Top ten favorite female vocal group harmony lead singers

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

It's only fair to give the ladies equal time. I'll be honest and say I much prefer the male voice and male singers.

1. GLADYS KNIGHT [[GK & The Pips). This was easy for me, since Gladys is my favorite female vocalist. She truly is the Empress of Soul. A class act on and off stage, Gladys has never given a poor performance. I love all her recordings and she sings as well today as she ever did.

2. ARLENE SMITH [[Chantels). What a beautiful voice this lady has. "Maybe" is one of my all time favorite slow jams. All their recordings are good, including two songs where they backed Eugene Pitt along with the Jive Five.

3. BARBARA ENGLISH [[Clckettes). The lady can sing and has a sexy quality to her voice.

4. DARLENE LOVE [[Blossoms). Darlene is a great singer who still sounds as good today as she did in the past.

5. BABY WASHINGTON [[Hearts). Justine [[Baby) is a unique song stylist who you recognize every time you hear her. Still singing today and love her song "The Time" [[ she sang a duet with Eugene Pitt of her classic on one of the Jive Five albums.)

6. GLADYS HORTON [[Marvelettes). Great songs from this group and Gladys can bring it.

7. SHIRLEY ALSTON REEVES [[Shirelles). Love Shirely's voice and the group's recordings.

8. BARBARA HARRIS [[Toys). Saw them at a concert in Brooklyn and they were terrific!

9. RONNIE SPECTOR [[Ronnettes). Ronnie's unique voice has always pleased me. The group had some great recordings.

10. SHIELA ROSS [[Royalettes). "It Only Takes A Miracle" - great song!

These are my top ladies. I look forward to seeing your lists.

~~Mary~~

[Soul Sister]

Starting with mid 1950's on up ~

1. Dual Leads of Betty & Rosie Collins [[The Teen Queens)
2. Pearl McKinnon [[The Kodaks)
3. Veronica Specter [[The Ronnetts)
4. Arlene Smith [[The Chantels)
5. Shirley Alston Reeves [[The Shirells)
6. 14 year old Judy Craig [[The Chiffons)
7. Sheila Ross [[The Royalettes)
8. Gladys Knight [[The Pips)
9. Brenda Payton [[The Tabulations)
10. Gladys Horton [[The Marvelettes)

Special Mention: Barbara Jean English [[The Clickettes, etc...), Fayette Pickney [[The Three Degrees), Sheila Young [[The Fuzz), Barbara Harris [[The Toys), Darlene Love [[The Blossoms), Martha Reeves [[The Vandellas).

S.S.
***

[nosey]

Ladies you are mind readers but a friend recently made a cd for me and I love the lead singer's voice of the Angels. That song "Till" gives me goose bumps not to mention, "Cry Baby, Cry".

[Soul Sister]

Hi nosey,
I forgot all baout "Till", yes, chills!

S.S.
***

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

Good one, Nosey!! I'd like to see your top ten.

~~Mary~~

[nosey]

Mary, I'm not one for lists but I agree with your #1 choice. Love me some Glad!

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

That's cool, Nosey.

[blueskies]

Wanda Young....The Marvelettes
Darlene Love....Blossoms
Sheila Ross.....Royalettes
Jean Terrell....Supremes
June Pointer...Pointer Sisters [[they all did leads)
G lodean White....Love Unlimited
Rochelle Flemming....First Choice
Alton McClain.....Alton McClain and Destiny

[robb_k]

Darlene Love - Blossoms/Bob B. Soxx & Blue Jeans
Darlene McCrea - Cookies/Honey Bees
Pearl McKinnon - Kodoks/Kodaks/Royalettes
Ruby Nash- Ruby & Romantics
Cal Gill - Velvelettes
Gloria Williams - Del Phis/Vells
Gladys Horton - Marvelettes/Darnells
Lillian Leach -Mellows
Barbara English - Clickettes
Baby Washington - Hearts/Plants
Alder Ray Mathis - Buttons/Buttons & Beaus
Arenita Walker - Lollipops
Judy Craig - Chiffons
Arlene Smith - Chantels
Kendra Spotswood [[AKA Kenni Woods)- Fantastic Vantastics
Ann Bogan - Challengers III/Andantes

[luke]

Edna Wright/Honey Cone; Jiggs Albut/Angels; Patti/Bluebelles; Judy Craig/Chiffons; Arlene/Chantels; Mary Weiss/SHangri-las;Sheila Ross/Royalettes;Gladys Horton/Marvelettes;Glodean White LU; Sheila and Wanda/Emotions; Darlene/Blossoms.

[daviddesper]

Although I think the group as a whole deserved the credit for their harmonies, as opposed to the lead singer, I would have to include The Jones Girls in this discussion. I also thought The Three Degrees had incredible harmony.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Although I think the group as a whole deserved the credit for their harmonies, as opposed to the lead singer, I would have to include The Jones Girls in this discussion. I also thought The Three Degrees had incredible harmony.

I will second that. Both the Jones Girls and The Three Degrees had great harmonies and lead vocalists. It is kinda hard for me to list 10 singers - whoever I'm listening to at the time has to be a favorite. I like some of the names I've seen mentioned so far. But I'd add Cissy Houston of the Sweet Insprirations, Wanda Young Rogers of the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves and Sheila Hutchison of the Emotions.

