The best blues performers of all time. Most famous blues singers America's blues singers

Blues, a vast layer of musical culture, appeared over a hundred years ago. Its origins are to be found in the North American continent. The style of blues music was initially determined by jazz trends, and further development was quite independent.

Blues comes in two main styles: "Chicago" and "Mississippi Delta". In addition, blues music has six directions in the structure of the composition:

• spirituals - a slow brooding melody, full of hopeless sadness;
• gospel - church chants, usually Christmas;
• soul (soul) - has a restrained rhythm and rich accompaniment of wind instruments, mainly saxophones and trumpets;
• swing (swing) - the rhythmic pattern is varied, during one melody it can change shape;
• boogie-woogie - very rhythmic, expressive music, usually played on the piano or guitar;
• rhythm and blues (R&B) - as a rule, juicy syncopated compositions with variations and rich arrangements.

Blues performers are mostly professional musicians with concert experience. And what is characteristic, among them you will not find academically prepared, each one owns two or three instruments and has a well-trained voice.

Patriarch of the blues

Music in any form is a responsible business. Therefore, as a rule, blues performers devote themselves to their favorite work without a trace. A good example of this is the recently departed, patriarch of blues music, BB King, a legend in his own way. Blues performers of any level could look up to him. The 90-year-old musician did not let go of his guitar until the last day. His trademark was The Thrill Is Gone, which he performed at every concert. BB King was one of the few blues musicians who gravitated towards symphonic instruments. In the composition The Thrill Is Gone, the background creates a cello, then at the right moment "with the permission" of the guitar violins enter, which lead their part, organically intertwining with the solo instrument.

Vocals and accompaniment

There are many interesting performers in the blues. Soul Queen Aretha Franklin and Anna King, Albert Collins and the consummate Wilson Pickett. One of the founders of the blues, Ray Charles and his follower Rufus Thomas. The great harmonica master Curry Bell and the vocal virtuoso Robert Gray. You can't list all of them. Some blues performers leave, new ones come in their place. Talented singers and musicians have always been and, hopefully, will be.

Most famous blues performers

Among the most popular singers and guitarists are the following:

• Howlin 'Wolfe;
• Albert King;
• Buddy Guy;
• Bo Didley;
• Sun Sills;
• James Brown;
• Jimmy Reed;
• Kenny Neal;
• Luther Ellison;
• Muddy Waters;
• Otis Rush;
• Sam Cooke;
• Willie Dixon.

The blues world is full of brilliant musicians who gave themselves away on every album, and some of them became legends without ever releasing a single record! JazzPeople has selected the 5 best blues albums recorded by great musicians that have influenced not only their own life and work, but also influenced the entire development of the music of this genre.

B. B. King - Why I Sing the Blues

Over the course of his many years of creative career, "King of the Blues" has released more than 40 albums and will forever remain in the hearts of millions of fans around the world. In 1983, his 17th disc was released, entitled Why I Sing the Blues, which literally answered the question of why King sings the blues.

The tracklist included such famous compositions of the musician as Ain't Nobody Home, Ghetto Woman, Why I Sing the Blues, To Know You is To Love You, and of course, the first of them was the famous The Thrill is Gone, which received immense popularity and many awards. The music of the blues maestro has always evoked deep emotions and reciprocal feelings in listeners, and on this disc, the most "tart" King's songs were collected, in fact, allowing us to "enter into conversation" with the bluesman and listen to his exciting story, in this case, more than one.

Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues Singers

The great Robert Johnson, according to legend, sold his soul to the devil in exchange for learning to play the blues, during his short life (Johnson died at the age of 27) did not record a single album, but nevertheless, his music is not just alive to this day , she haunts both famous musicians and blues fans. The whole life of the guitarist was shrouded in an aura of mysticism and strange coincidences, which was directly reflected in his work.

