Although we are grateful to all of the notable women musicians who have lived, we have limited space and featured only ten in this article.
- Florence Price (1887-1953) was the first Black woman to have a composition played by a major orchestra (Chicago, 1939).
- When Billie Holiday (1915-1957) sang “Strange Fruit” in 1939, she was the first Black woman who sang about racial lynching’s in public.
- Aretha Franklin (1942 – 2018) was the first woman of any race to enter the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” in 1987.
- Renée Flemming (1949) is an opera soprano who serves on the board of “Sing for Hope” — a foundation to assist children.
- Gloria Estefan (1957) helped to make Latin music more popular than any other genre in the United States.
- Jennifer Lopez (1969) broke many ethnic barriers for Latinos in Hollywood and is considered the most influential Latin American musician in North America.
- Midori Got? (1971) is a violinist born in Japan who moved with her mother to the United States when she was 11. She was named “Messenger of Peace” by the United Nations in 2012 for her work with children.
- Beyoncé Knowles (1981) is the most awarded female artist of all time.
- Esmeralda Spalding (1984) is a world-famous bassist who studied at Berklee and now teaches music at Berklee and Harvard.
- Stephani Germanotta (1986) is better known as Lady Gaga. In her youth, she made a plan to separate her life from her fame. It seems impossible, but when this famous singer and gay-rights activist in the street, no one recognizes her.
Mike & Paula
Meadowood Music
