Womanica

Mary Wells (1943-1992) was the Queen of Motown. While her name is often excluded from the roster of Motown greats, she belongs in this parthenon of barrier-breaking talent. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Ente...

Ethel Waters (1896-1977) was a singer and actress who made a career moving from vaudeville and honky-tonk to jazz, pop music, and Broadway. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media...

Dinah Washington (1924-1963) rocketed to stardom in the 1950s. Her distinctive blues, jazz and R&B music topped the charts, earning her the title ‘Queen of the Blues.' History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Wo...

Clara Ward (1924-1973) was a singer whose storied career and one-of-a-kind voice helped bring gospel into mainstream music. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast...

Eileen Southern (1920-2002) dedicated her life to documenting the traditions of Black music in America. Through her work, she illuminated her community’s true musical diversity. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum?...

Diana Ross (1944-present) has a career that has spanned the last six decades. She is the only female artist to have number one singles as a solo artist; as a duet; as a member of a trio; and as an ensemble member. Her vocals shaped what is known as the Motown sound and have influenced generations of artists. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students,...

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (c.1886-1939) was known as the Mother of the Blues. With her full, deep throated voice and lyrics that celebrated the liberation of Black women, this musician influenced the genre of blues for generations to come. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so man...

Leontyne Price (1927-present) broke barriers by singing in a long-segregated style–opera. She became one of the most beloved voices of her generation and opened the door for even more Black opera stars. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing fro...

Julia Perry (1924-1979) was a prolific composer whose music combined a career’s worth of study in European classical training with her own African American heritage. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Woma...

Odetta (1930-2008) was a folk icon whose songs were the soundtrack of the protest movement of the 50s and 60s. She influenced a generation of musicians then and now. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Woma...

Mabel Mercer (1900-1984) was a famous cabaret performer and an inspiration to some of the most famous voices of music. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we e...

Patti LaBelle (1944-present) has had a long career pushing boundaries in soul and gospel music. In fact, she’s known as ‘The Godmother of Soul.' History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder...

Gladys Knight (1944-present) is a legend known as the “Empress of Soul.” Her repertoire boasts no fewer than seven Grammys, two number-one Billboard Hot 100 Singles, eleven number-one R&B hits, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Wh...

Etta James (1938-2012) had one of the strongest voices in the history of blues, R&B, and soul music. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives o...

Alberta Hunter (1895-1984) was a singer with one of the longest, and most unconventional, careers in music. By the time she was in her 30s, she’d played Broadway, toured countless European cabarets, and sold thousands of records. Then, at the age of 62, she took a 20-year-long break before staging a massively successful comeback in her 80s. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for goo...

Whitney Houston (1963-2012) was one of the best selling musical artists of all time whose singles repeatedly topped the charts. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network pod...

Lizzie “Kid” Douglas, AKA Memphis Minnie (1897-1973) was the queen of country blues. Her strong voice and masterful fingerpicking on the guitar defied gender and genre constraints. Her influence and style of music laid the foundation for electric Chicago blues, R&B, and Rock ‘n’ Roll. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wonderi...

Aaliyah (1979-2001) was an artist who set a new standard for R&B in the 90s. She integrated genres and was known for her distinctive voice and style. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wo...

Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919) was a feminist, suffragist, spy, prisoner of war and surgeon. She was a nonconformist, who became the ​​only woman in history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing fro...

Helen Rodríguez Trías (1929-2001) was the first Latina director of the American Public Health Association. She was a leading advocate in the women’s health movement who pushed institutions to better understand the social and economic determinants of health. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the lad...

Helen B. Taussig (1898-1986) was one of the most renowned and distinguished doctors of the 20th century. Though she faced numerous challenges, she persevered to produce a legacy of work that has saved countless lives. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stor...

Florence Sabin (1871-1953) was one of the first American women to make a career as a research scientist. She was the first female faculty member at Johns Hopkins University, the first woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and the first woman to become a member of the Rockefeller Institute.  History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we co...

Lulu Hunt Peters (1873-1930) popularized a mathematical approach to weight loss. In doing so, she transformed modern diet culture and many of her ideas still permeate through society today. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical...

Bertha Pappenheim (1859-1936) was a feminist, social pioneer, and the founder of the Jewish Women's Association. She is also one of the most famous patients in history, known as Anna O. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical cur...

Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845-1926) was the first African American to complete a professional training program and work as a nurse in the United States. History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wond...