Powerhouse Black Female Singers

Ok, so I didn’t grow up WITH THEM. But I grew up listening to them and I wanted to share my memories about them along with some quick research I did as well...because I realized I didn’t really know a ton about their personal lives. (Ok, some more than others depending on their age...like, I remember when Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon got married and I thought that was the most bizarre marriage, sorry Mariah, you’re a bombshell beauty with an enchanting voice that can attract all the children of Salem, you can do better. Side note: That was a Hocus Pocus reference in case you live in the dark ages)

Etta James (1938-2012)

If you don’t know the classic song “At Last”, you are missing out my friend!

The slow, bluesy (yes, I said bluesy) sway into a rich, velvety love song. I mean, are you even married if this wasn’t playing at your wedding? Sorry Etta, your voice is amazing but sadly this is the only song I know by you.

Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)

I can’t hear her name without immediately rolling into .....mmmmmm..WHAT YOU WANT? BABBBBBBBY I GOT IT. WHAT YOU NEEEEEEED, ya know I GOT IT! All I’m askin’....is for a little respect when you come home. I don’t even know at what age I first heard this song, but I was young. Cue the air saxophone 🎷 that I will produly pretend to play. This song stayed with me through my high school band years. Where we would all belt out singing on the bus, on our way to a competition, and none of us could sing. We had a good time singing it though! Let’s not forget the karaoke bar days in my twenties.

I have this weird made up ideanin mu mind that everyone is an only child. Kind of like at my daughters ballet studio, I forget that these kids have siblings. Because I only ever see the one kid at dance, ya know? I knew that Michael Jackson had other siblings because they all sang together. I had no idea Aretha was the fourth of five children. Her father was a Baptist preacher and her mother was a gospel singer. Aretha became a mother at the young age of 12. She had a total of 4 children, all boys.

As I browse her discography, I feel a little embarrassed that I’m over here like “YESSSS I LOVE ARETHA” and I am pretty sure I actually only know her for:

* Respect

* Chain of Fools

* (You Make me Feel) Like a Natural Woman

* I Say a Little Prayer

You know what? I’m not going to let that diminish my love for Aretha. That just tells me I have some listening to do!

Gladys Knight (1944-present)

I remember my mom having a tape (yes, a cassette tape) in her car that we would flip back and forth between Gladys & Toni Braxton. Of course I never would call her Gladys...to me she was Gladys Knight & the Pips.

These songs:

* Midnight Train to Georgia

* That’s What Friends Are For

* I Heard It Through the Grapevine

These were my car listening, marching band bus and karaoke bar singing songs!

Let’s not also forget about “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”. Little slower...but a good head bobbin’, two stepping through the kitchen while drying your dishes, kind of tune.

Did you know she also recorded the theme song for the James Bond film in 1989 License to Kill? I’m a recent Bond fan and found that factoid cool. Per Wikipedia, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Knight among the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Diana Ross (1944-present)

Ok let’s start with something really amazing, that I just read on Wikipedia. Yes, Wikipedia is my go-to source, can you tell? As the lead singer of The Supremes, they remain the best-charting female group in US History. READ THAT AGAIN: THEY REMAIN THE BEST-CHARTING FEMALE GROUP IN US HISTORY. THAT’S SO COOL!!!

On to the songs!

* I’m Coming Out

* Upside Down

* Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

* Give Up

* You Can’t Hurry Love

* Where Did Our Love Go

* Baby Love

* Stop! In the Name of Love

I’m sure some would argue there are many, many more that could go on this list... but let’s remember, we’re talking about a gal over here that is currently 35 and remembers listening to Saturday 70’s night with her parents in the living room, trying to call into the radio station to request certain songs. Obviously, some of these are from the 60s but I also listened to an “oldies” station.

