Famous black jazz singer woman

Long before Aretha, Tina, Whitney, Janet, Brandy, Monica, and Beyonce, a group of pioneering jazz and blues vocalists fashioned the blueprint for the record-breaking feats enjoyed by some of music&#;s biggest names.

There&#;s no denying the impact and contributions of black recording acts, and Black Music Month is the perfect time to celebrate some of the groundbreaking black singers whose tenacity and determination paved the way for some of our favorite artists to break barriers of their own.

Check out our list of seven trailblazing blues and jazz singers below.

Embed from Getty Images

Ma Rainey

Noted as the “Mother of Blues,” Gertrude “Ma” Rainey was reportedly born in Alabama in either or She began her music career as a teenager performing in minstrel shows and  signed a contract with Paramount Records in , where she would record more than songs over a five-year span. Throughout her career Rainey recorded with the likes of Louis Armstrong, became close friends with Bessie Smith, and toured with the Georgia Jazz Band until her retirement in She died four years later from a heart attack.

Rainey earned posthumous inductions into the Blues Foundations Hall of Fame in , and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in

Embed from Getty Images

Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith was the most popular and highest-paid singer of her day. Nicknamed the “Empress of the Blues,” Smith started out as a street performer, and signed with Columbia Phonograph Company (the parent company of Columbia Records) in The singer-songwriter and composer released recordings under Columbia, sold millions of record, performed on Broadway, and made her first and only silver screen appearance in the film, St. Louis Blues.

Smith’s music touched on social issues like poverty, intra-racial conflict, female sexuality, and bisexuality. Though her career was lampo

Jazz music has a rich history filled with talented performers, but many outstanding black female singers often don&#;t get the recognition they deserve.

These women have shaped the genre with their powerful voices and unique styles, yet their names aren&#;t always in the spotlight.

It&#;s time to change that.

This article will introduce you to 25 incredible black female jazz singers who have impacted the music world.

From pioneers who paved the way to modern-day artists carrying the torch, you&#;ll discover the diverse talents contributing to jazz&#;s evolution.

Get ready to explore the lives, music, and legacies of these remarkable women who have left an indelible mark on jazz.

Their stories will inspire you, and their music will move you.

List of 25 Most Breathtaking Black Female Singers

1. Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald, known as &#;The First Lady of Song,&#; was one of the most beloved jazz singers ever.

With a career spanning six decades, her voice was characterized by its purity of tone, impeccable diction, and the ability to mimic instrumental sounds.

She began her career in the s with Chick Webb&#;s orchestra and quickly rose to fame with hits like &#;A-Tisket, A-Tasket.&#;

Fitzgerald was a master of scat singing and brought a playful elegance to her performances.

Her collaboration with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and other jazz legends solidified her status as a cornerstone of American music.

• Famous songs: &#;Summertime,&#; &#;A-Tisket, A-Tasket&#;
• Awards: 13 Grammy Awards, Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Years Active: –

2. Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday, affectionately known as &#;Lady Day,&#; was a pioneering jazz singer whose emotional depth and distinctive voice left an indelible mark on the genre.

Known for her ability to convey deep emotion, Holiday&#;s music often reflected her struggles and triumphs.

Her haunting rendition of &#;Strange Fruit,&#; a powerfu

Ever since jazz was born at the dawn of the 20th Century, women have been – and continue to be – a minority in what is a largely male-dominated world. There is, however, one area of the genre where females have always excelled and flourished – the domain of the jazz vocalist. There has been no shortage of talented singers over the decades, but the best female jazz singers possess unique voices and personalities which truly ensure they hold their own against their male counterparts.

Jazz has produced so many accomplished and influential female singers over the years that limiting the best female jazz singers to a meager 25 is a challenge that many would deem impossible. It’s not so much a question of who to include, but, rather, who to omit. There are, of course, those who are so significant that their names will automatically be at the top of most people’s lists of the best female jazz singers of all time – namely, the mighty Holy Trinity comprising Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah “Sassy” Vaughan.

While this formidable trio’s greatness is not in dispute – nor ever will be – it doesn’t necessarily mean that the remaining 22 singers on the list that follows can be considered as mere also-rans, there just to make up the numbers. Indeed, each one has a unique quality that makes them special, and they have all made (and some are still making) a vital contribution to the art – and history – of jazz singing.

There are those, like Ella, Vaughan, Betty Carter, and Anita O’Day, whose voices are agile and athletic, and able to indulge in mind-boggling vocal gymnastics. But dazzling technique isn’t everything – nor is it, necessarily, a prerequisite for being a jazz singer, as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Peggy Lee demonstrated. For those artists, communicating with their audience and conveying deep emotion was paramount. The fewer notes they used, the more profound and eloquent they seemed to be.

You can&#;t celebrate Black Music Month without mentioning the &#;Great Ladies of Jazz.&#; They are the pioneers and inspiration for many of today&#;s artists like Beyoncé and Chaka Khan. And their phenomenal voices have given us some of our most classic American songs, that are still sung by artists today. So let&#;s learn more about our &#;Great Ladies of Jazz.

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, – June 15, ) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella.

In , after a career of nearly 60 years, she gave her last public performance. Three years later, she died at the age of Her accolades included fourteen Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Billie Holiday

Eleanora Fagan (April 7, – July 17, ), known professionally as Billie Holiday, was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed &#;Lady Day&#; by her friend and music partner Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop singing. She was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills.

Holiday began singing in nightclubs in Harlem, where she was heard by producer John Hammond, who liked her voice. She signed a recording contract with Brunswick in Holiday had mainstream success on labels such as Columbia and Decca. By the late s, however, she was beset with legal troubles and drug abuse. After a short prison sentence, she performed at a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. She was a successful concert performer throughout the s with two further sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall. Her final album, Lady in Satin, was released in Holiday died of cirrhosis on July 17, at age She won four Grammy Awards, all of them posthumously, for Best Historical Album. She was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Several films about her life have been released.