Dolly Parton

Sure, she’s been a cartoon character for a long time, but apparently Dolly Parton is the most-awarded country music artist of all time—so that must count for something. Plus, I secretly think she (and especially “9 to 5”) is awesome.

Dolly Parton AllMusic page

Devo

If your brain didn’t immediately bust out with, “Whip it! Whip it good!,” you are either under 30 or over 100. And even the 100+ crowd was probably bopping along with Devo when they were 70-something whippersnappers.

Devo AllMusic page

Dee Dee Bridgewater

How cool is my kid, part 1,000. When we were driving from Austin to San Antonio a few years back, Daveon was fiddling around with Sirius radio, and stopped when he heard “If You Believe” from The Wiz (a family favorite). Turns out it was an hour-long interview/listening session with Dee Dee Bridgewater, who played Glinda on Broadway. He kept the station on for the entire show, with both of us learning a lot about Bridgewater and her music. That’s how cool he is.

Dee Dee Bridgewater AllMusic page