Toni Braxton (1967-Present)

I thought of her because I remember my mom and I being OBSESSED with her hit song “Un-Break my Heart”. If you said have you heard of Toni Braxton, I would be like YEAHHHHH!!! Remember her song Un Break my Heeaarrrrt Sayyyy you’ll love me agaiiiiiiiin.... and let's not forget "Breathe Again". Those actually might be the only two songs I know by her...or that I remember anyway. According to Wikipedia, she has sold over 70 million records worldwide as of 2020, and is one of the highest-selling R&B artists in history. WOW! That’s incredible!

Whitney Houston (1963-2012)

Now we’re really starting to get into people I have a better memory of!

I’ve never really been one of those people that keeps up with famous people. I have friends, family, and co-workers that all have their special memory trails of knowledge. I had a co-worker that could tell you everything about almost any musician. If you named any actor/actress, one of my friends could immediately tell you who they were married to, who their kids were and if they had been remarried or not. Me? I do good remember their last name and what movie/song they were in/sing.

Ok, that might be extreme, there are certain people that stand out more than others to me. If you said what is Whitney Houston known for, I would belt out into song: .....and IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII, will always.....Love youuuuuuuUUUUu.

While looking her up on Wikipedia, I COMPLETELY forgot she died of a drowning due to “coronary artery disease and cocaine intoxication”. I mean, yes, I remember her and Bobby Brown all over the news but I have a bad memory. Or maybe I like to remember the good in people and not define them by the crappier moments in their life. 🤷🏼‍♀️🥰

Wait for it...Wait for it... 3:10... YESSSS GET.IT.GIRL 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Wikipedia says, “She is regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time.”

Here are some of my all time favorite Whitney songs:

*I Will Always Love You

* I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Let's pause... we need to see this video and have a minor dance party 💃 :

Let's Continue:

*I'm Every Woman

*Heartbreak Hotel

*How Will I know

Mariah Carey (1970-present)

Remember Columbia House where you could get mail-order CDs? I am 97% sure that I owned every.single.one. of Mariah Carey’s albums.

I was a HUGE fan. According to my trusty ole’ Wikipedia, she is the first artist in history to have her first five singles reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

I mean... “Always Be My Baby”, “One Sweet Day”, and “All I Want For Christmas” are my all time favorite songs. The album “Daydream” holds a special place in my heart... I was 10 or 11 when it came out and fell in love with that album. I remember being in my bedroom singing & dancing to this music video. I mean, I feel like I can't even list all of my favorite Mariah Songs because I would probably list them all.

Let's just go ahead and highlight "One Sweet Day" while we're at it. I mean listen to these harmonies!

I remember wanting her brown shoes from this music video, SO BAD. My mom found me some knock offs and I thought I was THE SH*T.

I'm legit going to pull this outfit together and bring it back. Maybe it's already back? Crop top, wispy bangs, washed out denim jeans with a belt? Yep, I'm on it.

When I was looking up Mariah, I came across this article about her talking about feeling like an outsider because of her biracial identity.

Carey is the daughter of a white opera singer mother and a Black engineer father, a couple who parted ways when she was just 3 years old, and Carey was raised in an all-white neighborhood. She remembers being considered not-white enough to fit in with those around her, “but not Black enough to scare people into not saying stuff around me.”

She also wrote a book about it: The Meaning of Mariah Carey —-> I need this book!

Beyoncé (1981-present)

I have to admit, I wasn’t always a fan of Destiny’s Child. Yes, they were one of the best selling girl groups of all time. Yes, I sang along so a lot of the songs... but Beyoncé really came through for me when she went solo.

* If I were a boy

* Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)

* Run the World (Girls)

* Drunk in Love

* Crazy in Love (Fifty Shades of Grey Version)

Wikipedia says, in 2014 she became the highest-earning Black musician in history and listed among Time’s 100 most influential people in the world for a second year in a row.

Alright people, please excuse me while I make a new playlist and travel down memory lane. Let’s celebrate these women, go buy something of theirs, follow them on social media and turn up the volume 🥳 ⬆️ 🎤

References/Information that I pulled from:

Aretha | Gladys | Diana | Toni | Beyonce | Mariah