# Girls in the band, but not the singer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872 "2007-08-25T05:25:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/1 "2007-08-25T05:25:40Z")
Which bands have/had women in them, but no female vocalists of any kind? I can think of some with male leads, but most have had (at least one of the) women in the band doing backing vocals. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/2 "2007-08-25T05:46:00Z")
Robert Plant is right out, I’m assuming. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/3 "2007-08-25T05:57:37Z")
The Revolution. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/4 "2007-08-25T06:13:32Z")
The Talking Heads (Tina Weymouth was the bass player) and the Velvet Underground (Moe Tucker was the drummer). ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/5 "2007-08-25T06:21:03Z")
Smashing Pumpkins had D’Arcy on bass, and Silversun Pickups have Nikki Monninger. ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/6 "2007-08-25T06:29:07Z")
The Pixies had [Kim Deal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Deal) ---
**Author:** ![BlakeTyner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@BlakeTyner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlakeTyner)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/7 "2007-08-25T06:39:52Z")
This may be stretching the OP, since it involves a touring band member rather than a studio member, but **Nirvana** had a female on cello during the In Utero tour as well as their taping of MTV’s “Unplugged” Pat Smear played back-up guitar during both of those, as well, and in a lot of circles he’s considered a “real” member of the band, so I think the cello lady might qualify. ~Blake ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/8 "2007-08-25T06:42:33Z")
Lenny Kravitz has an awesome female drummer. Michael Jackson had a female guitarist on Dirty Diana. John Mellencamp had Me’Shell NdegeOcello on bass. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/9 "2007-08-25T06:45:43Z")
[QUOTE=JCorre] The Pixies had [Kim Deal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Deal) [/QUOTE] But she sang on a number of their songs ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/10 "2007-08-25T06:55:47Z")
[Ruth Underwood](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Underwood) was in various incarnations of the **Mothers of Invention**. Willie Nelson’s piano player is his sister. I’ve seen a woman on stage (playing violin) with John Mellencamp. I didn’t catch her name. There have to be more than this. in edit: Michael Jackson’s guitarist was named Sherry Batten (not sure of the spelling, or the first name). ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/11 "2007-08-25T06:58:13Z")
The white stipes? ---
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/12 "2007-08-25T06:59:11Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] The Talking Heads (Tina Weymouth was the bass player) and the Velvet Underground (Moe Tucker was the drummer). [/QUOTE] I could swear Weymouth sings backup on some songs, but I may be making that up. Wish I had Stop Making Sense on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/13 "2007-08-25T06:59:34Z")
[QUOTE=dnooman] John Mellencamp had Me’Shell NdegeOcello on bass. [/QUOTE] Mellencamp’s band also has violinist Miriam Sturm Whoa, \*Paper in Fire \* is 20 years old! ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/m-YfiGQmXKs/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/m-YfiGQmXKs?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/14 "2007-08-25T06:59:43Z")
[QUOTE=dnooman] Lenny Kravitz has an awesome female drummer. Michael Jackson had a female guitarist on Dirty Diana. John Mellencamp had Me’Shell NdegeOcello on bass. [/QUOTE] Cindy Blackmore was lennys drummer. killer chops ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/15 "2007-08-25T07:02:34Z")
Too slow for edit. That would be Jennifer Batten, not Sherry. (still not sure of the spelling, though) ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/16 "2007-08-25T07:03:21Z")
Prince had Sheila Escobedo as a drummer. Going way back, the Honeycombs (“Have I The Right?” 1964) had a female drummer. Actually she started the group. Carol Kay, although not the member of any group _per se_ did a lot of studio session work with the Beach Boys (among many others). ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/17 "2007-08-25T07:03:26Z")
The White Stripes. JJ72 had a very cute bass player. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/18 "2007-08-25T07:07:50Z")
[QUOTE=dnooman] Robert Plant is right out, I’m assuming. [/QUOTE] Am I missing something? Led Zeppelin didn’t have any female members of any kind, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/19 "2007-08-25T07:12:53Z")
I think he’s saying that Robert Plant looks like a girl. ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872/20 "2007-08-25T07:18:45Z")
White Zombie had [Sean Yseult](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Yseult) on bass Ensiferum has [Meiju Enho](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiju_Enho) on keyboards [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-in-the-band-but-not-the-singer/416872.md?page=2)