Sisters in Song: Detroit Women in the Music Industry

Gospel music may be the genre that features the most female stars. Detroit was once known as a "City of Churches," and is noted to have more churches per square mile than most cities in the U.S.

This fact has resulted in numerous Gospel stars including several major award winners. Let's take a look:

The Clark Sisters: Consisting of five sisters who are known for their sensational ability to harmonize with one another, The Clark Sisters have released more than a dozen albums since their debut in 1973. The group has won three Grammy Awards out of seven nominations--including a Lifetime Achievement Award. Their work has been covered and sampled by dozens of artists including Beyonce on her Act I: The Renaissance album.

Vanessa Bell Armstrong: One of Detroit Gospel's most impactful voices, Armstrong is best known for her work with John P. Kee as well as for being the voice of the 1980s sitcom, "Amen."

Tasha Page-Lockhart: A contemporary artist, Page-Lockhart won season six of the BET competition show, Sunday's Best. Her two singles in 2014 propelled her to the Stellar Award as Best New Artist. She has also been featured in a Tyler Perry film, Madea on the Run.

Honorable Mention: CeCe Winans and the Winans Family.

Rhythm 'n Blues was defined as a genre in the 1940s and Detroit quickly became one of its hubs. The Motown Sound is our most significant contribution to the genre, but let's take a look at some of our other R&B stars.

The Jones Girls: This trio of sisters began their careers as backup singers for artists such as Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, and Aretha Franklin. In the 1970s, they teamed up with Philadelphia producers Gamble & Huff and released a hit single, "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else," and the cult classic, "Nights over Egypt."

Freda Payne: Attended the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts; she soon began singing radio commercial jingles and took part in (and won many) local TV and radio talent shows. After moving to New York, Payne worked with luminary producers and also embarked on an admirable film career. One of her biggest hits, "I Get High (On Your Memory)," was sampled by Styles P of The Lox and marked his best-selling single.

Teairra Mari: One of the first Detroit singers to be signed to Def Jam Records at the age of 16, this singer had a few hit singles, including "Sponsor" which reached #25 on the Billboard R&B charts. However, she quickly transitioned into an acting career and is also known as a reality star appearing on Love & Hip-Hop: New York and Love & Hip-Hop Hollywood.

Marcella Detroit: known professionally as Marcy Levy and (later in her career) Marcella Detroit, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She co-wrote the 1977 Eric Clapton hit "Lay Down Sally" and released her debut studio album Marcella in 1982. She also wrote for other major artists like songwriting for numerous artists including Aretha Franklin, Burt Bacharach, Chaka Khan, Belinda Carlisle, and Al Jarreau.

Porcelain Black: is a singer-songwriter, rapper, and model. She appeared in the music video for Jack White's "Freedom at 21". As a songwriter, she is credited with songs performed by One Direction, Orianthi, The Used, and Mexican pop singer Belinda.

Meg White: is retired after serving as the drummer and occasional singer of the rock duo the White Stripes--which also featured her ex-husband, Jack White. She is credited as one of the key artists in the garage rock revival of the 2000s. She has won six Grammy Awards among other accolades, and was included on Rolling Stone's 2016 list of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time".

Blues and Jazz artists are some of the staples of Detroit. The city is known for having some of the longest-running nightclubs where the genre is heard. Let's look at some of these legends.

Ortheia Barnes: Frequently opened up for stars like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight. A hometown treasure, Barnes often performed during the Thanksgiving Day Parade and was featured in tourism productions for the city.

Betty Carter: was known for her improvisational technique, scatting, and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative interpretation of lyrics and melodies. This jazz legend is considered one of the greatest judges of jazz talent and is credited for discovering artists like Cyrus Chestnut. She also created a youth program called Jazz Ahead, which still exists and is run by The Kennedy Center.

Dianne Reeves: One of the most significant voices in jazz, Reeves has won five Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album. She holds an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music and appeared in the 2005 film, Good Night, and Good Luck singing 1950s standards--the soundtrack also won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Detroit has been a leading force in hip-hop for years, and women of the genre were making noise from this city before the current evolution of Female Rap. Let's look at some of these rap legends.

Bo$$: This rap legend was the first female rapper ever signed to Def Jam Records. Her debut album, Born Gangstaz,
reached number three on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 1993. Despite being from Detroit, she was often referenced as an important voice in West Coast rap. She recently passed away in 2024 after a long battle with kidney disease.

Miz Korona: Known as one of the foundational members of the Detroit Hip-Hop Sound, Miz Korona was a scene stealer in the film 8 Mile where she played one of Eminem's coworkers, Vanessa. Most recently she has been traveling the world performing new music with DJ Carl the Invisible Man and poet Khary Kimani Turner.

Kash Doll: Since her debut album Stacked (2019). Kash Doll has collaborated with artists including Meek Mill, Big Sean, Iggy Azalea, DreamDoll and K. Michelle. The rapper was also featured in a starring role on the series, BMF. She is currently working on a new project and is expecting her second child.