Goldie Zelkowitz (born Genyusha Zelkovicz; April 19, 1940) is an American rock singer and producer. She was lead singer for The Escorts, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive. (More from Wikipedia)
The first all-female rock band that was signed to a major rock label was Goldie and the Gingerbreads, consisting of Ginger Bianco (drums), Margo Lewis (organ), Carol MacDonald (guitar and vocals), and Goldie Zelkowitz (lead vocals). They were active from 1962 to 1967 and released a handful of singles; I got to hear some of their songs on a compilation album called Girls with Guitars.
After Goldie and the Gingerbreads broke up, bandleader Goldie Zelkowitz changed her name to Genya Ravan and joined a brass-heavy rock band called Ten Wheel Drive in 1969, where Ravan was accompanied by 10 male musicians. Before long, comparisons began to be drawn between Ravan and Janis Joplin.
In the New Wave era, Genya Ravan released Urban Desire in 1978; as is apparent from one look at the cover, this is a no-nonsense album from a no-nonsense woman.
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Richard Perry had a previous connection with Goldie and the Gingerbreads also; Genya Zelkowitz was the lead singer in Richard Perry's band called the Escorts when she met Ginger Panabianco, who was playing drums for one of Perry's friends. Seeing a woman playing drums gave Zelkowitz the idea for an all-female band; they changed their names to Goldie Zelkowitz and Ginger Bianco and crafted the band name Goldie and the Gingerbreads as a play on their two first names.
(October 2013)
