Some YouTube clips were – shall we say- eye popping! She was ahead of her time and her influence can still be seen today. The author takes us through the years- with an interesting piece on Betty Davis- not to be confused with the actress- an artist I honestly have no memory of. I admit I love the girl groups from this era of time- so I really enjoyed this section- and agree the influence of these groups was huge- but is rarely acknowledged in the world of rock music. Girl groups such as ‘The Shirelles’ have been forgotten over the years. (Janis gave public credit to Thornton- while Elvis refused.) These women were influential outside of their work in the studio, as well.īig Mama Thornton – who recorded ‘Hound Dog’ before Elvis, and ‘Ball and Chain’ before Janis Joplin- never got her due, though she worked well into her old age. Often times, these women, whose music was often mislabeled as soul or R&B, never got the respect or recognition they deserved- and doubly so for those who made contributions to male dominated rock groups. I enjoyed this tribute to the black women who helped to shape rock music. Black Diamond Queens: African American Women and Rock and Roll by Maureen Mahon is a 2020 Duke University Press publication.
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