While Beyonce, Patti, Gladys, Aretha, and Mary J. all have heralded careers that have reached and then surpassed the tipping point, for some reason, there are a slew of ultra-talented soul sisters whose musical careers have either stalled or just not achieved the heights of sales or celebrity they should have. These divas aren’t all household names (well, it depends on your household), but if you’ve ever heard them sing, you know these women deserve all the accolades they’ve yet to receive.

Let’s stop, pause and listen - and then hit Itunes or the local record store to support the following underrated ladies of soul - and help get them the props they so truly deserve. 


ANN NESBY – The former lead vocalist of the 90’s gospel-inspired group The Sounds of Blackness, Nesby once paid tribute to Patti Labelle by blowing the brains out of her songs (I know - I was there and witnessed it) to the point even Ms. Patti had to give Ann her props. This Grammy winning singer/songwriter has had her own solo success with the hit “I Apologize,” but also wrote the song “Right Kinda Lover” for, yes, Ms. Labelle. She’s also producing the next generation of singers as her daughter is singer Jamecia, and her granddaughter is “American Idol” finalist Paris Bennett - and since Paris had a baby girl last year, we figure that the future of music is set.) The newly trim Nesby just shed over 130 pounds via gastric bypass surgery and releases her solo CD, “The Lula Lee Project,” on March 31.

Quote: “Grammy-winner Ann Nesby, who initially made her mark as the lead vocalist for the legendary Sounds Of Blackness, has emerged as one of the great R&B singers of our time as evidenced by her acclaimed solo albums.” -  Amazon.com

Watch: Paris, Jamecia and Ann singing together, and Sounds of Blackness' “Optimistic.”

Must Hear: “The Evolution of Gospel,” The Sounds of Blackness (1991).


LALAH HATHAWAY – Of course, you know the last name. Hathaway is legendary soul man Donny Hathaway’s daughter, but she’s emerged over two decades as a gorgeous singer in her own right. Yet, somehow, she manages to remain almost anonymous to many R&B fans. Maybe it’s because Hathaway has only released five albums in the 22 years she’s been actively recording. Her latest CD, “Self-Portrait,” came out last year.

Quote: “She is forging her own path and revitalizing a standard of musicianship many thought had long since passed away.” - Divastation.com

Watch: “Baby Don’t Cry.”

Must Hear: “Forever, For Always, For Love,” from the 2004 LP “Outrun the Sky.”
 

BETTYE LAVETTE – If you wondered who the slim, well-preserved older woman was who came out and sang with Bon Jovi at the inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial this year, that, my friends, was Bettye Lavette. The consummate soul singer, now 63, has been around for decades, not that folks outside of a small, informed circle knew.

The Detroit native sang with James Brown, Otis Redding and Cab Calloway, performing with him on Broadway in the musical “Bubbling Brown Sugar.” Her signature song, “Let Me Down Easy,” was recorded in 1969, and she was once signed to Motown. A few solo albums followed, but it was 2005’s “My Own Hell to Raise” that helped Lavette get “discovered” by a whole new generation of soul music lovers.

Quote: “LaVette is an ace interpreter, not a songwriter, but she made every number, from the opening 'The Stealer' to her a cappella, no-mike encore of Sinead O'Connor's 'I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got,' sound like she'd written the lyrics in .....

Please Login or Register to post comments on this article

Close Comment  |   Read More Comments Hide More Comments

Comments * :

Please do not enter the HTML tags(Maximum 600 characters).