Don't throw stuff at me...but, Kate Rusby was the first female singer, that I thought, had everything going for her, except her whispy voice, recorded very close mic'd. I've come to love her music, though, and perhaps her voice has deepened somewhat in the last ten years. On my folk music blog, I get daily submits from singers with weak voices. Arrangements and lyrics are fine, but I can't get past the "head" or "nasal" voice. Male or female, I need strong vocals that compel me to listen. Storytelling almost requires a strong voice. I cover folk songs from all over, but for vocal power, go to the Italian folk-singers:

Eight Italian 1-Minute Wonders