Women Who Rock! New Exhibit at the R & R Hall of Fame
What do you do when Lucianno Pavarotti calls and asks you to stand in for him? You do what Aretha Franklin did at the 1998 Grammy Awards broadcast — you sing!
Oh, how she did sing! With short notice, not only did she stand in for her friend, she sang the song he would have sung — "Nessun Dorma". The "Queen of Soul" did a few lines in English, nailed the high notes, threw in a touch of soul and brought the audience to their feet! Not bad for an artist that began singing in the church choir, had hit after hit in the R & B genre, and is now being honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "Women Who Rock" exhibit that opened today, Friday, May 13, 2011.
Another inductee in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is Mahalia Jackson. Surprised? Yep, she and Maybelle Carter are right up there with all the rockers in this tribute to female artists who have had significant influence on the genre. Others being highlighted (among more than sixty) are Cyndi Lauper, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Chrissie Hynde, Darlene Love, and Wanda Jackson. Memorabilia and artifacts will be on display in a two-floor exhibit until February 2012.
The annual "It's Only Rock and Roll" concert will be tomorrow, May 14, and feature performances by Lauper, Love, and Jackson as well as others.
Jim Henke, vice president of exhibitions and curatorial affairs for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum said that this project would "...illustrate the vital role women played in shaping the evolution of rock and roll. — Women Who Rock will compare and contrast artist experiences, highlighting the female spirit as the engine of creation and change in the music."
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