This history of the popular female vocalist in America explores the conflicts and triumphs of the most important voices of recent decades. In profiles of the stars in every genre from folk to punk, Sirens of Song affords an inside look at the record business and glimpses of artists as diverse as Bessie Smith and Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton and Patti Smith, Janis Joplin and Linda Ronstadt, Chaka Kahn and Anne Murray, Gladys Knight and Grace Slick. In a profession where success is measured in record sales, radio play, and concert attendance, these are artists who have changed—or reflected—attitudes toward women and given new dimension to the poplular song.