Sweet Honey in the Rock founded by Bernice Johnson Reagon
Sweet Honey in the Rock is an all-woman, African-American a cappella ensemble. They are an American three-time Grammy Award–nominated troupe who express their history as black women through song, dance, and sign language.  Originally a four-person ensemble, the group has expanded to five-part harmonies, with a sixth member acting as a sign-language interpreter. Although the members have changed over five decades, the group continues to sing and perform worldwide.Musical career
Sweet Honey in the Rock was founded in 1973 by Bernice Johnson Reagon, who was teaching a vocal workshop with the Washington, D.C. Black Repertory Company. Reagon retired from the group in 2004. The name of the group was derived from a song, based on Psalm 81:16, which tells of a land so rich that when rocks were cracked open, honey flowed from them. Johnson has said that this first song in which four women blended their voices was so powerful, that there was no question what the name of the group should be. The ensemble's most powerful messages are proclaimed through an enormous catalog of songs addressing the world's woes. They are currently occupied with immigration injustices, congressional greed and lack of compassion for citizens, the environmental imbalance, racial issues and women's issues.Sweet Honey in the Rock has received several Grammy Award nominations, including one for their children's album, Still the Same Me which received the Silver Award from the National Association of Parenting Publications. They contributed their version of Lead Belly's "Grey Goose" for from the compilation album Folkways: A Vision Shared which won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album.
Their vocals appeared in a number of animated counting cartoons on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street, and the group was the subject of the 2005 documentary Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice.
The group has ventured through 20 vocalists since its creation. Embarking on a new chapter in their musical journey, Sweet Honey In The Rock now includes four core vocalists—Louise Robinson, Carol Maillard (both founding members), Nitanju Bolade Casel, and Aisha Kahlil. Shirley Childress, an American Sign Language Interpreter, performed live with the group from 1981 until her passing in 2017.Current members
Nitanju Bolade Casel
Aisha Kahlil
Louise Robinson (an original ensemble member)
Carol Lynn Maillard (an original ensemble member)
Barbara Hunt (sign language interpreter)
Rochelle Rice
Christie Dashiell
Romeir Mendez (bassist)Former members
Ysaye Maria Barnwell
Bernice Johnson Reagon (founder)
Shirley Childress Saxton (sign language interpreter) (B.1947-D.2017)
Arnae Batson
Mie
Dianaruthe Wharton
Evelyn Maria Harris
Rosie Lee Hooks
Ayodele Harrington
Ingrid Ellis
Tia Juana Starks
Patricia Johnson
Yasmeen Williams
Laura Sharp
Tulani Jordan Kinard
Helena Coleman
Geraldine Hardin
Akua Opokuwaa
Navasha Daya (special guest for "40 and Fierce Tour")