Here’s your prime offender, to whom the whole “women singing like little girls” thing can be traced: Miss Brenda Lee, and her song “I’m Sorry.” She is not to be confused with Peggy Lee, who sang “Fever,” as that song is womanly as all get out and makes me a little flushed just thinking about it.
I’m aware that posts like this do nothing to further the cause of online music journalism, but this is for fun, not funds. If I got paid for this, I’d certainly take it a lot more seriously.
I don’t know if it’s fair to blame brenda lee for the whole little girl-voice thing – she was only 16 when she released “i’m sorry,” and check her out here at 13 – she’s rockin’ like Wanda Jackson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96hlM09t2mU