In addition to numerous remakes and re-releases of his compositions, the 1998 album definitely deserves attention (the official re-release of the 1961 album) King of the delta blues singers... The cover of the record itself already tunes in for solitary listening and full immersion in the difficult world of Robert Johnson, as if still alive. If you want to try to understand the blues, start with Johnson, with his heartbreaking Cross Road Blues, Walking Blues, Me and the Devil Blues, Hellhound on My Trail, Traveling Riverside Blues.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood

The tragically deceased (crashed in a helicopter in 1990 at the age of 35) managed to leave a tremendous mark on the history of blues music. The creativity of the singer and guitarist was distinguished by its originality and powerful manner of performance. The musician collaborated and performed in concerts with many well-known blues figures, for example, Buddy Guy, Albert King and others.

In any improvisation, Vaughn with brilliance and genuine openness conveyed his feelings and emotions, thanks to which the world blues was replenished with new hits.

His colorful album Texas Flood, recorded with the Double Trouble team and released in 1983, includes the most famous and subsequently the most popular compositions for the musician, including Pride and Joy, Texas Flood, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Lenny, and of course, languid, unhurried Tin Pan Alley. The bluesman shares with his listeners not just his music, but a part of his soul in every melody he performs, and all of them, of course, are worthy of close attention.

Buddy Guy - Damn Right, I've Got the Blues

It is not surprising that a bluesman with such a musical talent was quickly noticed and taken under his patronage. The unique, virtuoso playing and charisma of Buddy Guy quickly brought him fame and respect from colleagues and listeners around the world, and the album with a flashy title Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues received the Grammy Award in 1991.

The disc is replete with excellent lyrics, unique performance and emotional transmission in the compositions, and in style - electro-blues, Chicago, sometimes even archaic blues. The dynamics and character of the disc is set immediately by the first song - Damn Right, I've Got the Blues, continues in Five Long Years, There Is Something on Your Mind, takes us to the musician's night world in Black Night, after which it awakens the dynamic Let Me Love You Baby, and in the disc's finale, the musician pays tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn, who died in 1990, on the track Rememberin 'Stevie.

T-Bone Walker - Good Feelin '

You can get into the spirit of the real Texas blues by listening to the temperamental T-Bone Walker's album Good Feelin ', recorded in 1969 and receiving a Grammy a year later. The disc contains the great tracks of the artist - Good Feelin ', Every Day I Have the Blues, Sail On, Little Girl, Sail On, See You Next Time, Vacation Blues.

The bluesman has had a significant impact on the work of many talented musicians, including Otis Rush, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Freddie King and many others. The album reveals Walker's true character, showcasing all the greatness of his playing, virtuosity and vocal technique. A special feature of the record is that it begins and ends with Walker's unofficial narration, in which he accompanies himself on the piano. The musician greets the audience and invites them to focus on what will follow.

Now let's take a look at the best blues rock bands from around the world. In addition, I will give you a list of good albums and Russian bands in this genre.

Best blues rock bands

The combination of blues and early rock for the development of the blues rock genre did not take place in a vacuum. This is largely an invention of white British children. They were in love with blues recordings from Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolfe and other artists that were imported to the UK.

The godfathers of the blues, Alexis Korner and John Mayall created the genre. Even today he finds a response in the hearts of many listeners. Here are the earliest and best blues rock artists.

Alexis Korner (Alexis Korner)

Known as " father of British blues". Musician and leader of his bands, Alexis Korner was an integral part of the 1960s blues on the English scene.

His own musical groups helped popularize the blues. And at the beginning of this decade, Korner performed already with a long list of British royal music.

In all his work, he has never enjoyed huge commercial success. Thus, his influence on the development of blues rock is beyond doubt. What can not be said about his peers and junior assistants.

John Mayall

British musician John Mayall has made a significant contribution to the development of genres such as jazz, blues and blues rock over his fifty-year career.

He discovered and began to develop instrumental talents in Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mike Taylor.

Mayall has a lot of albums in its baggage. Blues, blues rock, jazz and African music styles are manifested in them.

Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac is primarily known worldwide for its revolutionary chart-topping pop rock bands. Led by guitarist Peter Green, the band has made a name for themselves as psychedelic blues.

The group was formed in 1967. And she released her first in 1968. A combination of original compositions and blues cover art, the album became commercially successful in the UK, spending a year on the charts.

