Female Guitarists

Joni Mitchell is one of the most popular Canadian singer-songwriters. Widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, her songs reflect her feelings about joy, romance, disillusionment, and confusion. Apart from being a musician, Joni is also a visual artist who designs most of her album covers. In fact, she calls herself a painter derailed by circumstance.  

Bonnie Raitt is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist. Despite little commercial success at the beginning of her career, Raitt remained persistent until she had her first major hit in 1989. She has been named in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time lists. She also supports organizations like Little Kids Rock.

Singer, songwriter, musician, and activist Joan Baez has been active in the music world for over six decades. She emerged as a major musical figure in the counterculture era of the 1960s. Her music encompasses various genres like pop, folk-rock, country, and gospel music. She is involved in civil rights, human rights, and environmental activism as well.

Nancy Wilson is a celebrated musician, singer, songwriter and composer.  A guitar virtuoso from the age of ten, she joined the rock band Heart in early 1970s, releasing numerous albums with them. She released her first solo studio album in 2021.

Patti Scialfa is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. The wife of popular musician Bruce Springsteen, Scialfa has been an important member of Springsteen's primary backing band, E Street Band, since 1984. As a member of the band, Patti Scialfa became an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Lita Ford is an English-born American vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. She is best known as the lead guitarist for The Runaways, a now-defunct rock band. Also a humanitarian, Ford took part in a cooking television game show titled Chopped in an attempt to raise $10,000 for her charity. In the 2010 film The Runaways, Ford was played by Scout Taylor-Compton.

Tinged with themes of female sexuality, the lyrics of PJ Harvey have redefined the place women occupy in rock music. While she was initially part of a musical trio named after herself, she later charted her own path as a solo musician. She is only artist to have earned the Mercury Prize twice.

Michelle Branch is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for her vocal performance on Santana's song The Game of Love, which received a Grammy Award under the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category. She is also credited with forming the now-defunct duo The Wreckers.

Irish singer, songwriter, and guitarist Allie Sherlock came into the limelight in 2017 after a YouTube cover of hers went viral. Even though she had been uploading her music on YouTube since 2014, it was only in 2017 that she gained widespread attention. Since then, she has appeared in a few TV shows as well.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an American recording artist, guitarist, and singer-songwriter. Characterized by a mixture of electric guitar and spiritual lyrics, Tharpe's music played an influential role in the development of rock and roll. Her music influenced several rock-and-roll musicians like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Chuck Berry. She is often referred to as the Godmother of rock and roll.

Lzzy Hale is a singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Halestorm. She is also the co-founder of the band. She began writing and performing music as a teenager and began her career collaborating with her brother, Arejay. She has also collaborated with many other artists.    

Australia’s beloved Yellow Wiggle, Emma Watkins grew up trained as a classical dancer and later became the first female member of the Australian dance group the Wiggles. She also completed a film studies course on a scholarship. Emma is an Endometriosis Australia ambassador, having suffered the ailment herself.  

Courtney Barnett is an Australian musician, singer, and songwriter. Renowned for her witty lyrics and deadpan singing style, Barnett achieved international recognition after releasing her highly successful EP, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas. Over the years, she has won several important awards, such as APRA Music Awards, ARIA Music Awards, and AIR Awards. 

Spanish-American actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco-guitarist Charo, whose birth year remains a subject of dispute for several years, is known for her seductive deep voice with Spanish accent, unrestrained and exuberant manner, and the catch-phrase cuchi-cuchi. She has released albums like Guitar Passion, featured in films like The Concorde...Airport '79 and guest starred in TV series like The Love Boat.

Brody Armstrong is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. She had a tumultuous childhood marred by abuse and violence. She sought solace in music and began her career as a teenager. As a young woman, she was part of many bands with which she released numerous hit albums and singles. She also has a successful career as a soloist.