The greatest female vocalists of all time, according to Keith Richards
The talents of Keith Richards are multi-faceted, to say the least, but within the world of The Rolling Stones, he largely stays in his own lane. A rock and roll guitar hero through and through, Richards has never shown much willingness to establish himself as a vocalist. In recent years, particularly, it has been difficult to make out the words behind his gravelly tones when speaking, let alone singing. Nevertheless, the Rolling Stones guitarist has always had a keen appreciation for vocalists of varying different styles and eras.
Like the rest of the Stones, Richards has always been a disciple of the blues, with that common interest bringing the band together in the first place. It makes sense, therefore, that the vast majority of Richards’ favourite vocalists hail from the extensive and varied landscape of blues music. However, you do not get to the dizzying heights of rock stardom without embracing the sounds of various other styles, too. As such, the guitarist has fostered an impressively broad musical taste over the years.
You do not need to look too closely to see the wide spectrum of influences Richards has taken on over the years. Back in 2008, the guitarist was asked to compile a list of his 20 all-time favourite vocalists for Rolling Stone. Within that list, Richards heaped praise onto everybody from ska pioneer Toots Hibbert to rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Little Richard. Out of the 20 artists listed, however, only four were female.
While we are not here to get into a conversation about the underrepresentation of women in the music industry, it is certainly worth shining a light on Richards’ complex relationship with the female sex. Over the course of The Rolling Stones’ discography, Richards and Mick Jagger have attempted to fend off numerous accusations of misogyny, spurred on by tracks like ‘Some Girls’, ‘Star Star’, and ‘Under My Thumb’ – the latter of which was once described by Richards as “a spinoff from our environment…hotels, and too many dumb chicks”.
Nevertheless, even Keith Richards could not deny the sheer brilliance of female vocalists like Aretha Franklin. The ‘Queen of Soul’ inevitably tops Richards’ list of favourite vocalists – it would be sacrilegious to put anybody else in that top spot. Not only was Franklin among the most technically skilled vocalists of the 20th century, but her voice was also capable of conveying deep-rooted, complex emotions. The fact that she was able to use her voice as a form of political activism only added to her legendary nature, and Keef certainly took note of that.
The next woman to make Richards’ list is Ronnie Greenfield, the lead vocalist of The Ronettes, a defining girl group of the 1960s, and the progenitors of Phil Spector’s ‘Wall of Sound’ production style. Lending her vocal talents to such iconic tracks as ‘Be My Baby’ and ‘Baby, I Love You’, Greenfield was also noted for her strong attitude, which culminated in a reputation as the ‘bad girl of rock ‘n’ roll’, something that appealed to the anarchic tendencies of Keith Richards.
Immediately following Greenfield, at number 12 in Richards’ list, is Mavis Staples. Not only is Staples an essential figure within gospel and R&B music, Richards owes a great debt to her work with The Staple Singers. Back in 1954, that group became the first to record the traditional gospel track ‘This May Be the Last Time’, which formed the basis for The Stones’ smash hit ‘The Last Time’. As you might expect, Staples received no royalties from Richards and the gang, and the guitarist did not even acknowledge the influence of the gospel singer until 2003.
The fourth and final female vocalist to earn Keith Richards’ praise is roots singer Bonnie Raitt. Like Richards, Raitt has often been noted for her dedication to preserving and celebrating blues music, though her discography has also drawn from folk, Americana, and country. Her diverse output and clear vocal talent have earned Raitt a dedicated fanbase stretching across the globe, and it seems Richards is firmly within that fanbase.
Although Richards’ list of favourite female vocalists is pretty solid, there are a few notable exceptions in the form of stars like Nina Simon. Gospel star Merry Clayton would also be an apt inclusion, given that her incredible vocals on The Rolling Stones’ ‘Gimmie Shelter’ elevated that song tenfold, and they are still capable of making one’s hair stand on end. Either way, Richards’ take on the greatest female vocalists of all time does seem to reflect his all-encompassing love of blues, soul, and R&B music, which helped to define the sound of his guitar playing all the way back in the 1960s.