In 1970, due to his illness, Peter Green left the group. But even after his departure, Fleetwood Mac continued to perform and work on new compositions.

Rory Gallagher and Taste

In the second half of the 1960s, in the midst of British blues rock fashion, impressed by the crowd, Rory Gallagher showed off his band Taste.

Due to its dynamic entertainment, the band toured with superstars Yes and Blind Faith. She even performed in 1970 on the Isle of Wight.

The band was formed in 1966 by Rory Gallackher, bassist Eric Kitherin and drummer Norman Dahmery.

After a concert in the UK, Rory Galakher's band disbanded.

After moving to London, the twenty-year-old guitarist put together a new version of his band Taste with bassist Richard McCracken and drummer John Wilson. After signing with Polydor, recordings and tours of the United States and Canada began.

For decades, The Rolling Stones have been the coolest rock band on the planet. She had the best selling albums. Especially in the USA. Therefore, musicians are very successful. Their contribution to the development of rock music is enormous.

The Yardbirds and British blues rock

The Yardbirds were some of the most influential and innovative British blues rock bands of the early 1960s. Their influence is felt far beyond their fleeting commercial success.

Formed in the early 1960s as the Blues Metropolis quartet, by 1963 the group was known as the Yardbirds.

Featuring vocalist Keith Ralph, guitarist Chris Drach and Andrew Tofam, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and drummer Jimi McCarthy, the band quickly made a name for themselves with an electrifying mix of classic Blues and R&B.

The first Yardbirds album was called Five Live Yardbirds. It was recorded in 1964 at the Marquee Club. The performers began to add elements of pop, rock and jazz music.

Eric Clapton left the band in 1965 to play pure blues with the Bluesbreakers John Mayall. New guitarist Jeff Beck has brought a new dimension to the band's sound. In 1968, the team broke up.

Top blues rock albums

Below I would like to present the best blues rock albums. I recommend listening to them at your leisure. Here's a list:

Lance is one of the few guitarists who can boast of starting their professional career at 13 (by 18, he was already sharing the stage with Johnny Taylor, Lucky Peterson and Buddy Miles). Even in early childhood, Lance fell in love with guitars: every time he passed a record store, his heart skipped a beat. Uncle Lance's whole house was packed with guitars, and when he came to him, he could not tear himself away from this instrument. His main influences have always been Stevie Rae Vaughn and Elvis Presley (Lance's father, by the way, served with him in the army, and they remained close friends until the death of the king). Now his music is a combustible mixture of Stevie Rae Vaughan's blues-rock, Jimi Hendrix's psychedelics and Carlos Santana's melody.

Like all true bluesmen, his love life is a black, hopeless hole, not to mention drug problems. However, this only spurs his creativity: between long spree, he records unprecedented albums, claiming to be the most driving. Lance wrote most of his songs on the road, as he played in groups of famous bluesmen for a long time. His musical upbringing allows him to flow from one genre to another without losing his unique sound. If his debut album Wall of Soul is blues-rock, then his 2011 album Salvation From Sundown goes deep into the traditional blues and rhythm 'n' blues.

If you believe that real blues can only be written if its author is constantly haunted by misfortune, then we will prove the opposite to you. So, in 2015, Lance got rid of his drug and alcohol addiction, then got married and assembled one of the coolest supergroups of the last decade - Supersonic Blues Machine. The album features session drummer Kenny Aaronoff (Chickenfoot, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Santana), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Walter Trout, Robben Ford, Eric Gales and Chris Duarte. Many unique musicians have gathered here, but their philosophy is simple: the band, like a machine, consists of many parts, and the blues is the driving force for all of them.

Robin Trower

Robin is considered one of the key musicians who shaped the vision of British blues in the 70s. He began his professional career at the age of 17, when he formed the favorite band of The Rolling Stones of the time - The Paramounts. However, real success came to him when he joined Procol Harum in 1966. The group greatly influenced his work and set him on the right path.

