I've written about the mighty Barabara Lynn a couple times in recent years; I showcased her sides, a killer dancer, "I Don't Want A Playboy," and the downer "This Is the Thanks I Get." Y'all, I gotta say I fucking LOVE her, like, every song she sang is a keeper; her '60s catalog is untouchable. Shit, her sides for Tribe are now R&B legend—dig "I'm a Good Woman." Mercy. RIGHT, so I'd be a fool if I didn't say SOMETHING about the recent Light in the Attic reissue of Lynn's lone Atlantic LP, Here Is Barbara Lynn. I can't recommend this album enough!!! The album plays solid start to finish, and a solid soul album in the '60s was kinda the exception, as most soul albums weren't exactly considered. Most soul/R&B albums at the time were thrown-together throwaways, as they usually consisted of a few top singles, their B sides, plus filler (some labels even followed a stock "fast then slow" back-and-forth track list), and no more than 10 songs. Anyways, if I had to pick the best track off the albums I'd hafta pick TWO: "You're Losing Me" and her mournful deep "Until Then I'll Suffer." Oh, and YES, her best known single, "You'll Lose A Good Thing" is the album's lead track. I reckon a copy of Here Is Barbara Lynn is mandatory for every home, car, bike, skateboard, and streaming playlist.

In addition to her musical prowess, Lynn has also been getting nods for being the FIRST WOMAN to play guitar, write her own songs, and front (secular) R&B bands, in, like, 1962!

But every female who ever picked up an electric guitar — or any other instrument, for that matter — and joined a rock band owes her a tremendous debt, because Lynn broke a gender barrier: She was arguably the first woman to play lead guitar in front of rock and R&B audiences. This was at a time when most women playing guitar favored folk music. Memphis Minnie had previously succeeded among bluesmen, but she was playing to segregated audiences; Lady Bo was second guitarist to her boss Bo Diddley. But Lynn fronted bands, and turned heads doing so — while also writing much of her own material, equally unheard-of at the time for female stars.

Dig the entire feature, including some biographical details, at Wondering Sound.