My earlier post was made in response to what I thought the op was asking for: "soothing" early-morning listening. If it’s female singers for any time of the day (or mood), that’s a whole ’nother matter.
Rarely mentioned here are the great female R & B singers of the 50’s and 60’s (and later), who are the antithesis of soothing (they are the female version of male Blues "shouters" such as Big Joe Turner, whom I had the thrill of a lifetime to hear live on stage in the mid-80’s, backed by The Blasters.).
-Ruth Brown (one of Bonnie Raitt’s favorites)
- Darlene Love (listen to her sing "Christmas [Baby Please Come Home]" on the Phil Spector Christmas album. Hair-raising!)
- LaVern Baker
- Etta James
- Arlene Smith (of The Chantels. Listen to her incendiary vocal on the group’s astounding recording of "Maybe"!)
- Irma Thomas
- Merry Clayton (the singer of "Rape! Murder!" on The Stones "Gimme Shelter". Mick only wishes he could sing with the power of Merry. ;-)
- Aretha Franklin, of course
- Mavis Staples (heard singing a verse in "The Weight" during the ending sequence in The Band’s Last Waltz film. More recently she has made a number of albums produced by the likes of Ry Cooder and Jeff Tweedy [Mavis and Tweedy?!]. Plus she and Levon Helm recorded together in Levon’s Barn studio in 2011, the recordings finally released on a 2-LP set in 2022).
- Big Maybelle (it was her version of "Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On" that inspired Jerry Lee Lewis to record the song five years after her).
- Big Mama Thornton (it was her version of "Hound Dog" [written by the great, great Rock ’n’ Roll songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller] that inspired Elvis Presley to record the song four years later).
There are of course many others, but let me bring to your attention a more contemporary singer of note: Lou Ann Barton.
Lou Ann was the original lead singer of a little 5-pc. combo named Triple Threat Revue that was playing around Austin Texas in 1977. The band’s lead guitarist was a guy named Stevie Ray Vaughan, then known more for being Jimmie Vaughan’s younger brother than for his guitar playing. When founding member W.C. Clark left the band they changed their name to Double Trouble, the name taken because of the band’s two front persons: Lou Ann on vocals, Stevie of course on guitar.
Lou Ann left Double Trouble in late-’79, and Stevie kept the name for his now 2-pc. back-up band, with him taking over vocal chores. Lou Ann came to the attention of Jerry Wexler (Atlantic Record’s in-house record producer) during her 1980 tenure in Roomfull Of Blues, and he got her a record deal on Asylum Records and produced her debut album, Old Enough. Jerry took Lou Ann down to Alabama to record, with her backing musicians including the fantastic studio band The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, with the incredible drummer & bassist team of Roger Hawkins & David Hood. Old Enough is a fantastic album, one I consider essential.
Lou Ann went on to record a number of other albums, and frequently joins Jimmie Vaughan on the road, he featuring her for a good portion of his live show. Lou Ann is as cool as chicks come ;-) .