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What song is Bessie Smith known for?
By the time Bessie Smith had the opportunity to put her inimitable stamp on “St. Louis Blues” in 1925, the song had already embarked upon a 30-year journey from when inspiration first struck composer W.C. Handy to the point where it was the most popular and well-known blues song in existence.
When was Bessie Smith most popular?
1930sBessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Empress of the Blues", she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s.
What are 3 interesting facts about Bessie Smith?
Bessie Smith lived with Richard Morgan, an old friend, until her death. They were common-law. Bessie Smith recorded 160 songs for Columbia Records. Musicians that accompanied Bessie Smith include Charlie Green, Joe Smith, Coleman Hawkins, Fletcher Henderson, and Louis Armstrong.
How did Bessie Smith change the world?
Forebears: Bessie Smith, The Empress Of The Blues The pioneering singer influenced blues, jazz, rock and beyond with her powerful voice and inventive delivery, displaying a greatness rooted in the ability to channel her life story into her work.
How did Bessie Smith become famous?
In February 1923 Smith made her first recordings, including the classic “Down Hearted Blues,” which became an enormous success, selling more than two million copies.
Who is the Queen of blues?
Born in 1924 as Ruth Lee Jones, she took the stage name Dinah Washington and was later known as the “Queen of the Blues.” She began with singing gospel music in Chicago and was later famous for her ability to sing any style music with a brilliant sense of tim- ing and drama and perfect enun- ciation.
What was Bessie Smith's legacy?
She was the highest-paid African American artist working in music and the first African American superstar. Bessie Smith's sound and her attitude, rooted in a distant era, are with us in the 21st century.
Who was in the car with Bessie Smith when she died?
Richard MorganShe and her boyfriend, Richard Morgan, were traveling from Memphis, Tennessee, to Clarksdale, Mississippi, on Highway 61, with Morgan at the wheel of Smith's Packard automobile.
Who did Bessie Smith inspire?
She has been a primary influence for countless female vocalists — including Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin — and has been immortalized in numerous works. A comprehensive, acclaimed bio on her life — Bessie, by journalist Chris Albertson — was published in 1972 and expanded in 2003.
How did Bessie Smith influence jazz?
Bessie Smith was a jazz and blues vocalist whose powerful, soulful voice won her countless fans and earned her the title “Empress of the Blues.” Smith's songs stressed classic blues subjects; poverty and oppression, love and betrayal; independence, sexual freedom, and stoic acceptance of defeat at the hands of a cruel ...
What impact did Bessie Smith have on the Harlem Renaissance?
The syncopated rhythms and improvisation in Blues music attracted new listeners during the Harlem Renaissance. This unique sound meant that no two performances would sound the same. Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday popularized Blues and jazz vocals at this time.
What role did Bessie Smith play in the Harlem Renaissance?
Breadcrumb. Bessie Smith (ca. 1895–1937) was a blues and jazz singer from the Harlem Renaissance who is remembered at as the Empress of the Blues. Elizabeth “Bessie” Smith was the youngest child of seven, born to Laura and William Smith in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
What impact did Bessie Smith have in the 1920s?
With her subsequent recordings, Smith was one of the artists who propelled the fledgling "race records" market of music targeted to black audiences that had launched a few years earlier in 1920 with Mamie Smith's hit "Crazy Blues." Through the rest of the 1920s, Bessie Smith became one of the earliest stars of recorded ...
Who played Bessie Smith in the 70s?
Bessie (2015)REEL FACE:REAL FACE:Queen Latifah (born Dana Elaine Owens) Born: March 18, 1970 Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, USABessie Smith Born: April 15, 1894 Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA Death: September 26, 1937, Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA (car accident)3 more rows
Why was Bessie Smith important to the Harlem Renaissance?
Contribution to The Harlem Renaissance Bessie Smith was the first singer to popularize early jazz song. Her early death at the age of 43 cut short a career that influenced the direction of American music and contributed to the success of African Americans in the performing arts.
Who was in the car with Bessie Smith when she died?
Richard MorganShe and her boyfriend, Richard Morgan, were traveling from Memphis, Tennessee, to Clarksdale, Mississippi, on Highway 61, with Morgan at the wheel of Smith's Packard automobile.
Who was Bessie Smith?
Bessie Smith was one of the greatest blues vocalists ever. She made 160 recordings in all, in many of which she was accompanied by some of the grea...
What is Bessie Smith remembered for?
Known in her lifetime as the “Empress of the Blues,” Smith was a bold, supremely confident artist who often disdained the use of a microphone and w...
How did Bessie Smith become famous?
About 1913 Smith toured with Ma Rainey, one of the first of the great blues singers, and afterward traveled through the South singing in tent shows...
When was Bessie Smith born?
The 1900 census indicates that her family reported that Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 15, 1894. The 1910 census gives her age as 16, and a birth date of April 15, 1894 which appears on subsequent documents and was observed as her birthday by the Smith family.
What is the story of Bessie Smith?
