This week I am looking back on a few women in our history that were cut from a very different cloth. These amazing and highly original women all had varying levels of success on the charts, but they all had a nice following. They were far edgier than many other women of their era with a unique style and that was their calling card. I loved all these artists and you can't talk about "edgy" women in country without beginning with Tanya Tucker, who is STILL a force winning Grammy's in the past couple years. (My full profile on Tanya). And in an even more contemporary sense, Lainey Wilson who is reinventing it right before our eyes. But you may not be as familiar with these three below, or it'll be good to hear from them again. Let's look back on three women, cut from a different cloth, that are simply terrific!
Lacy J. Dalton
I loved her. She she hit the charts in the early 1980's and remained there for a few years. She was dubbed by some as the "Janis Joplin Of Country Music", and that was apt. She reminded me too of Bonnie Tyler and even Bonnie Raitt to a degree with her singing delivery. Her very edgy voice really stood out in her era. I always felt that she picked perfect songs for singles. Her single, 16th Avenue was highly influential to other women coming up, and was universally loved by critics as well. She never had a number one, but Takin' It Easy was a #2. The gift LJD had was when you heard her sing, you KNEW it was her, as she cut through and was exceedingly different. The song I'll feature here is Hard Times. It was a top 10 hit and was out during the very tough economic recession of the early 80's, and it was right on time, and she was perfect for it. I loved this song as it spoke to the times and listeners perfectly. She now saves wild horses in Nevada.
Michelle Wright
Not long before there was Shania Twain, Terri Clark and others out of Canada, there was the passionate Michelle Wright. She is among the most awarded singers of all music in Canadian history. When she broke through in the states in the very early 90's, she opened the door for a flood of north of the border singers to come to Nashville. I loved hearing her sing with her very sultry and soulful voice. Her chart success in this country was not nearly the same as in Canada, and that's a shame. She charted a number of songs, like Take It Like A Man, which was a top ten and New Kind Of Love, and there were a few others. But her style was new and in her native country she is as big as any country star has ever been. She has won every award there is to win a few times over and is in their Hall Of Fame. A truly unique talent, voice and stylist, Michelle Wright has had a stellar career.
K.T. Oslin
You can't possibly talk about a different cloth and not mention the utterly unique K.T. Oslin. She had an amazing career and was very definition of the aforementioned. When she debuted, that extreme difference was the absolute key to her incredible success. She was so unique in her sound, style and heck the stage in life - when she at last found a gigantic fan base. (She was 45 when she took off - simply unheard of). That base was more than proud to cheer her on - and a musical genre that accepted her and took her to the absolute top. She is a huge award winner and the owner of many big hit songs over about an incredible 5 year span. 80's Ladies was an anthem for a generation and she had other powerful songs that made her a hero. And that's not too big of a word for her at that time. She was most certainly a bluesy stylist, and there was NO DOUBT who was singing on the radio when she was on it. K.T. Oslin died in 2020, she was 78. (My Complete Profile On Her) - There will never be another one.
