Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Heroes
Heroes

10 Black Female Legends of Rock and Roll

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Say the phrase “rock and roll” and musical giants like the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin or Bob Dylan may come to mind. Though popularized by white artists, rock is originally a black art form that was born out of  the fusion of jazz, blues and gospel.

Black women musicians, the unknown and the famous alike, have played a significant role in making rock music what it is today. Here is a list of  ten all-time favorite black women musicians who have left their mark on rock and roll.

POLY STYRENE

British punk rocker Poly Styrene (born Marian Joan Elliot-Said) spent her musical career coloring outside of the lines. As Robert Christgau of NPR Music pointed out, Styrene was a black girl innovating a musical genre dominated by white men and a punk who rocked neon colors when black was the reigning fashion trend. She was the front woman of the X-Ray Spex.
BETTY DAVIS
Funk singer Betty Davis was an icon of black girl musical liberation. Known for her daring fashion choices and her brief marriage to music legend Miles Davis, she is credited with greatly influencing Miles artistically and becoming the prototype of the sexually liberated female vocalist. Though Davis is not explicitly a rock and roll artist there can be no doubt that her distinctive voice, which was more of a growl, has influenced rock and roll vocalists to this day.
TINA TURNER
Watching Tina Turner perform in her heyday was like a watching a visual symphony of bouncing hair, sequins, and legs crescendo on stage. And of course there is her voice, that raspy and gut-wrenching instrument that has cemented her status as a vocal titan. She and her ex-husband, the late Ike Turner, once opened for the Rolling Stones in 1969, and covered The Beatles’  “Come Together,” leaving their irrevocable mark on rock and roll history.

BRITTANY HOWARD OF ALABAMA SHAKES

 

There is little doubt that Brittany Howard’s vocals, which are reminiscent of a female Otis Redding, are the fuel behind Alabama Shakes’ recent popularity. Howard and her band mates’ blend of Southern rock and soul have garnered them three Grammy nominations thus far.
ALEXIS BROWN OF STRAIGHT LINE STITCH
“[Straight Line Stitch front woman Alexis Brown] has the voice of an angel, the stage presence of a metal goddess and the looks of a model. Though she’s done away with her trademark colored braids, it’s always been her incredible voice that brings the fans to the shows. Her vocal range is what sets her apart. She can do hardcore and then flip smoothly into a soft melody without batting an eye.” Text by Rustyn Rose of Metalholic.com…
Read More: forharriet.com

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top