For 25 years, Meredith Brooks’ Grammy-nominated song “Bitch” from her multi-platinum album, Blurring the Edges, has served as an empowering anthem for women around the world. She was among the first to reclaim the once derogatory term, and in doing so, pushed back against the stereotype of what a female Rock and Roll artist should look like, sound like or act like. That same year, Brooks played an integral part in another first – a movement looking to place women at the center of the music industry (and out of the margins) as a featured artist in the all-women music festival, Lilith Fair, while also going on tour with Rock legends, The Rolling Stones.

Recognized for her guitar playing prowess and blond Custom Shop Fender ’57 Telecaster Relic, Brooks is among a select few women to grace the cover of “Guitar Player” magazine. An early adopter of ProTools and multi-effect units, she leveraged technology alongside classic guitars and amps, doing all the guitar work on her album.