But she played classic rock, so we will immediately jump back to 1973, when Robin made the decision to start a solo career. By this time he was writing a lot of guitar music, so he was forced to leave the group. The debut album Twice Removed From Yesterday barely hit the charts, but despite this, his next album, Bridge Of Sights, immediately skyrocketed to the top spot and to this day sells 15,000 copies a year worldwide.

The first three albums of the power trio are famous for their Hendrix sound. For the same reason - for the skillful combination of blues and psychedelia - Robin is called "white" Hendrix. The band had two strong members - Robin Trower and bassist James Dewar, who complemented each other perfectly. The peak of their creativity came in 1976-1978, on the albums Long Misty Days and In City Dreams. Already on the 4th album, Robin began to reorient himself to hard rock and classical rock, pushing the blues sound into the background. However, he did not completely get rid of it.

Robin was also famous for his project with Cream bassist Jack Bruce. They released two albums, but all the songs there were written by the same Thrower. On the albums, you can hear Robin's croaking guitar, and the sharp, funky sound of Jack's bass, but the musician did not like such a collaboration, and their project soon ceased to exist.

Jay Jay Cale

John is literally the most humble and exemplary musician in the world. He is a simple guy with a village soul, and his songs, calm and sincere, fall like a balm on the soul amid constant worries. He was worshiped by rock icons - Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler and Neil Young, and the first glorified his work all over the world (the songs Cocaine and After Midnight were written by Cale, not Clapton). He led a calm and measured life, unlike the life of the rock star he is considered to be.

Cale began his career in the 50s in Tulsa, where he shared the stage with his friend Leon Russell. For the first ten years he roamed from the south coast to the west, until he settled in 1966 at the Whiskey A Go Go, where he played as an opening act for Love, The Doors and Tim Buckley. It was rumored that it was Elmer Valentine, the owner of the legendary club, who christened him JJ to distinguish him from John Cale, a member of the Velvet Underground. However, Cale himself called it a duck, since the Velvet Underground were little known on the West Coast. In 1967, together with the band Leathercoated Minds, John recorded the album A Trip Down the Sunset Strip. Although Cale hated the record and “if I could have destroyed all these records, I would have done so”, the album became a psychedelic classic.

When his career began to decline, John headed back to Tulsa, but as fate would have it, he returned to Los Angeles in 1968, moving to a garage near Leon Russell's house, where he was left to himself and his dogs. Cale has always preferred the company of animals to man, and his philosophy was simple: "life among birds and trees."

Despite his slowly falling apart career, John released his first solo album, Naturally, on Leon Russell's Shelter label. The album was as easy to record as Cale's temperament - it was ready in two weeks. Almost all of his albums were recorded at this pace, and some of the most famous songs were even demos (for example, Crazy Mama and Call Me the Breeze, on which Lynyrd Skynyrd later recorded their famous cover). Then came the albums Really, Oakie and Troubadour, addicted to their "cocaine" Eric Clapton and Karl Radle.

After the famous 1994 concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, he and Eric became good friends (Eric was also known for his modesty at the beginning of his careers) and maintained a constant relationship. The fruit of their friendship was the 2006 album Road to Escondido. This Grammy-winning album is an idealistic representation of the blues. The two guitarists balance each other to such an extent that a feeling of complete peace is created.

JJ Cale died in 2013, leaving the world his work, which is still inspired by musicians. Eric Clapton released a tribute album to John, where he invited his fans - John Mayer, Mark Knopfler, Derek Trucks, Willie Nelson and Tom Petty.

Gary Clark Jr.

Favorite musician of Barack Obama, Gary is the most innovative artist of the last decade. While all the girls in the USA are crazy about him (well, and John Mayer, without him in any way), Gary, with his fuzz, turns music into a psychedelic mixture of blues, soul and hip-hop. The musician was brought up under the strict guidance of Jimmy Vaughn, brother of Stevie Ray, and listened to everything that came to hand - from country to blues. All this can be heard on his first album in 2004, 110, where you can hear classic blues, soul, and country, and nothing stands out from the style of the album, black folk music of Mississippi of the 50s.

