Maya Angelou's Life in Music

Remembering the late poet's contributions.

Maya Angelou's Life in Music - Today we mourn the loss of one of the greatest poets of all time and to celebrate her memory, BET takes a look at Dr. Maya Angelou's life in music, as she was an inspiration, collaborator and grandmother-like figure to many performers and artists. Read on for a few of her contributions in the world of music. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA) (Photo: AP Photo/File)
Miss Calypso - Unbeknownst to many, Dr. Angelou released a calypso album in 1957 at the age of 29, Miss Calypso. Reissued on CD in 1996, the project featured pop and world influences as well as writing from the future poet and included inspirational tales like "Run Joe," about a man running from the police. (Photo: Gene Lester/Getty Images)
Grammy Winner - Maya Angelou racked up numerous awards and honors throughout her life and three of those include Grammys. In 1993 and 1995, she won Best Spoken Word Or Non-Musical Album for her projects On the Pulse of Morning and Phenomenal Woman. In 2002, she won Best Spoken Word Album for A Song Flung Up to Heaven.(Photo: Random House)A Caged Bird Sings - Alicia Keys definitely drew from Maya Angelou when she released her debut, Songs in A Minor, in 2001. One of the album’s tracks, “Caged Bird,” is a reworking of Maya’s poem of the same name. The song and the poem describe how the entrapped creature turns to music to find solace. (Photo: Timothy Hiatt/FilmMagic)

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Maya Angelou's Life in Music - Today we mourn the loss of one of the greatest poets of all time and to celebrate her memory, BET takes a look at Dr. Maya Angelou's life in music, as she was an inspiration, collaborator and grandmother-like figure to many performers and artists. Read on for a few of her contributions in the world of music. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA) (Photo: AP Photo/File)

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