#20 Betty Davis
This pioneering performer is remembered and celebrated for her controversial performance style and lyrics that caused a stir in her early years. Davis was also well-known as the second spouse of Miles Davis, the great trumpeter and composer.
This flamboyant funk diva was linked to musicians as diverse as her ex-husband Miles, Jimi Hendrix, and Sly Stone in the 1960s and 1970s, when she was instrumental in shaping the music industry. Davis was only 77 years old when she died of cancer at home.