Following on from my recent articles of my top five drummers and guitar players I thought I would take a look at five of the best female guitarists in rock music.
Again, this is a tough category as like their male counterparts there are some amazing female guitar players involvedin music. So where to start?
Well at number five. American Bonnie Raitt. She is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. She is famous for her slide blues guitar solos with many blues men hailing her as one of the best guitar players out there. Having seen her play at The Hyde Park Summer Concert in July last year, she really is one great strummer.
Number four. Australian Orianthi. She was chosen by the late Michael Jackson as lead guitarist on his This Is It tour but his death put a halt to that gig. She has shared the stage with Alice Cooper, Richie Sambora and Dave Stewart to mention just a few. Orianthi is in big demand as a backup lead guitarist.
Number three. Nancy Wilson. Nancy is one half of the band Heart. Her sister Anne is the other member. When Nancy picks up a guitar, you know you are going to be blown away.
She has a dynamic persona on stage and is the ultimate guitar queen. If you want to see her perform Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, check out the clip on YouTube. Brilliant.
Rock legend Joan Jett . Photo/ file
Number two. Joan Jett. Joan is best known for her guitar playing with her band Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, but she has also had a successful career with The Runaways. She has a reputation as the rowdiest, raunchiest rock guitar player in the studio and live on stage.
And so to number one, and this player you might find a little surprising! When Rolling Stone Magazine compiled a list of the greatest guitarists of all time in 2003, Joni Mitchell was the highest placed female. Often seen playing a Martin D28 or an Ibanez LGB300 her guitar arrangements are outstanding.
Her story is an amazing one. Mitchell contracted polio at the age of 9 and that illness forced her to improvise extraordinary alternative tunings that tore up the rule book and led her into opening entirely new territory as a musician.
