{"id":7536,"date":"2022-03-16T11:00:48","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T16:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wearememphis.com\/?p=7536"},"modified":"2025-03-31T18:32:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T23:32:03","slug":"bridging-the-gap-5-contemporary-women-artists-for-fans-of-memphis-music-legends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wearememphis.com\/play\/music\/bridging-the-gap-5-contemporary-women-artists-for-fans-of-memphis-music-legends\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridging the Gap: 5 Contemporary Women Artists for Fans of Memphis Music Legends"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the music industry has often\u00a0<\/span>been criticized<\/span>\u00a0as a boy\u2019s club<\/span>\u00a0(and for good reason)<\/span>, women\u00a0<\/span>in Memphis have been at the forefront of various genres since the very beginning.\u00a0<\/span>In the 1930s, Memphis Minnie earned a reputation as one of the count<\/span>r<\/span>y\u2019s most formidable guitar players,\u00a0<\/span>prompting blues legend\u00a0<\/span>Big Bill\u00a0<\/span>Broonzy<\/span>\u00a0to say that she\u00a0<\/span>coul<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0“pick a guitar and sing as good as any man I’ve ever heard.” In the 1950<\/span>s, Cordell Jackson<\/span>\u00a0became the first woman to produce, arrange, engineer, and promote music on her own rock and roll label.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In the 1960s, artists such as Carla Thomas and Ann Peebles helped to make Memphis<\/a> the soul music capitol of America. And more recently, hip-hop artis<\/span>ts like\u00a0<\/span>Gangsta<\/span>\u00a0Boo and La Chat proved that women could be just as brash, violent, and sexually explicit a<\/span>s their male counterparts.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, this tradition\u00a0<\/span>is alive and well in Memphis<\/span>, as\u00a0<\/span>countless<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>female artists continue to push<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>boundaries<\/span>\u00a0of music\u00a0<\/span>in new and exciting directions while keeping one foot deeply planted in tradition. In honor of\u00a0<\/span>Women\u2019s History Month, we present five contemporary artists who are tapping into this deep\u00a0<\/span>wellspring<\/span>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>Memphis tradition while also charting their own paths.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Liz Brasher<\/h2>\n

For\u00a0Fans\u00a0of:\u00a0Mavis Staples,\u00a0Louise McCord\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Although not a Memphis native, Liz Brasher\u2019s music is unmistakably steeped in\u00a0<\/span>the city\u2019s soul, gospel, and rock traditions.\u00a0<\/span>In fact, her influences are so\u00a0<\/span>varied<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and her sound is so diverse that she is often\u00a0<\/span>referred<\/span>\u00a0to simply as a \u201cSouthern music artist<\/span>,\u201d a\u00a0<\/span>somewhat nebulous<\/span>\u00a0title that feels\u00a0<\/span>fitting,<\/span>\u00a0nonetheless<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Since moving to Memphis in 2017,\u00a0<\/span>Brasher<\/span>\u00a0has immersed herself in the city\u2019s musical culture, working with\u00a0<\/span>some of the Bluff City\u2019s finest talents to create a retro-soul sound\u00a0<\/span>filled with spiritual undertones.<\/span>\u00a0What unifies\u00a0<\/span>all of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Brasher\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0music is her powerful voice,\u00a0<\/span>an\u00a0<\/span>undeniabl<\/span>y beautiful\u00a0<\/span>instrument that c<\/span>an\u00a0<\/span>seamlessly<\/span>\u00a0transition from primal howls to gentle crooning<\/span>\u00a0with ease<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In 2019, Brasher released her critically acclaimed album \u201cPainted Image,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>which\u00a0<\/span>received<\/span>\u00a0glowing reviews from<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>prominent\u00a0<\/span>outlets\u00a0<\/span>such as Rolling Stone<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0NPR<\/span>, solidifying her status as one of Memphis\u2019 most promising and talented young singers.\u00a0<\/span>Most recently, Brasher released the single \u201cSad Girl Status,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>a stripped-down and emotionally honest ballad\u00a0<\/span>that she\u00a0<\/span>says<\/span>\u00a0\u201cwas really born out of what I felt was a low point in my career, and subsequently my life.\u201d You can find all of Liz\u00a0<\/span>Brasher\u2019s music at\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/www.lizbrasher.com\/<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n