After the release of the album, Gary went underground and played with numerous musicians. He returned in 2012 with a melodic and electric album that hit everyone from Kirk Hammett and Dave Grohl to Eric Clapton. The latter wrote him a letter of thanks and said that after his concert he wanted to pick up the guitar again.

Since then, he has become a blues sensation, "the chosen one" and the "future of the blues guitar", participates in Eric Clapton's Crossroads benefit concert and receives a Grammy for the song Please Come Home. After such a debut, it is difficult to keep the bar high, but Gary never cared about the opinions of others. He released his next album “for the sake of the music,” and in his case this philosophy worked well. The Story of Sonny Boy Slim turned out to be less heavy, but its electric soul blues fits perfectly with the style of the entire album. Even if some of his songs sound pop, they have something that is so lacking in modern music - individuality.

This album may sound softer, as it turned out to be very personal (during the recording, Gary's wife gave birth to their first child, which made him rethink his life), but it turned out to be just as blues and melodic, taking his work to a whole new level.

Joe Bonamassa

There is a popular opinion that Joe is the most boring guitarist in the world (and for some reason no one calls Gary Moore boring), but every year he becomes more and more popular, sells out his shows at the Albert Hall and rides around the world with concerts ... In general, no matter what they say, Joe is a talented and melodic guitarist who has made great progress in his work since the beginning of his career.

He, one might say, was born with a guitar in his hands: at the age of 8 he was already opening a show for BB King, and at 12 he played on a regular basis in clubs in New York. He released his debut album quite late - at the age of 22 (before that he played in the Bloodline band with the sons of Miles Davis). A New Day Yesterday was released in 2000, but only reached the charts in 2002 (ranking 9th among blues albums), which is not surprising: it consisted mainly of covers. However, two years later, Joe released his most iconic album, So, It’s Like That, which was chosen by everyone who could.

Since then, Joe has routinely released every year or two albums that have been heavily criticized, but hit at least in the top 5 on Billboard. His albums (especially Blues Deluxe, Sloe Gin and Dust Bowl) sound viscous, heavy and blues, not letting go of the listener until the very end. In fact, Joe is one of the few musicians whose worldview evolves from album to album. His songs are getting shorter and livelier, and his albums are conceptual. His latest release was literally recorded the first time around. According to Joe, the modern blues is too sleek, the musicians don't strain too much, since everything can be formatted or played again, they have lost all energy and drive. So this album was recorded over a five day jam, and you can hear everything that happened there (no second takes and with minimal post-processing to preserve the atmosphere).

Therefore, the key to his creativity is not to listen to songs on albums (especially early work: your brain will be raped by endless solos and tension, which only intensifies towards the end of the album). If you are a fan of technical music and twisted solos, Joe will definitely be to your liking.

Philip Sayes

Philip Sayes is a Toronto-based guitarist whose performance is so impressive that he was invited to take part in Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival. He grew up listening to the music of Paradise Cooder and Mark Knopfler, and his parents had a huge collection of blues albums, which could not but affect his work. But Philip owes his breakthrough to the professional scene to the legendary guitarist Jeff Healy, who took him under his wing and gave him an excellent musical education.

Jeff somehow got to Philip's concert in Toronto, and he liked his playing so much that the next time they met, he invited him to the stage to jam. Philip was at the club with his manager, and as soon as they sat down, Jeff approached them and invited Philip to join his group, promising to put him on his feet and teach him how to perform in large venues.

Philip spent the next three and a half years touring with Jeff Healy. He also performed at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival, where he shared the stage with blues giants such as BB King, Robert Cray and Ronnie Earl. Jeff gave him a tremendous opportunity to learn from the best, play with the best, and get better on his own. He supported ZZ Top and Deep Purple, and his music is endless drive.

Philip released his first solo album Peace Machine in 2005, and this is his best work to this day. It combines the raw energy of blues rock guitar and soul. His subsequent albums (Inner Revolution and Steamroller should be highlighted) become heavier, but they still retain that Stevie Rae Vaughn-style blues drive that is part of his style - this can only be said by his crazy vibrato that he uses. playing live.

