McEntire (photo from tasteofcountry.com)
Female talent drenches the country music industry, even though mostly men (or men-majority bands) win most of the awards.
With that in mind, here are seven of the best female country singers of all time.
Dolly Parton
Parton recently sang on “The Voice,” her well-known song, “Coat of Many Colors” which she says is “just a sweet little song [that] means more to me than the others.”
“They were so sweet and so nice. They reminded me of when I had big dreams,” She said on the show. “They asked for advice; I don’t do advice. I’ll give you some information.”
Patsy Cline
Cline (photo from www.biography.com)
The late Cline is still considered one of the best female vocalists in country music. Singing – “what she was meant to do”.
“The one thing I wanted to do more than anything else was sing country music,” she said once.
So she did. And she made people stop, watch, and listen when she sang.
“You’re gonna have to learn to get out there in front of those cameras and hold your head up,” she said. “Take charge when you’re singing.”
Carrie Underwood
As the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, she has proven that her voice can stand tall. She beat out every other contestant that year and has since made a pretty decent career for herself.
It’s hard to believe she was once auditioning for approval from judges.
Loretta Lynn
Lynn (photo from www.npr.org)
Lynn was one of the first women to hit it big in the country music world. You could call her a trailblazer for all the female singers following her footsteps into Nashville.
“To make it in this business, you either have to be first, great or different,” she says on her website. “And I was the first to ever go into Nashville, singin’ it like the women lived it.”
Shania Twain
Twain (photo from vegashungover.com)
Twain, a success in country and pop music, says some of the greats influenced her singing style and musical taste.
“I grew up listening to Waylon, Willie, Dolly, Tammy, all of them,” she says on her website. “But we also listened to the Mamas and the Papas, The Carpenters, The Supremes and Stevie Wonder. The many different styles of music I was exposed to as a child not only influenced my vocal style, but even more so, my writing style.”
Reba McEntire
McEntire (photo from tasteofcountry.com)
Reba, one of the few artists who people know by just her first name, is rooted in family. She started a singing trio with her siblings. Now, she’s one of the greats in country music.
Faith Hill
Hill (photo from tasteofcountry.com)
Hill, wife to country star Tim McGraw, is one of biggest names in country music. NBC’s The Voice is affirming her singing skills — she and her hubby will be key advisors on the show.
“We have the best fans in the world, who have been with us through our entire journey and we are so excited to celebrate with them by going back on the road and showcasing an exciting new show,” she and McGraw stated in a press release. “It’s always great when we get to work together and it’s been a while since we got to do that.”
