American Female Jazz Musicians

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 1 
Billie Holiday
(One of the Greatest Jazz Singers from the 1930s to the 1950s)
Billie Holiday
6
Birthdate: April 7, 1915
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: July 17, 1959
Jazz legend Billie Holiday had a tumultuous childhood and ended up in prison due to prostitution. Upon her release, at 14, she started singing using her pseudonym and performed at sold-out Carnegie Hall shows. Nicknamed Lady Day, she was riddled with alcohol and drug issues. She won four posthumous Grammys.
 2 
Chaka Khan
(Singer)
Chaka Khan
6
Birthdate: March 23, 1953
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
Ten-time Grammy-winning funk/R&B/disco artist Chaka Khan, or the Queen of Funk, soared to fame as the frontwoman of the band Rufus. Known for her hit track I Feel for You, Khan has sold 70 million records and has ranked 17th on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll list.
 3 
Rita Coolidge
(Musician)
Rita Coolidge
5
Birthdate: May 1, 1945
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lafayette, Tennessee, United States
 4 
Eva Cassidy
(Singer, Guitarist)
Eva Cassidy
4
Birthdate: February 2, 1963
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Oxon Hill, Maryland, United States
Died: November 2, 1996
 5 
Peggy Lee
(Singer)
Peggy Lee
4
Birthdate: May 26, 1920
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Jamestown, North Dakota, United States
Died: January 21, 2002
 6 
Esperanza Spalding
(Music educator, Jazz musician, Singer)
Esperanza Spalding
4
Birthdate: October 18, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Portland
 7 
Sarah Vaughan
(Singer)
Sarah Vaughan
3
Birthdate: March 27, 1924
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died: April 3, 1990
 8 
Wendy Carlos
(Musician)
Wendy Carlos
4
Birthdate: November 14, 1939
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA
 9 
Alice Coltrane
(Musician)
Alice Coltrane
3
Birthdate: August 27, 1937
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Died: January 12, 2007
 10 
Melody Gardot
(Singer-songwriter, Jazz musician, Singer, Composer, Pianist)
Melody Gardot
3
Birthdate: February 2, 1985
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New Jersey
 11 
Ethel Waters
(Actor, Singer, Jazz musician, Stage actor)
Ethel Waters
3
Birthdate: October 31, 1896
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Chester County
Died: September 1, 1977
 12 
Cindy Blackman Santana
3
Birthdate: November 18, 1959
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Yellow Springs, Ohio
 13 
Keely Smith
(Jazz Singer Who Released Hits Like ‘That Old Black Magic’ and ‘I Wish You Love’)
Keely Smith
3
Birthdate: March 9, 1928
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Died: December 16, 2017
 14 
Kate Higgins
(Actor, Singer, Jazz musician, Pianist)
Kate Higgins
3
Birthdate: August 16, 1969
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Charlottesville
 15 
Rachael Price
(Singer, Musician)
Rachael Price
0
Birthdate: August 30, 1985
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
 16 
Lucia Micarelli
(Actor, Jazz musician, Violinist, Television actor)
Lucia Micarelli
2
Birthdate: July 9, 1983
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York City
 17 
Stacey Kent
(Jazz musician, Singer, Radio personality)
Stacey Kent
2
Birthdate: March 27, 1968
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: City of Orange Township
 18 
Mary Lou Williams
(American jazz pianist)
Mary Lou Williams
2
Birthdate: May 8, 1910
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Died: May 28, 1981
 19 
Carla Bley
(Known for Her Jazz Opera 'Escalator Over the Hill')
Carla Bley
2
Birthdate: May 11, 1936
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
 20 
Adelaide Hall
(Singer, Artist, Jazz musician, Actor, Stage actor)
Adelaide Hall
2
Birthdate: October 20, 1901
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City
Died: November 7, 1993
 21 
Shirley Horn
(Musician)
Shirley Horn
2
Birthdate: May 1, 1934
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Died: October 20, 2005
 22 
Cheryl Miller
(Actress)
Cheryl Miller
1
Birthdate: February 4, 1943
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sherman Oaks, California, USA
 23 
Marion Montgomery
(Singer, Musician)
Marion Montgomery
0
Birthdate: November 17, 1934
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Natchez, Mississippi, United States
Died: July 22, 2002
 24 
Valaida Snow
(Jazz musician)
Valaida Snow
1
Birthdate: June 2, 1904
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Died: May 30, 1956
 25 
Helen Jones Woods
(Jazz musician)
Helen Jones Woods
1
Birthdate: September 30, 1923
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
Died: July 25, 2020
 26 
Dorothy Donegan
(Musician)
Dorothy Donegan
0
Birthdate: April 26, 1924
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: May 19, 1998
 27 
Marilyn Mazur
(Percussionist)
Marilyn Mazur
0
Birthdate: January 18, 1955
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
 28 
Zeena Parkins
(Musician)
Zeena Parkins
0
Birthdate: 1956 AD
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
 29 
Corky Hale
(Harpist)
Corky Hale
0
Birthdate: July 3, 1936
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Freeport, Illinois, United States