[tjl]

Wow - how can you pick just 10?.....I can't....

Claudette Robinson - [[After All)
Martha Reeves [[Forget Me Not)
Sheila Furguson [[Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again)
Shirley Alston Reeves [[Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow)
Ronnie Spector [[Silhouettes)
Diana Ross [[Everything Is Good About You)
Betty Everett [[You're No Good)
Marilyn McCoo [[One Less Bell To Answer)
Aretha Franklin [[Ain't No Way)
Saudra Edwards [[Put Yourself In My Place)
Ruby Nash [[When You're Young & In Live)
Darlene Love [[Good, Good Luvin' & Today I Met The Boy I'm Gonna Marry)
La La Brroks [[When He Walked Me Home)
Barbara Harris [[Lovers Concerto)
Brenda Reid [[Do Wah Diddy)
Wanda Young [[That's How Heartaches Are Made)
Gladys Horton [[Too Strong To Be Strung Along)
Arlene Smith [[Everynight, I Pray)
Judy Craig [[I Have A Boyfriend)
Etta James [[Pushover)
Rosetta Hightower [[Spinning Top)
Dionne Warwick [[Walk On By)
Dusty Spingfield [[The Look Of Love)
Cal Gill [[He Was Really Sayin' Something, Lonely Girl Am I)
Patti Drew [[Tell Him)
Tina Britt [[The Real Thing)
Yvonne Mills [[Music, Music, Music - Sensations)
Dee Dee Warwick [[I'm Gonna Make You Love Me)
Barbara Mason [[Yes, I'm Ready)
Nancy Sinatra [[You Only Live Twice, Summer Wine)
Baby Washington [[The Time)
Carla Thomas [[Gee Whiz)
Frances Nero [[Keep On Loving Me)
Petula Clark [[Don't Sleep In The Subway)
Odyssey [[Native New Yorker)
Karen Carpenter [[Close To You)

[splanky]

I can't list my top ten because the singers would rotate every hour and I like virtually all
of the women already listed by folks here. I will mention 3 who have long been very special
to me I don't see listed:
Susaye Green [[The Supremes)
Londee Wiggins [[New Birth) and
Jessica Cleaves who touched me with her voice like nobody else has ever done...
[[Friends Of Distinction, Earth Wind and Fire, Parliament Funkadelic)
Also I have to big up everybody who has mentioned Glodean White of Love Unlimited.
Her vocals on tracks like He's All I Got and Share A Little Love In Your Heart PEEL me.....

[manny]

I agree with almost the 90% of the ones that have been mentioned. And also totally agree with the daviddesper's comment about the fact that many female or male/female groups on wich the "lead" singer is a woman, it is difficult to say who is our favorite, because there's many of those acts on wich ALL the member are "leads" on different song or in a same song there's some verses or parts sung by different members. This didn't no justice on some vocal groups as Pointer Sisters, Three Degrees, etc on wich every member can be rate as "lead".

I only wanna add some of my faces that are not mentioned before:

- Barbara Roy [[from Ecstasy, Passion & Pain)
- [[No sure if this is the correct name) Sheryl Henry [[?) from South Shore Commission. She deserves a great status only for is magistral voice on "Any Day Now"... so mellow!!, the female equivalent to Ronnie Dyson, pure opera!

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

It is difficult to narrow down your choices, but I must say you all have listed some great female vocal group harmony lead singers, and I'm enjoying reading your picks. I hope you will add your favorites in the thread for favorite male vocal group harmony lead singers. Some of the best voices ever came from vocal group harmony groups. Thanks to all.

~~Mary~~

[Soul Sister]

I forgot about Londee Wiggins so fantastic!!! Jessica Cleaves too. As well as the 'original' lead female from Atlantic Starr Sharon Bryant, sooo good!!!!!!!!!!
Others I left out from honorable mention Marilyn McCoo & Cissy Houston.

Goodins` Splanky!

S.S.
***

[motony]

1)Martha Reeves/Vandellas 2)Gladys Horton & Wanda Young Rogers/Marvelettes 3)Ronnie Bennett/Ronettes 4)Barbara Alston & La La Brooks/Crystals 5)Rosetta Hightower/Orlons 6)Darlene Love/Blossoms & Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans 7)Edna Wright/Honey Cone 8)Sheila Ross/Royalettes 9)Carolyn Gill/Velvelettes 10)Scherie Payne/Glass House

[motony]

honorable mention Diana Ross/Supremes ....the original Supremes had it goin on with the 3 part harmony!

[JimBagley]

Super hard to pick 10 [[I wrote down 17 off the top of my head) but here goes:
Cal Gill Street
Jean Terrell
Wanda Young
Shirley Jones
Shirley Alston Reeves
Mary Weiss
Edna Wright
Rochelle Fleming
Ronnie Spector
Glodean White
[[Needed an excuse to leave out some people, so Marilyn McCoo, Rosetta Hightower and Gladys Knight were excluded only because their groups weren't limited to "girls").