I feel ashamed. Embarrassed. Incomplete. 

How have I not heard of her and her songs until now? 

I realize I can’t possibly stay aware of every musician, regardless of gender. And there will never be enough time in the day to listen to every new song released by men or women. I wish. 

But it amazes me that there are such prolific, pioneering, and trend-setting musicians playing such heartfelt music I’ve never heard.  

And they happen to be women. 

Growing up, I certainly heard inspiring women shred and sing their souls out on the radio. It takes me back to the 1970s when I fell in love with that decade’s solid wall of sound while playing in the sand at the lake.  

Women made up that soundtrack, of course. Ann and Nancy Wilson from the band, Heart. Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac. Maxine Nightingale, the British pop singer with the one-hit wonder, “Right Back Where We Started From.” 

As my taste in music expanded during the ‘80s, so did the list of females I heard. Madonna. Annie Lennox of The Eurythmics. The Go-Gos. Blondie. Shannon. Janet Jackson. Roxanne Shante. Salt N Pepa. Queen Latifah. MC Lyte. 

But, over the years - and to this day - I feel like there aren’t enough female artists feeding my ears. 

How could that be? Am I not searching for enough women in music? Is my streaming algorithm picking up on that neglect and feeding me fewer female voices? Or do I simply need to be more intentional with the music I seek and amp up my mix of music created by women? 

I’m pretty sure it’s the latter. 

So my goal is to shine a brighter light on the women that have created beautiful music that moves me in some way. Past or present. Solo artists. Bands. Singers. Instrumentalists. Songs I love. Albums I adore. Women I’ve seen perform. Women I’ve performed with. 

I'm calling this series of my blog, “A Celebration of Women in Music”. 

My hope is if they’re noteworthy to me, they may be noteworthy to you.  

And vice versa, of course. So if you’ve discovered a favorite female artist in music I, feel free to reach out to me.

Until then, let’s start with a hidden gem: the incomparable Shirley Scott.