The FEMALE greats.... who's still here?

[Dayo]

A week or two back I started a thread lamenting the fact that all the male giants of soul music seem to have passed on.  I was trying to point out that being a male soul superstar can be hazardous to the health and very few have lived to a grand old age like BB King did.  Bobby Womack made 3 score and 10, but too many others died young or in middle age.  The discussion morphed into a general discussion of great male soul singers who are still with us - regardless of their commercial success.

So let's flip the question and widen it to female soul singers.  I suspect that more have survived - women live longer, don't they?

My personal  favourite is still here - you gotta love Gladys - and so is Aretha.  Who else is still with us?  Let's celebrate them while we can....

[Venus]

Martha Reeves, Brenda Holloway, Kim Weston, Mary Wilson, Darlene Love, Betty Lavette, Chris Clark, Jean Terrell, Thelma Houston, Kiki Dee 

[Mike Lofthouse]

The (Soul) Queen of New Orleans herself - Irma Thomas,  Barbara Lynn, and Patti Labelle.  Even Betty Harris is still going strong.  Ann Sexton was fantastic at Wilton.

I think the ladies have fared far better than the men.

[Mike Lofthouse]

oh and Barbara Mason - fantastic in Spain last year!

[Westender]

Candi Staton, Shirley Brown, Mavis Staples, Ann Peebles, Millie Jackson, Jackie Moore, Lyn White, Dorothy Moore, Cissy Houston, Denise Lasalle, Tina Turner, Ella Washington, Betty Wright, Valerie Simpson, Barbara Mason and Debbie Taylor are still with us I think.

There's plenty more that came and went that I couldnt say were still alive like Shirley Wahls, Fontella Bass, Veda Brown, Alice Clark, Brenda Lee Eager, Gloria Scott, Jeannie Reynolds and Gwen McCrae.

Oh forget to add Maxine Brown and Carla Thomas 

 

Edited December 15, 2015 by westender
additions

[Soul Shrews]

Brenda Lee Eager (good call) still very much alive and on FB

Cheers Paul

[Pezer]

Linda Clifford has a wonderful voice.

[Winsford Soul]

Jean Carne must be up there with the best

Steve

[Rhino]

6 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Jean Carne must be up there with the best

Steve

definitely agree and i know this a commercial apart from the stuff she did with chapter 8 anita baker has a awesome voice 

[The Yank]

Here's a few more for the list- Jo Armstead, Valerie Simpson, Betty Wright, Pat Lewis, Bettye Swann, Diana Ross,

Darlene Love's sister Edna Wright aka Sandy Wynns, Laura Lee, Patti Austin and last but not least Soul Source 

member and Northern Soul Goddess-Lorraine Chandler.

[Venus]

Few more...Dionne Warwick, Clydie King, Nancy Wilson, Barbara Lewis, Patti Drew, Lorraine Silver & Carolyn Crawford. 

[Guest MBarrett]

I know she's at the pop end of the soul spectrum but what a perfect time of the year to celebrate the one and only Darlene Love.

Up to Christmas 2014 she had sung Christmas(Baby Please Come Home) on David Letterman Show for some 29 years in a row. Missed just one I year due to Writers' Strike.

I believe she bowed out in 2014 with this performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exSDgA9eMtU

P.S. 73 years old when she did this performance. A human tornado. A force of nature.

My whole day will be better for watching this vid.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2015 by MBarrett