoln Roker Jr.

Born August 20, 1954

Weather presenter, journalist, television host, producer, and author.

Roker became one of America’s most recognizable television personalities through decades on NBC’s Today. His warmth, humor, reporting, and longevity made him a barrier-breaking national presence in broadcast weather and morning television.

KRS-One

Birth name: Lawrence Parker

Born August 20, 1965

Rapper, producer, educator, activist, and cofounder of Boogie Down Productions.

KRS-One helped shape conscious and hardcore hip-hop through Criminal Minded, “My Philosophy,” and “Sound of da Police.” Known as “The Teacha,” he has treated hip-hop as culture, history, education, and a tool for community transformation.

Jamil Walker Smith

Born August 20, 1982

Actor, director, producer, writer, and voice performer.

Smith became widely known as the voice of Gerald Johanssen on Hey Arnold! and later played Ronald Greer on Stargate Universe. His career has moved from child voice acting into dramatic performance and independent filmmaking.

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Wear the history: Isaac Hayes — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.