In the 50s the phrase used to be ‘a woman’s place is in the home,’ then came the 60s with political and gender issues that opened up women to the business world and in particular the world of music.
Pat Benatar and Melissa Etheridge are two fine examples of strong women who can not only rock, but have the chops to compete in a male dominated industry. Pat is a four time Grammy Award winner, while Melissa has been nominated 15 times for the coveted Grammy, winning twice. Although many of the early dates were cancelled, there is one still on the calendar – in Ft. Lauderdale on November 2nd.
When you think of strong women in the music business, you’ve got to mention the early Motown stars like Diana Ross, Tami Terrell, Martha Reeves and Mary Wells. In the 70s Donna Summer and Madonna come to mind, while the 80s gave way to Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner, Cher, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Dolly Parton, Laura Branigan, the Heart sisters and Ann and Nancy Wilson.
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