Look at any list of the greatest country artists of all time and you’ll see the number of female artists who have dominated the genre – Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Barbara Mandrell, Emmylou Harris, June Carter Cash, Tammy Wynette, Tanya Tucker, Taylor Swift, The Chicks, The Judds, Crystal Gayle, Alison Krauss and Martina McBride leading up to the more contemporary artists; Shania Twain, Kelsea Ballerini, Carrie Underwood, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Lainey Wilson, Dasha, Megan Moroney, Sierra Farrell, Willow Avalon, Alana Springsteen.
There’s no question from the roots of the genre until today women have played a pivotal role in the success of country music. All of this begs the question: how the hell can only eight percent of the artists played at country radio right now be women?
That’s right, eight percent! This is according to a recent study by The Tennessean.
Gender inequity at radio is sadly nothing new. I remember Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow telling me in separate interviews how rock radio told them both separately at the beginnings of their career that rock radio could not add two women at once.
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