Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Women Icons of Popular Music: The Rebels, Rockers, and Renegades. Carrie Havranek. 2 vols. 504p. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2009. 978-0-313-34083-3; 2008-27475. $175.

This biographical dictionary surveys the careers of 24 iconic figures in the past half-century of popular music. Stretching chronologically from Patsy Cline and Tina Turner to Missy Elliott and Liz Phair, the selection features a number of musical genres including country, rock, rhythm and blues, folk and hip-hop. Averaging 20 pages apiece, the individual entries provide substantial detail on the formative years, career path and personal creative process. Discussions include the events and background surrounding particular records as well as the themes and stylistic features of individual songs. Creative influences and legacies also are explored. Both group and solo work are highlighted, so the entry on Diana Ross examines her success with the Supremes as well as her solo music and acting achievements. Numerous recording groups are discussed, but only the Indigo Girls earn a group entry. Tori Amos, Joan Baez, Aretha Franklin, Debbie Harry, Janis Joplin, Carol King, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton and Patti Smith are among the artists represented. Each article provides a brief discography and list of selected readings for further research. A brief chronology relates the careers of the artists to each other and other musical movements. With its attention on women artists, this set provides a useful complement to the publisher’s previous titles, Icons of Hip Hop (Greenwood Press, 2007), Icons of Rock (Greenwood Press, 2007) and Icons of R&B and Soul (Greenwood Press, 2008). All provide detailed examinations of the creative careers of popular artists. As such, they will find an appreciative audience in high school, public and academic libraries.