As long as we're talkin' ladies who know their way around a fretboard, let us not forget one of the absolute best . . . Bonnie Raitt! Not only can she totally bring it with some of the meanest slide guitar this side of Austin, TX, she has one of the most disctinctly beautiful and soulful female blues voices that I've ever heard. With (9) (yeah, nine) Grammy awards to her credit, and a long-standing reputation as a socially active, committed citizen, there is little doubt that her heart, and her music, are both in the right place. That, my friends, is where the real beauty lies!

But don't let me pull the wool over your eyes, gentlemen - Ms. Raitt is quite the looker herself. And a redhead to boot . . . ! Have mercy!