Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Stew
I don't agree whatsoever with those who are making this personal and attacking you individually
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right? there was so much of it that i'm almost worried that i might be attacked by a chiff army at one of the upcoming Mac shows.
if that happens i will count on Ed's righteous and chivalrous nature (that i hope he does have somewhere bellow it all) to come through in my defense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rhiannondontgo
This is a woman who chose a career over a family or a husband. A woman who admits to having had abortions. A woman who is straight up about how many men have screwed her over, and admits to every last discrepancy and affair and addiction, and openly says she doesn't mind giving up romance or marriage or companionship for her job. How many people can say that unabashedly? And in addition to that, she didn't play the "girl singer role" women so often took on in those days. She partied as hard as the men did. She did just as many drugs. She had just as much sex. She was never a housewife type of woman and she never claimed to be. I'm not saying all of her choices were right, but she definitely paved the way for a lot of other female musicians to come into their own. She's a beautiful, sexy woman who dresses up in lace and velvet and chiffon and platforms, but is taken seriously by every man in the business. She earned that. She never sacrificed her femininity and confidence to be treated like a serious musician. She proved herself to be treated that way.
.........
I'm not saying Stevie was the only one who paved the way, she obviously was not. Janis and Grace Slick started it before her. Linda and Ann and Nancy were doing it at the same time that she was. People like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper continued after her. Some women don't even get much recognition for their trailblazing actions. Did you all know Cher was the first woman to show her belly button on tv, and was criticized for it by the public? Did you know the press and country fans everywhere slandered Dolly Parton in the late 70s for talking about her sexual experiences in her teenage years during an interview? Or that in 1968, long before country was ever female-friendly, she released a single called Just Because I'm a Woman, about how hypocritical it is for men to judge women on past sexual discrepancies, or whether they drink or smoke or whatever, when they all are guilty of the same? Or that Debbie Harry, who started her career as a playboy bunny (!) and was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, actually preached equality and anti-racism all throughout her career, is credited with making rap mainstream, actually named her band after the cat-calls from men in cars who would yell "hey blondie!" out at her and whistle; in an attempt to re-claim the rude nickname, and that she openly admits to her plastic surgery, sexual experiences with women, and past drug addictions?
There have been hundreds of female public figures who have together paved the way for girls of today, and it's preposterous to stay Stevie isn't one of them. Maybe some have accomplished more than others, or should be considered bigger trailblazers. But no matter where you rank her, she is on that list.
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thank you for taking the time to write this really nice post! i was not going to go into this thread anymore because it became way too petty (see Johnny Stew's quote above), but this post brought me back.
it is so nice to see the recognition of all these other women. among others we are forgetting, i would definitely add Chrissie Hynde who successfully led her own band as someone already pointed out in this thread, and also Suzi Quatro the first female bass player to become a major rock star and had first hit singles in the early 70s.