International Women’s Day

Today is the 100th Annual International Women’s Day.

I have mixed feelings about days like this. I understand why they’re necessary, but I can’t help but wonder what today being international women’s day makes the other 364 days of the year.  A little more than half the population should be due at least 183 days.

But I can’t pass up a day to celebrate female country artists, so in the spirit of the day, how about some recognition for women who don’t get a lot of praise?

I’ll go with Mandy Barnett.  What a set of pipes. Here’s her debut single, which still sounds fresh fifteen years after its release:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE1oPujwZN8

What female artist do you think deserves recognition?

16 Comments

  1. In terms of more success, I’d say Chely Wright is high on my list.

    In terms of their dues from awards, I’d say Sara Evans has been greatly snubbed, especially in her peak years from Born To Fly to Real Fine Place…. The way “A Little Bit Stronger” has been performing at radio indicates that maybe Evans will be back in contention soon, I hope so, I greatly missed having her voice become recurrent on radio again.

  2. I’m with Zack on Sara Evans. At least now she’s got some new music out, so maybe she can snag one or two CMA noms, which would be nice, even though she probably wouldn’t win.

    I’ll just throw out mention of Joey + Rory – I know they’re a male/female duo, but the female member is the one who seems to define their sound the most. I would really like to see them get some more mainstream recognition.

    I’ve also been very much into Star de Azlan and Katie Armiger lately, and would like to see them get more recognition. I’ll also give a shout-out to Sunny Sweeney, and just say I’m glad to see that she finally IS getting some recognition!

  3. I’m looking forward to her new album so Ashton Shephard. I really enjoyed “Sounds so Good” and “Look it up” isn’t a bad song. I wonder what she has coming down the pipe since she hasn’t released an album in 2 years I think.

  4. I’m terribly biased as a Rosanne Cash fan, but I can’t pass up an opportunity to sing her praises. The artist that I feel should have far more commercial success/mainstream recognition than she has had is Allison Moorer. She’s a very thoughtful songwriter, and her voice just kills me.

  5. Suzy Bogguss still sounds great. Despite a lot of great music since, her last hit was Hey Cinderella which was released in November of 1993. Her son Ben turns 16 next week on St. Patrick’s Day.

    Of the newbies, I’m still surprised that Emily West hasn’t fared better.

  6. Chely and Sara….awesome voices…completely underappreciated. Also, here’s a shout out to Rebecca Lynn Howard, Ashton Shepherd, Whitney Duncan, Terri Clark and Jo Dee Messina.

  7. My pick is Julie Roberts. I’ve always loved her sound and her voice. She never caught onto the mainstream which is a shame. Her songs are just as good as anyone else out there.

    I second the love for Ashley Monroe. I downloaded her album after the glowing remarks I read here when it the #1 album of 2009. She doesn’t disappoint.

    And, Travis, I’m just as big a supporter of Rosanne Cash as you are. I was able to see her in concert last fall (for the first time) and it was a real treat. I’ve always loved songs like “Seven Year Ache,” “Tennessee Flat Top Box,” “Runway Train,” etc. She’s a class act and easily one of the biggest snubs in the history of the CMA. She’s been on fire lately with her recent music and I love “I Was Watching You” from her Black Cadillac CD.

    I would also like to add K.T. Oslin, Lori McKenna, and Lee Ann Womack to the list of women who don’t get a lot of praise but really deserve to. While McKenna’s new album, my favorite of 2011 so far, is getting rave reviews, she isn’t getting the attention and the press she deserves. I bet a lot of people don’t even know she has new music out there.

  8. Yes! How could I have forgotten Shelby Lynne? Or her sister, Allison Moorer for that matter. Both great, under the radar singers churning out great music.

  9. Both Rosanne Cash and Allison Moorer definitely deserve shout-outs for how creative they have been, even though they couldn’t get arrested on mainstream country radio today. But it’s country radio’s loss, as far as I’m concerned.

    My pick in this arena (besides Linda and Emmylou) is one of their spiritual proteges–Tift Merritt. Even though she may be classified as an Americana artist, she has shown herself to be a truly intelligent and heartfelt singer/songwriter with songs like “Bramble Rose”, “Laid A Highway”, “Diamond Shoes”, and many others. She is someone who deserves a little bit of recognition, too (IMHO).

  10. Wilma Burgess, a fellow Stetson University alumni, was a terrific singer who never got her due.

    While never publicly outed, she wasn’t very deep in the closet either – she had courage and she had the pipes – probably would/should have been a pop star in the pre-rock ‘n roll sense of the word

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