▁as ▁John ▁and ▁Alan ▁L om ax ▁had ▁recorded ▁B uk ka ▁White ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁Le ad ▁Bel ly ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁and ▁most ▁likely ▁others . ▁ ▁Fem ale ▁perform ers ▁In ▁big - city ▁bl ues , ▁women ▁sing ers ▁such ▁as ▁Ma ▁Ra ine y , ▁B ess ie ▁Smith ▁and ▁Mam ie ▁Smith ▁domin ated ▁the ▁record ings ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁However , ▁women ▁rarely ▁recorded ▁D elta ▁bl ues ▁and ▁other ▁rural ▁or ▁folk - style ▁bl ues . ▁In ▁D elta ▁bl ues ▁female ▁perform ers ▁often ▁had ▁some ▁rom antic ▁connection ▁to ▁more ▁notable ▁male ▁perform ers : ▁Ge esh ie ▁W iley ▁was ▁reported ly ▁linked ▁with ▁Papa ▁Charlie ▁Mc Co y , ▁whose ▁brother ▁Kansas ▁Joe ▁Mc Co y ▁was ▁married ▁to ▁M emph is ▁Minn ie , ▁and ▁the ▁sem inal ▁Charlie ▁Pat ton ▁sometimes ▁played ▁and ▁recorded ▁with ▁his ▁wife , ▁Ber tha ▁Lee . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁late ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁that ▁women ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁heard ▁in ▁recorded ▁performances ▁at ▁the ▁level ▁they ▁had ▁previously ▁enjoyed . ▁It ▁was ▁then ▁that ▁Jan is ▁J op lin ▁arrived ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁female ▁perform er ▁to ▁achieve ▁both ▁acc ol ades ▁from ▁her ▁pe ers ▁as ▁a ▁bl ues ▁perform er ▁and ▁c ros so ver ▁commercial ▁success , ▁reaching ▁diverse ▁aud ien ces ▁with ▁a ▁powerful ▁and ▁emot ive ▁vocal ▁delivery