writer CONTENTS INTRODUCTION BIG MAMA THORNTON Blues Singer BJÖRK Alternative Singer and Songwriter BLACKPINK K Pop Band DOLLY PARTON Country Singer and Songwriter ELLA FITZGERALD Jazz Singer EVELYN GLENNIE Percussionist FEA Punk Rock Band IVY QUEEN Rapper and Singer JODY GERSON Music Executive JONI MITCHELL Singer and Songwriter KATHLEEN HANNA Punk Rock Singer and Song LAURA JANE GRACE Punk Rock Singer Songwriter and Guitarist LES FILLES DE ILLIGHADAD Folk Band LIZZO Pop Singer Songwriter and Flutist LYDIA CANAAN Rock and Roll Singer and Songwriter MERCEDES SOSA Folk Singer M.I.A. Rapper NANDI BUSHELL Drummer NERVO DJs OLIVIA RODRIGO Pop Singer and Songwriter QUEEN LATIFAH Rapper RONNIE SPECTOR Rock and Roll Singer SELENA QUINTANILLA PÉREZ Tejano Singer TIA FULLER Saxophonist WONDAGURL Music Producer WRITE YOUR STORY DRAW YOUR PORTRAIT MEET MORE REBELS MAKE YOUR OWN MUSIC THE ILLUSTRATORS ABOUT REBEL GIRLS 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 57 58 62 66 67
Dear Rebels INTRODUCTION I must have been 10 or 11 when I started noticing rock and roll being played on the radio Pop stars of the time like Donny Osmond weren't doing it anymore for my young ears I was transfixed on rhythm guitar centered songs like All Right Now by Free or Bang a Gong by T. Rex I wanted to make those sounds For Christmas a year or two later I asked for an electric guitar I thought there was no way my parents would buy it for me But they did Can you imagine This was the early 70s and little girls were not jamming on electric guitars You might see a woman with an acoustic guitar sing folk music That wasn't what I wanted I wanted to form an all girl band and make rock and roll I wanted to play guitar loud and express everything I was thinking and feeling through the music I wasn't going to hold back just because people thought girls shouldn't play guitar So when I was a teenager I formed a band with drummer Sandy West We figured if we wanted to form an all girl rock band there had to be other girls who wanted the same thing We set out to find them and formed The Runaways Some people weren't supportive but we loved playing and were not going to let anyone tell us what we could and could not do After the band broke up I was heartbroken but I formed a new band and we were Joan Jett and the Blackhearts I couldn't get a record deal and received more than 20 rejection letters I started selling records at my shows from the trunk of my producer's Cadillac and my indie label Blackheart was born Blackheart is one of the longest running indie labels and one of the first female artist owned labels Over the years things have changed but there are still people out there who believe girls shouldn't do everything that boys can do
We need to change that by teaching kids not to treat one another differently based on gender and making sure there are plenty of women in positions of power It's one of the reasons I love this book the stories show many of the ways women can shape the music business as performers instrumentalists songwriters producers DJs and on the business side too As you flip through these pages you will read about Joni Mitchell whose honest heartfelt lyrics were game changing There's Lizzo who spreads a message of pride and empowerment for girls and brought the flute into pop music and there's Fea a Chicana riot grrrl punk band so fun and fearless I signed them to my own label All the women featured in this book have made an impact beyond the music industry they've inspired people from all walks of life When I was five years old my parents told me I could be anything I wanted to be and I believed them I hope you have someone in your life who is telling you that too And if not let me be that person for you right now you can be who and what you want to be in this world Dream big always You want to be an astronaut or a chef or an archaeologist Go for it You want to make jazz or hip hop or rock and roll Go for it Pick up the guitar or the flute or the cello or whatever helps you to express yourself and feel alive and go for it Play your heart out Joan Jett
