I'll take Leo's cues and bold the artists for which my fandom is on par with that of Janet's. I wish I could make this post like a series of roots or branches of a family tree to show where certain artists led me to others. My tastes definitely run older:

Roberta Flack
Dionne Warwick
Diana Ross/The Supremes
Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder
Marvin Gaye
Chaka Khan
Luther Vandross
Jeffrey Osborne
Atlantic Starr
Stephanie Mills
Mary J. Blige
Toni Braxton
Anita Baker
Sade

Rachelle Ferrell
David Benoit
Joe Sample
Nelson Rangell
Dave Koz
David Sanborn
Gerald Albright
Grover Washington Jr.

Ernie Watts
Conrad Johnson
Count Basie
Thelonius Monk
Duke Ellington
Billie Holiday

Erykah Badu
Amel Larrieux
Maxwell
D'Angelo
Aaliyah
Floetry
TLC

Lauryn Hill
The Fugees
Outkast

Jamiroquai
Michael Jackson
Prince
Maze feat. Frankie Beverly
Earth, Wind & Fire
Doobie Bros./Michael McDonald
Chicago
Tears For Fears
Sting / The Police
U2
Queen
2nd Chapter of Acts (a Christian group from the 70's was a combination of Queen's music, Freddie's male vocals and the angelic female vocals of ABBA)
ABBA
The Bee Gees


Jefferson Starship (not to be confused with Jefferson Airplane or Starship, same group of people, but different sounds)
Genesis / Phil Collins
Eric Clapton
Billy Joel (he's one of those artists who I just find myself liking a lot of his songs, but there's not much past that)
Elton John
Hall & Oates
Todd Rundgren
Paul Davis
Jim Croce
James Taylor
Carly Simon
Carole King
Joni Mitchell

The Beatles

Annie Lennox
Journey/Steve Perry :p
Miami Sound Machine/Gloria Estefan
Amy Grant
Sarah McLachlan
PJ Harvey

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