thanks for the fuckin dirt babe

Louis Jordan, saxophonist and singer who created the fluid swing rhythms that would go on to infuse rock music:

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, guitarist and gospel singer who introduced the electric guitar to gospel and was the mother of rock'n'roll:

Little Richard, singer and pianist who sped up the tempo of blues into the iconic sound of '50's rock, and whose legendary wail Paul McCartney has said many times inspired him to start belting songs rather than just crooning them:

Big Mama Thornton, whose song Hound Dog catapulted Elvis to stardom (and for which she was only ever paid $100):

Fats Domino, whose Ain't That A Shame has featured in practically every movie set in the 50's and was the first song the Beatles learned to play as a group. The Beatles met Fats in 1964 on their first U.S. tour, and gushed over him to such an extent that he later covered three of their songs, earning himself one more charting single with 'Lady Madonna'. (Asked what it was like to meet the Beatles, he responded "the Beatles met me!")

Chuck Berry, guitar virtuoso who along with Little Richard solidified the early 'rock star' persona and was one of John and Paul's idols:

Bo Diddley, inventor of the "Bo Diddley beat" that defined rock music for years:

Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup, called the father to rock'n'roll for his unique blues style that would morph into a staple of rock. His song 'That's Alright Mama' joined 'Hound Dog' in building Elvis' career:

And while Jimi Hendrix is a contemporary of the Beatles rather than a predecessor, he's nonetheless one of the Black visionaries who helped make rock music the powerhouse it became though his godly guitar skills. Paul McCartney recognized his genius and got him a performance slot at the hugely influential 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, kickstarting Hendrix's career in his native North America. Here's 'Machine Gun' from Hendrix's 1970 live album:

@mylonghairedladyy is absolutely right and that calls for

PART TWO!! More Black genius that helped change the world 💖

The Shirelles singing Boys, which Ringo covered in the Beatles' early concerts:

Mary Wells, whom the Beatles publicly endorsed and invited to perform with them in England, as the TV announcer says in this broadcast:

The Supremes, one of the top girl groups and which gave Diana Ross her start:

The Ronettes, another top group who became pretty good friends with The Beatles in the touring years:

The Crystals:

While we're touring Motown, let's take fond leave of the wonderful girl groups and hear some equally influential legends, such as Marvin Gaye:

Otis Redding:

Sam Cooke (for the love of God listen to this live performance right now, it's fucking electrifying and one of my favorite recordings of all time):

And of course the inimitable Stevie Wonder, who had a "mutual appreciation society" with Paul McCartney starting in the mid 60s when Wonder toured Britain (they'd get together at clubs and complement each other into the wee hours):

Bonus: I left out the Coasters in the OP because they weren't technically a rock n roll group, but they guided the teenage Beatles to stardom as much as anyone else on this list: