Where Are the Black Female Rock Stars?

Under Wraps? Or Overlooked?

Lenny Kravitz. Jimi Hendrix. Ben Harper. Prince. Living Colour. These are all names of artists associated with rock-n-roll music. What they have in common is that they are all black men. Despite ongoing arguments that rock originated within the black community, traditionally, there have been few places in the rock subculture for people of color. But that number dwindles down even further when you consider the number of black women involved in, and making rock music.

Rissi Palmer, a twenty-something black country singer from Pittsburgh has made headlines as she's nosed into a style dominated primarily by white artists. This has been interesting to many, since pop, R&B, and hip-hop are all genres of music which typically embrace black women. It would seem that finding African-American females to fill these gaps in the music industry shouldn't be too difficult. But in terms of rock music, it appears that black women are grossly overlooked. There may be several reasons why.

Rock, Pop, and Everything In Between

First of all, let the record show that rock music is becoming more and more difficult to truly define for some people. With rappers claiming to be rock stars, and rockers dipping their toes into the pool of hip-hop, the lines between genres have become blurred. Take for instance, Philadelphia bred singer, Res. In 2001, her single "Golden Boys" reached a certain level of popularity amongst followers of alternative music; but the song was not popular on radio.

Some theorize that because her sound did not fit traditional R&B standards she was automatically omitted from these radio playlists. Moreover, some also believe that her distinctintly black voice has kept her from being considered a true alternative artist. White female singers like Amy Winehouse have had no problem in the past with being accepted by both white and black audiences.