Many will find the similarities between Philip Says and Stevie Ray - the same tattered Stratocaster, shuffle and crazy shows, and some think that he looks too much like him. However, Philip's sound differs from his ideological mastermind: it sounds more modern and heavy.

Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks

As Louisiana slide guitar icon Sonny Landreth said, he knew in five seconds that Derek Trucks was going to be the most promising guitarist in the white blues jam scene. The nephew of The Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks, he bought himself an acoustic guitar at the age of 9 for five dollars and began to learn to play the slide guitar. He shocked everyone with his technique, no matter who he played with. By the late 90s, he won a Grammy for his solo project, played with The Allman Brothers Band and toured with Eric Clapton.

Susan, on the other hand, became famous not only for her skillful guitar playing, but also for her magical voice, which captivates listeners from the first moment. Since her debut album Just Won't Burn, Susan has toured tirelessly, recorded with Double Trouble, shared stage with Britney Spears at the Grammy Awards, performed with Buddy Guy and BB King and even sang alongside Bob Dylan.

Dozens of years after the start of their careers, Susan and Derek not only got married, but also created their own team called the Tedeschi Trucks Band. It's actually pretty damn hard to find words to show how good they are: Derek and Susan are like Delaney & Bonnie of the present tense. Blues fans still cannot believe that two blues legends have created their own group, and an unusual one: the Tedeschi Trucks Band consists of the best 11 musicians of the modern blues and soul scene. They started out as a group of five and gradually took on more musicians. Their latest album features two drummers and a whole brass section.

They instantly sell out all tickets for concerts in the United States, and everyone is just in awe of their shows. Their group keeps all the traditions of American blues and soul. The slide guitar perfectly complements Tedeschi's velvety voice, and if in terms of technique Derek is better than his guitarist wife in some way, he does not overshadow her at all. Their music is the perfect fusion of blues, funk, soul and country.

John Mayer

Even if you hear this name for the first time, believe me, John Mayer is very famous. He is so famous that he is in 7th place in the number of subscribers on Twitter, and the press in America discusses his personal life in the same way that the yellow press in Russia does Alla Pugacheva. He is so famous that all American girls, women and grandmothers not only know who he is, but also dream that all guitarists in the world would look up to him, and not Jeff Hanneman.

He is also the only instrumental musician who stands on par with contemporary pop idols. As he himself once told a British magazine: “You can't make music and be popular. Celebrities make very, very bad music, so I write mine as a musician. ”

John first picked up a guitar at the age of 13, inspired by Texas bluesman Stevie Rae Vaughn. He played in local bars in his hometown of Bridgeport until he graduated from high school and went to study at the Berkeley College of Music. There he studied for two semesters until he left for Atlanta with $ 1,000 in his pocket. He played in bars and quietly wrote songs for his 2001 debut album Room For Squares, which went multi-platinum.

John has several Grammys to his credit, and his combination of impeccable melodies, quality lyrics and well-thought-out arrangements made him as great as Stevie Wonder, Sting and Paul Simon - the musicians who turned pop music into art.

But in 2005, he turned off the track as a pop artist, was not afraid to lose his listeners, changed his acoustic Martin for a Fender Stratocaster and joined the ranks of the blues legends. He played with Buddy Guy and BB King, he was even invited by Eric Clapton himself to the Crossroads guitar festival. Critics were skeptical about this change of scenery, but John surprised everyone very much: his electric trio (along with Pino Palladin and Steve Jordan) delivered unprecedented blues rock with a killer groove. On the 2005 album Try! John focused on the softer side of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Rae Vaughn and BB King, and with his melodic solos, he brilliantly played out the blues clichés.

John has always been melodic, even his last album of 2017 turned out to be surprisingly soft: here you can hear soul and even country. With his songs, John not only drives 16-year-old girls crazy in the USA, but also remains a real professional musician, constantly evolves and each time brings something new to his music. He perfectly balances his reputation as a pop artist with his development as a musician. If you take even his most pop songs and take them apart, you will be surprised how much is going on there.

