Female musicians from Rhode Island have been an integral part of the local and national music scene for over 100 years. For Women’s History Month this year, we’re highlighting a few locals who’ve stood out among their peers. For more, check out the videos below and visit the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame website here.
Daryl Sherman
Woonsocket native and vocalist Daryl Sherman arrived in New York in the mid-1970s where she quickly rose to prominance on the Manhattan jazz scene. She’s recorded over 15 albums as leader or co-leader focusing on classics from the Great American Songbook. Sherman has collaborated with notables including Dick Hyman, John Pizzarelli, and Wynton Marsalis & The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She is part of the 2024 class at the RI Music Hall of Fame and will be inducted in ceremonies on April 28.
Shawnn Monteiro
Vocalist/percussionist Shawnn Monteiro was discovered by Afro/Cuban jazz pioneer Mongo Santamaria. Since 1993, she has recorded seven albums as a leader or co-leader, toured throughout the U.S. and Europe, and even performed in Siberia. A music educator, Monteiro serves as adjunct professor at Rhode Island College and the University of Hartford and has been teaching Master Vocal classes in Rome and Genoa, Italy since 1995. Along with Sherman, she will inducted into the RI Music Hall of Fame on April 28.
Claudia Lennear
In the late 60’s and early 70’s, Claudia Lennear was the leading background singer for many legendary classic rock acts. After attending Hope High School, she began her career in 1967 singing and dancing as one of the Ikettes, alongside Ike and Tina Turner. She later sang live and on numerous recordings with the likes of Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, Taj Mahal, and Stephen Stills. Lennear appeared in George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh and was recently featured in the 2013 Academy Award-winning film, 20 Feet From Stardom. The 2019 inductee in the RI Music Hall of Fame released her own album, Phew, in 1973 – it’s an underappreciated gem of a release! Look it up!
Sissieretta Jones
Widely considered the great singer of her generation, Matilda Sissieretta Jones (1869-1933), was a late 19th-century concert singer. She began her career in Providence after her family moved here in 1876. With a gifted voice, she became known as “the Black Patti,” after the Italian diva Adelina Patti. Jones performed in Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, and before royalty in Europe.
Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly
Step-sisters Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly founded Throwing Muses in 1981 in Newport. The band was on the cutting edge of the “new wave” movement, garnering international attention while becoming one of the top alternative bands of the era. Donelly went on to form Belly in 1991, the only Rhode Island band to ever appear “on the cover of the Rolling Stone.” The Muses have reunited occasionally in recent years and in 2020 released a new album Sun Racket.
Cheryl Wheeler
Born in Maryland, Cheryl Wheeler began her music career in Rhode Island in 1976. Based in Newport, she recorded several albums for North Star Records in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Dan Seals took one of Wheeler’s originals, “Addicted” to #1 on the country charts in 1988. Although she has since moved out of state, Wheeler continues to perform and plays in the area frequently.
Brenda Bennett
Brenda Bennett is best known as a member of Prince’s original background group Vanity 6. Her career began in Rhode Island in the 1970’s playing and singing in various bands including Ken Lyon and the Tombstone Band. In 1980, she joined Prince, where she was known for her “tough-girl, cigarette-smoking” persona. Bennett was inducted into the RI Music Hall of Fame in 2015. She continues to record and play in the area.
Carol Sloane
Born in Providence, jazz singer Carol Sloane grew up in Smithfield. She began her career as a vocalist in the Larry Elgart Orchestra. In 1961, she performed at the Newport Jazz Festival. Sloane has played nightclubs and concert halls throughout the region for over 60 years. Her vocal style has been compared to Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald.
Thanks to the RI Music Hall of Fame for providing resources for this story. Click here for details about the upcoming induction events.
