Blues Ladies

Those of you who believe that the blues is the exclusive preserve of men with a fistful of booze 'n' women troubles, think again. These ladies rank among the genre's greatest ambassadors, from the great Mamie Smith (the first African-American to be recorded singing the blues, in 1920) to the evergreen modern blueswoman Bonnie Raitt.

These first ladies of blues are every bit as raw and rowdy as their male counterparts, none more saucy than the incredible Lucille Bogan, who turned the air blue back in the '30s with songs like "Skin Game Blues," a tale of sex, men, and gambling, naturally. Also, be sure to check out one of the most gifted guitarists in our playlist, Joanna Connor ("Doctor Feelgood").

Hard times — the bedrock of all blues — were never too far from Algia Mae Hinton, who was born in rural North Carolina at the end of the '20s, spent most of her life as a farm worker, and raised seven kids alone after the early death of her husband. She released her debut album, Honey Babe, at the end of the '90s when she was 68 years old.

Meet the mistresses of pain, suffering, and sweet, raw music. These ladies sing and play the blues straight from the gut. From the pioneering heroines like Ma Rainey and Bertha "Chippie" Hill (who worked through the '20s, gave up music for family in the '30s, and was rediscovered while working in a bakery in the mid-'40s) to their direct musical descendants, like the Georgia-based Beverly "Guitar" Watkins ("My Baby Left Town"), here's a fine selection of the world's greatest blueswomen.