Mamie Smith and Ethel Waters were just two of approximately one hundred women who performed in vaudeville, stage productions, minstrel shows, small clubs, and cabarets throughout the decade. Mamie Smith's recording of Crazy Blues for the Okeh label in 1920 was an unexpected commercial success and sparked a rapid expansion of the market for women's blues recordings.

This page celebrates the remarkable legacy of these pioneering women—both the famous and the lesser-known—as well as the contemporary artists who continue to honour their achievements. Their extraordinary talent and ground breaking recordings helped shape the history of the blues and left an enduring musical heritage that continues to inspire generations of performers and audiences alike.