His songs are about everything - love, life, personal relationships. If performed by someone else, they would most likely become regular folk songs, but thanks to John's soft voice combined with blues, soul and other genres, they become what they are. And which you certainly do not want to turn off.

Where did you play: Jefferson Airplaine, Jefferson Starship, Starship, The Great Society

Genres: classic rock, blues rock

What is cool: Grace Slick is the vocalist of the legendary psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane. Possessing not only a mesmerizing voice, but also an attractive appearance (some eyes are worth it!), She became a real sex symbol of the 1960s, and her songs White Rabbit and Somebody to Love are rock classics. The powerful voice of Grace Slick opened up new facets in female rock and brought her to the 20th place on the list of The Hundred Greatest Women in Rock and Roll. Unfortunately, the propensity to outrageous and addiction to alcohol and drugs pretty much blurred her career. However, after leaving the world of music in 1990, Grace found herself in the visual arts. A significant part of her artistic work is made up of portraits of her colleagues in the rock scene.

Quote: I sang then with such force and anger that women of that time were afraid to show. I realized for myself that a woman can neglect stereotypes and do whatever she wants.

Mariska Veresh

Where did you play:: Shocking Blue, solo career

Genres: rhythm and blues, classic rock

Than cool: Mariska Veresh is the owner of one of the most powerful and beautiful voices in rock music, a stunning beauty and ... insanely shy and vulnerable girl. Considering the mores of the late 60s - early 70s, one can imagine how difficult it was for her. However, be that as it may, Shocking Blue reached the pinnacle of musical fame and immortalized both themselves and their work largely thanks to Marishka. And their ubiquitous Venus even pets in every house know almost by heart.

Quote: Before, I was just a painted doll, no one could get close to me. Now I am more open to people.

Janis Joplin

Where did you play: Big Brother & The Holding Company, Kozmic Blues Band, Full Tilt Boogie Band

Genres: blues rock

What is cool: One of the members of the notorious Club 27. During her short life, Janis Joplin managed to release only four albums, one of which was released after her death, but this does not prevent critics around the world from considering her the best white blues performer and one of the greatest vocalists in the history of rock -music. Joplin received several major awards, but, again, posthumously - in 1995 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 2005 she received a Grammy for Outstanding Achievement, and in 2013, a star was opened in her honor on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Her creative activity began in 1961 largely under the influence of the then popular beatniks, in whose company the young girl spent the summer of 1960. Joplin was considered unusual, if not strange - she came to classes at the university in Levi’s jeans, walked barefoot and carried a zither everywhere in case she wanted to sing. The turning point in Joplin's career was the performance with Big Brother & The Holding Company at the Montreuil Festival. Then the group even performed twice, because director Pennebaker wanted to record them on tape. You can talk a lot about Janice's achievements: despite her short life, she managed a lot. Just take part in the cult Woodstock festival in 1969 on the same stage with The Who and Hendrix. The controversy about the cause of the death of the singer still does not subside. Someone says that drug addiction is to blame, someone insists that it was suicide. One way or another, many agree that a spontaneous and premature death became a very cruel joke of fate, because at that moment Joplin's life began to improve - she was going to get married, had not used heroin for a long time. But she wasn’t happy anyway.

Quote: At the stadium, I make love to twenty-five thousand people, and then I return home alone.

Annie Haslam

Where did you play: Renaissance, solo career

Genres: progressive rock, classic rock

What is cool: All polls like "Best Prog Vocalist" quickly lose their intrigue when Annie is on the list. And it is hardly surprising for you if you have heard at least one song sung by her. Clean, flying into some transcendental heights, seemingly fragile, but at the same time rather powerful five-octave vocals of Haslam brought her and Renaissance a crowd of fans in the 70s. Further - a successful solo career as a singer and artist, victorious, fortunately, the fight against cancer and periodic reunions of the group for live performances.

Quote: I always wondered: we were so unique and still are, so shouldn't we have done more than we did? At least we should have recorded all our shows on video. Should have recorded as much as possible. We have done almost nothing.