Content provided in partnership with
Great Divas Of The 20th Century - Brief Article
Ebony, Nov, 1999
WITH a voice and presence that are both larger-than-life, this grand opera diva shines on stages throughout the world.
"DIVA." Once a title bestowed only on temperamental classical artists, these days the word is bandied about so frequently it has practically lost its currency Every Connie-come-lately with a one-note gold record and a bad attitude is crowned "the new diva," only to fade into obscurity when musical tastes change and her hits wane.
Then there are the tree Divas--goddesses of song, whose dazzling performances, trendsetting style and mesmerizing way with a lyric burn indelible impressions into the public consciousness.
- Most Popular Articles in News
- The Ten Best Laptop bags
- Tata plans cheapest-ever car for Indian market
- GLOBALIZATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT OF THE THIRD WORLD
- Corn is good for you; Corn is not only a tasty treat, but also a cereal that ...
- THE 50 BEST STYLISH HANDBAGS TO CARRY
- More »
The radiant divas featured on these l)ages are among the 20th century's greatest. All have or had that indescribable, yet indisputable, mystique--a flair for the dramatic that spills from the stage and into life. Talented, tempestuous, outrageous and awe-inspiring, their incredible vocal equipment and artistic dispositions made them well-suited to wear the "diva" label.
ETHEL WATERS (1896-1977)
A star of vaudeville, Broadway and movies, she muscled her way into show business's upper echelon and was one of the highest-paid performers of the '40s and '50s.
MARIAN ANDERSON (1902-1993)
Classical music's towering trailblazer--the first Black singer signed by the Metropolitan Opera House--she was the personification of elegance and grace.
LEONTYNE PRICE
She was the first Black international diva, hailed as the greatest soprano of her era.
MAHALIA JACKSON (1911-1972)
A giant in the field of gospel music, she transcended the genre and became an international ambassador of sacred song.
JOSEPHINE BAKER (1906-1975)
This flamboyant singing-dancing superstar took Europe by storm in the 1920s and remained the toast of France for six decades.
BILLIE HOLIDAY (1915-1959)
With her haunting voice and dramatic delivery, she helped define jazz singing, breathing new life into every lyric.
SARAH VAUGHAN (1924-1990)
A "divine" diva with unique girls, she combined precise phrasing and immense range to take jazz singing to new heights.
ELLA FITZGERALD (1917-1996)
A true jazz innovator, she helped redefine popular by singing adding virtuoso flourishes to frothy tunes.
DINAH WASHINGTON (1924-1963)
Dubbed "The Queen of the Blues," she was R&B's first great diva and prepared the road for the generation of singers who followed.
GLADYS KNIGHT
She reinterpreted the gospel sound in a rhythm and blues format drenched in pain and glory.
ARETHA FRANKLIN
The "Queen of Soul" and high priestess of R-E-S-P-E-C-T, she blended the sounds of contemporary Black America--pop, gospel, rhythm and blues--into an extended anthem, and along the way gave "diva" new meaning.
SHIRLEY CAESAR
She is among gospel music's reigning royalty and the harbinger of the crossover appeal of inspirational music.
PATTI LABELLE
With a voice and personality no theater could contain, she earned her "diva" stripes with a career that spanned doo-wop, glamour rock and pop/soul music.
WHITNEY HOUSTON
Her supermodel looks, soaring pop-soprano and savvy business sense helped make her a mogul/diva with unprecedented industry power.
JANET JACKSON
She went from cute baby sister to drop-dead gorgeous diva with a pulsating sound that gained her a multihued, international following.
LAURYN HILL
The hip-hop nation's breakthrough phenomenon, shes writing a new script for divadom in the next millennium.
COPYRIGHT 1999 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group
