By: Cheryl Bowman
The most famous women of country music belong to the 20th century, including Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle and Patsy Cline. The influence of these women goes far beyond country music; like the prominent female jazz singers of the 1930s and 1940s, they inspired women to pursue many kinds of music and had a lasting influence over singers in other musical forms.
- Dolly Parton: Parton was born in Tennessee on January 19, 1946. She started singing when she was young and joined the Grand Ole Opry when she was 20 years old. She has had many top hits, including duets with Kenny Rogers. Although she's best known as a singer and actress, with films such as 9 to 5 to her credit, Parton is an equally accomplished songwriter, having written such hits as "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" and "I Will Always Love You."
- Reba McEntire: McEntire was born on March 28, 1955, in Oklahoma. Her first single, "I Don't Want to Be a One Night Stand," hit the charts in 1976. McEntire has been a fixture on the country music charts ever since, and she's branched into acting with performances in Tremors, Charlotte's Web and her own TV comedy, Reba, which ran from 2001 to 2007.
- Faith Hill: Hill was born on September 21, 1967, as Audrey Faith Perry in Mississippi. She was adopted when she was a baby. Her first album, Take Me As I AM, was recorded in 1993. Hill is married to country star Tim McGraw. In 1999, she found mainstream success with the title track of her fourth album, "Breathe." Hill has enjoyed success on both the pop and country charts and has recorded songs for Hollywood movies including Pearl Harbor and Lilo and Stitch.
- Shania Twain: Twain was born as Eileen Regina Edwards on August 28, 1965, in Windsor, Ontario. She took her last name from her stepfather, Jerry Twain. Twain began singing on Canadian television at the age of 13 and fronted a pop music cover band during her high school years. She had several top country hits, including "Any Man of Mine" and "You Need to Know" before her 1997 album, Come on Over, established her as a leading female recording artist. Featuring the songs "You're Still the One" and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," Come on Over is the top-selling album recorded by a female musician.
- Dixie Chicks: The Dixie Chicks are the only country group and the only female group to earn back-to-back Diamond Awards, which are given to artists that sell 10 million copies of a record. The Dixie Chicks are Martie Maguire, Emily Robison and Natalie Maines. The group is from Dallas, Texas-they formed in 1989. By 2009, they won 13 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for the album "Taking the Long Way." The original group had four singers: Laura Lynch, Robin Lynn Macy and Martie and Emily Erwin. Robin Lynn Macy left the group in 1992, and Lynch was replaced by Natalie Maines in 1995. Sony signed the Dixie Chicks in 1997. Their 1998 album, "Wide Open Spaces," produced three number-one hits.
