Introduction
In Black Diamond Queens: African American Women and Rock and Roll, the author, NYU music professor Mahon argues that black women have played a significant role in rock music’s evolution. He gives examples of famous artists like Tina Turner, who played an instrumental role in bridging pop, Rock, and RnB. An example is Patti LaBelle, an African American woman singer who was a successful singer until the 1960s when she was absorbed in an upcoming girl group, made one hit song, “Lady Marmalade,” and then considered an outlier. “The result was a more accessible album and a number one pop hit with “Lady Marmalade,” the group’s first Top 30 single in more than a decade.” (pg 200). African American women have been used as background singers to provide their authenticity for white rock singers.
Discussion
The author has used a pool of scholarly articles to support the book. For instance, the author has used an article by Adult Ulrich, “Germany Gets the Blues: Negotiations of ‘Race’ and Nation at the American Folk Blues Festival.” The article shows the lives of different singers, including Memphis Slim, a blues African American woman artist who decided to settle in France after performing a show and being treated better than in her hometown Chicago. Whereas in Chicago, she was only compensated for rent and food, in France, she was offered a six-room apartment and other amenities that fitted her fame. In referring to the article, Mohan adds to the knowledge that African American women rappers are marginalized not only in Rock but also in other music genres.
The book’s organization follows a logical order where the author introduces the problem statement, gives substantial evidence, and then concludes by making final personal remarks on the topic. In the introduction, the author starts by showing sentiments by Santi White, stating, “It’s totally racist.” (pg1). The singer adds, “Why does R&B keep coming into my interviews? (pg1)” In the body, the author gives examples of many Rock artists, such as Rocking and Rolling With Big Mama, Shirelles, and Tina Turner. The author concludes by giving their sentiment that Rock music marginalizes African American women.
The book uses a wide range of materials which range from books, articles, archival materials, interviews, recordings, and films. Books, articles, and archival materials were used to learn what previous researchers had funded. Interviews and audio recordings were used in the book to provide first-person experience about rocks and other forms of music. Films were used to archive information and confirm various facts used by the author.
The main argument the author tries to pass to the audience is that African American women are marginalized in Rock music despite playing a key role in its evolution. Mohan gives various examples of African American women who have been very instrumental in the evolution of Rock music, such as Betty Davis, LaVern Baker, Big Mama Thornton, and Merry Clayton. “I’ve been singing way before Elvis Presley was born, and he jumps up and becomes a millionaire before me… off of something that I made popular. They gave him the right… now, why do they do that?” (pg38). In this question, Thornton shows how she has been discriminated against, and someone she taught music became a millionaire before her to demonstrate marginalization.
Conclusion
One of the key takeaways from this author is how to argue a problem statement in a whole book systematically. The author has effectively articles the main point and has shown much proof, which makes much sense. In addition, I have learned that it is important to use other forms of evidence, such as audio and interviews, to ensure that readers get the main point. Finally, I have learned about African American women’s marginalization in Rock and other music genres.