Female singers from the 70’s had a wide range of styles. From pop to new wave, female singers from the era dominated the music industry. They had strong voices and stage presence, and many of these artists are still hugely popular today. You might recognize some of them, including Morna Anne Murray and Dionne Warwick.
Morna Anne Murray
Murray was one of the most prolific female singers of the 70s, with over thirty-two studio albums to her credit. Fifteen of those albums reached platinum, gold, and multi-platinum status in the United States. Murray’s strong, country voice and wholesome image won her a large number of fans in Canada.
Born in Spring Hill, Saskatchewan, Murray studied voice and piano at a young age. By her high school graduation, she had already performed Ave Maria. She was praised by Maclean’s magazine as Canada’s country music sweetheart. She later toured North America and Europe.
Her last Hot 100 hit, “Now and Forever (You and Me),” came in 1986. She also hit No. 1 on the country charts in the United States and Canada. She was a country star for many years before she became famous as a pop singer.
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick was a popular female singer during the 1970s. Her debut hit, “Then Came You,” reached the top of the pop charts. She later worked with the group the Spinners. After a brief hiatus, she returned to the charts with the single “I’ll Never Love This Way Again.” In the early 1980s, she also hosted the music show Solid Gold. Throughout the decade, she continued to perform and record new music.
Dionne Warwick was born on December 12, 1940, in East Orange, New Jersey. She was raised in a musical and religious household. At an early age, she was a member of a church choir. Soon after, she formed a gospel trio with her family and released several early hits.
Bonnie Rait
Bonnie Rait has always had a large following in the UK, where she rose to fame when she made the hit ‘You’. Her talent as a songwriter has also enabled her to cover songs by other artists. For example, on her album ‘Streetlights,’ she sang a cover version of Hank Williams’ ‘Angel from Montgomery.’ She also tackled Richard Thompson’s ‘Dimming of the Day’.
Bonnie Raitt’s career started with her self-titled debut album in 1971. She performed rock-blues songs and was compared to Linda Ronstadt. She developed a large following of fans and continued to produce new music. The title track of her second album, “Nick of Time,” is one of her most popular songs. The song has subsequently received numerous awards, including three Grammys.
Carole King
Carole King is a female singer from New York who rose to fame as a solo performer in the 1970s. She has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and won four Grammy Awards. She was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame twice and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame once. She was born in Manhattan on February 9, 1942. She was the daughter of a firefighter and a teacher. She was taught piano at the age of four by her mother. At the age of 15, she began writing her own songs and was signed to a contract with a recording producer named Don Costa.
Carol King has released over 25 albums as a solo artist. Her most successful album, Tapestry, spent twenty consecutive weeks at the top of the charts. The album’s worldwide sales are estimated at 75 million units. King has won four Grammy Awards for her music and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame twice. In 2013, she was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, making her the first woman to receive this award. She was also honored at the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors.
Donna Summer
Donna Summer is a legendary female singer from the 1970’s, who was nominated for multiple Grammy awards. Although the disco genre is now considered a thing of the past, Summer still has a considerable amount of influence in the music industry. Her 1975 debut single, “I Feel Love,” is often referred to as “the song that made disco.” This song was one of the first songs to feature synthesizers in the background.
Summer’s career was a fusion of dance, music, and straight up rock and roll. Her song “I Feel Love” has been considered one of the best songs of the late 20th century. This song paved the way for other artists, including New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, and other greats. The song was so influential that David Bowie said “this is the future” when he heard it.