Who are your three favorite female singers?

Since you asked for 3.....

Eva Cassidy
Eva Cassidy
Eva Cassidy


J.Chip

how could I have forgotten Melody Gardot
not only voice but such a unique approach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI49t7t0ZAI

If you like Melody, you will also love Sophie Milman. she is mix of russia/israel/canadian, superbly unique voice

her take on these 2 songs show you how inventive she is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeCpx5O8tJk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2YO1DnRQBg

Cassandra, Melody, Sophie, they get both superior musicians and engineering, as do others

+1 @skyscaper,
Pasty Cline for sure

I would defer to Linda Ronstadt's book where she says that she can tell in about 30 seconds who a singer is imitating as all singers imitate someone else until they find "their own" voice, so to speak.  (I would say Buddy,  Chuck, Jerry, and Elvis did not, but what do I know? They all learned by listening to Black singers sing the blues, except Buddy:

"During his early childhood, Holley was influenced by the music of Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Snow, Bob Wills, and the Carter Family. At Roscoe Wilson Elementary, he became friends with Bob Montgomery, and the two played together, practicing with songs by the Louvin Brothers and Johnnie & Jack." )

I listened to some of these singers I had not heard before, and sure enough, one sounds EXACTLY like Ronstadt (same time period) and some sound like versions of her and some, obviously, have their own unique sounds.

People like Diana Ross and early blues and jazz singers have certainly carved out their own styles that most of the modern ladies copy somewhat.  I would say the SONG and the arrangement add a lot to the quality of the voice--keep it in the vocalist's range, style, etc.

Funny, Ronstadt, a technically excellent vocalist, likes Bonnie Raitt, who is not listed at all.  I don't necessarily agree with her, but Raitt isn't chopped liver, either.  check this out:

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/13/760502128/linda-ronstadt-on-making-music-i-knew-how-to-sing-my-whole-...

And most importantly, play the music!

Cheers!

Ella Fitzgerald
Anita O'Day
Chris Connor
Aretha Franklin
Irene Kral