From The Poni-Tails to the Pretenders, Ruby and the Romantics to Tracy Chapman and beyond, this original presentation hosted by Thomas Mulready and Vanity Crash honors women rockers from Northeast Ohio with interviews, testimonials, live original music, and historic covers by area female artists and women-led bands, including Girl Cologne, Tracey Thomas, Charity Cunningham, LILIEAE, The Super Babes, Kristine Jackson, Elliott Carter, and many others.

It’s no secret that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders hails from Akron. Fewer people know that Tracy Chapman, whose hit song “Fast Car” reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1988 and #1 on the Country charts in 2023, was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.

But there’s more to the story of rock & roll women from Cleveland and Akron. The Poni-Tails, an all-girl trio from Cleveland suburb Lyndhurst, hit #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958. And that’s not all. In 1963, Ruby and The Romantics, an all-black R&B group from Akron, fronted by Ruby Nash, scored several pop & R&B hits, topped by the #1 hit, “Our Day Will Come,” later covered by Amy Winehouse and released just following her passing. The Secrets, an all-girl group from Cleveland, took their hit, “The Boy Next Door,” all the way to #18.

The list of female rock & rollers from Northeast Ohio continues. Debbie Smith and Sue Schmidt formed The Poor Girls while attending Firestone High School in Akron in 1963. Before graduating, they opened shows for The Who, Cream, and Steppenwolf, then formed Cinderella’s Revenge with the legendary Peter Laughner before touring the US as post-punk pioneers Chi-Pig. Another Firestone alum, Chrissie Hynde, spent her formative years on the fringe of the music scene in Akron and Cleveland before decamping for England to form the Pretenders. Although led by Akron-based Chris Butler, The Waitresses were fronted by singer Patty Donahue and hit #23 on Billboard’s Top Tracks with “I Know What Boys Like.”

Through a series of live music events and exclusive interviews, Thomas Mulready presents the story of the region’s female artists and women-led bands who made an impact on rock & roll. The live show presents interviews with some of the legendary figures who achieved success in their heyday from the 1950s through the 1980s, along with others who observed the scene.

The live shows will feature contemporary women artists on the rock & roll scene today in Cleveland and Akron,
performing some of the hits their predecessors made famous, along with a selection of their original songs. A second set each night will feature live original music by musical hosts, Cleveland’s glam punk heroes, Vanity Crash.

Performances and lineup will differ each evening.
Photo of Chrissie Hynde by Anastasia Pantsios