That's what they do with lightbulbs in the subway. Maybe there was concern that some ne'er-do-well would unscrew it and stuff it down his pants when nobody was looking. Or her pants. Capris, probably, given the era.

Victoria Lloyd, Nomi Harper, Lori Oz, Marie Narciso, Sara Furrer, Karen Carpenter come to mind.

Jenny Lewis:



And St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark):

The return of the Preacher's daughter...
 

I find this singer very 'alluring', and she's not inhibited or afraid to let it all hang out. I'm also VERY surprised she hasn't been mentioned in this thread, so let me be the first to rectify the situation...

Don't spose anyone will read this now ... but for me, as they came into my head :

1. Linda Ronstadt. (She could do any style, perfectly)
2. Emmy-Lou Harris (She could break your heart with a verse, and sing harmony to ANYONE!)
3. Norah Jones (she just makes swoon!)
4. Diana Krall (such a great musician)

Then we get into the "real" singers of earlier eras

Julie London

Peggy Lee

Nina Simone

Etta James

I could go on indefinitely.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1veUw1NNFz8#

Recently discovered her. She sounds happy, and I like that.

She's something pretty special, I think.

Female singers you like...
 

For me it would and always has been Olivia Newton John I also love the following

Mary Black
Stevie Nicks
Molly Tuttle
Kathy Matea
Mary C Carpenter
Pink
Rita Ora

Many already mentioned I'm a huge fan of, so here are a few that I didn't see yet:

Paula Cole
Jonatha Brooke
Mary Fahl
Barbara Gaskin
Annie Lennox
Claudia Schmidt
Esperanza Spalding
Imogen Heap
Urszula Dudziak

Wow - Some Blues women seriously missing here.

Koko Taylor
Aretha Franklin
Ruth Brown
Big Mama Thornton

a local favorite - Rhiannon Giddens

Also a big +1 on Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi

Allison Krauss

I was a huge Tori fan in the 90s, and "Boys For Pele" is my favorite album of hers. I was fortunate to see her on that tour, and she put on a phenomenal show.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tori-...-2bd444a2.html

For me, nobody did it better than Ella Fitzgerald...