Notable Ladies Known to Have Inspired Iconic Songs

Lisa del Giocondo....

 

I think "Coyote" by Joni Mitchell has reference to her as well.

 

I’d forgotten about this and I don’t know where Ms. Odell’s autobio is buried in the house, so I went to Wikipedia which says:

In Chris O'Dell's 2009 autobiography Miss O'Dell she details an affair she had with married playwright Sam Shepard and states that Shepard then cheated on her with Joni Mitchell. O'Dell claims that "Coyote" is written about Sam Shepard.

 

Grand Funk Railroad’s “Sally” was inspired by Mark Farner’s dating actress Sally Kellerman at that time.

 

joan crawford

 

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I remember reading about the song but forgot the exact details.

 

Yeah maybe she had a good ghost writer .
As far as I can see she adopted a passive role as a rock star trophy and that's her life basically. Granted those were different times.

 

doesn't angela davis inspired some rolling stones songs?

 

Mary Whitehouse was one of the inspirations for the lyrics of this song

 

"Philadelphia Freedom" - Elton John, inspired by Billie Jean King.

"Oh, Carol" - Neil Sedaka, inspired by Carol King.

 

Cowboy Movie - Raven is Rita

 

Nasty Jonah grew a wife, Judas drew his pruning knife.

Re Yoko Ono in Happy Family by King Crimson. So biblical.

 

The lady on the wall was Marlene Dietrich

 

Minnie the Moocher

 

The Rip Chords - "The Queen"...



...inspired by Jackie DeShannon



I realize the song probably isn't what anyone considers iconic, but Jackie DeShannon, on the other hand...

 

yes, Sweet Black Angel

 

Surprised now one has mentioned Baroness Kathleen Annie Pannonica de Koenigswarter so far

Pannonica de Koenigswarter - Wikipedia

Patron of the Jazz arts and inspired the following

Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica",
Gigi Gryce's "Nica's Tempo",
Sonny Clark's "Nica",
Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream",
Kenny Dorham's "To Nica",
Kenny Drew's "Blues for Nica",
Freddie Redd's "Nica Steps Out",
Barry Harris's "Inca",
Tommy Flanagan's "Thelonica",
Frank Turner's "Nica"

 

Eno - "Spider and I" and "Julie With..." about Julie Christie

 

Mary Queen of Scots is honored in this Mike Oldfield hit single

 

Pattie (Harrison Clapton) Boyd
Something
Layla
Wonderful Tonight

Probably several more written by Harrison, and by Clapton.

 

I'm curious, which Linda was that?

 

IIRC, did The Meters have a track called Rosa Parks? I see Outkast does

Outkast - Rosa Parks (Official Video) - YouTube

 

Diana, Princess Of Wales by Bryan Adams

 

"Linda" was written in 1942 about Linda Eastman, then one-year-old. She was the daughter of author Jack Lawrence's attorney, Lee Eastman.

She later became a noted photographer and advocate for vegetarianism/animal rights.