The 1948 short story " Blue Melody ", by J. D. Salinger, and the 1959 play The Death of Bessie Smith, by Edward Albee, are based on Smith's life and death, but poetic license was taken by both authors; for instance, Albee's play distorts the circumstances of her medical treatment, or lack of it, before her death, attributing it to racist medical practitioners. The circumstances related by both Salinger and Albee were widely circulated until being debunked at a later date by Smith's biographer. HBO released a movie about Smith, Bessie, starring Queen Latifah, on May 16, 2015.
How did Bessie Smith die?
Bessie Smith was taken to the G. T. Thomas Afro-American Hospital in Clarksdale, where her right arm was amputated. She died that morning without regaining consciousness. After her death, an often repeated, but now discredited story emerged that she died because a whites-only hospital in Clarksdale refused to admit her. The jazz writer and producer John Hammond gave this account in an article in the November 1937 issue of DownBeat magazine. The circumstances of Smith's death and the rumor reported by Hammond formed the basis for Edward Albee 's 1959 one-act play The Death of Bessie Smith.
What was Bessie Smith's marriage like?
Their marriage was stormy with infidelity on both sides , including numerous female sex partners for Bessie.
Why was Mamie Smith dismissed from Black Swan?
She once auditioned for Black Swan Records ( W. E. B. Du Bois was on its board of directors) and was dismissed because she was considered too rough as she supposedly stopped singing to spit. The businessmen involved with Black Swan Records were surprised when she became the most successful diva because her style was rougher and coarser than Mamie Smith. Even her admirers—white and black—considered her a "rough" woman (i.e., working class or even " low class ").
When was Bessie Smith's tombstone erected?
Smith's grave remained unmarked until a tombstone was erected on August 7, 1970, paid for by the singer Janis Joplin and Juanita Green, who as a child had done housework for Smith. Dory Previn wrote a song about Joplin and the tombstone, "Stone for Bessie Smith", for her album Mythical Kings and Iguanas. The Afro-American Hospital (now the Riverside Hotel) was the site of the dedication of the fourth historical marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail.
When did Bessie Smith start recording?
Hoping to capitalize on this new market, Smith began her recording career in 1923. Bessie Smith was signed to Columbia Records in 1923 by Frank Walker, a talent agent who had seen her perform years earlier. Her first session for Columbia was on February 15, 1923; it was engineered by Dan Hornsby.
Who Was Bessie Smith?
Bessie Smith began to sing at a young age and in 1923 signed a contract with Columbia Records. Soon she was among the highest-paid Black performers of her time with hits like "Downhearted Blues." By the end of the 1920s, however, her popularity had lessened, though she continued to perform and made new recordings at the start of the Swing Era. Her comeback and life were cut short when she died on September 26, 1937, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident outside of Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Who was the most famous black singer of the 1920s?
Collaboration with Louis Armstrong. Smith also collaborated with the legendary jazz artist Louis Armstrong on several tunes, including "Cold in Hand Blues" and "I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle," and "St. Louis Blues.". By the end of the 1920s, Smith was the highest-paid Black performer of her day, and had earned herself the title "Empress ...
Who is the Empress of the Blues?
Bessie Smith. Jazz and blues vocalist Bessie Smith' s powerful, soulful voice won her countless fans and earned her the title "Empress of the Blues.".
When did Ma Rainey take Smith's wing?
In 1912 Smith began performing as a dancer in the Moses Stokes minstrel show, and soon thereafter in the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, of which blues vocalist Ma Rainey was a member. Rainey took Smith under her wing, and over the next decade, Smith continued to perform at various theaters and on the vaudeville circuit.
Where was Bessie Smith born?
Childhood & Early Life. On 15th April, 1894, Bessie was born in Chattanooga in Tennessee. She was among the seven children of William and Laura Smith. William earned his livings as a labourer and a part-time preacher. Bessie lost his parents at a tender age, and she was taken care of by Viola, her elder sister.
Who was Bessie Smith married to?
Later Bessie married Richard Morgan who was also a friend and they stayed together till her death. On 26th of September in the year in 1937, Smith was travelling with Richard for a show in Memphis, when she met a terrible accident and was badly injured. While in hospital she succumbed to her injuries.
How many copies of Downhearted Blues did Bessie sell?
In her first album, she sang a track known as ‘Downhearted Blues’ which instantly became famous and sold an approximate of 800,000 copies. The chartbuster’s popularity made Bessie one of the most important names in Blues circuit.
What did Bessie bring to the Blues?
As a classic Blues singer, Bessie brought her heart and soul to music. This is probably the reason that she outshone others who recorded the same number. Bessie sung many of Ma Rainey’s numbers and her audience were picky as they always waited for Bessie’s tracks which were sincere and full of gusto.
Why was Bessie hired as a dancer?
With the initiation of her elder brother who was part of a travelling troupe, Bessie got an audition and was hired as dancer, because the troupe already had the famous singer Ma Rainey. She worked hard for the next few years performing in chorus lines, and shows.
Why did Bessie and Andrew start performing on the streets?
To combat financial crunch, Bessie and her brother Andrew started performing on streets. Bessie’s older brother Clarence who was part of a travelling troupe decided to take her to an audition for the troupe recognising her singing talent.
Why did Columbia drop Bessie?
With the Great Depression, Bessie was no longer recording with Columbia. It is said that the financial damage combined with the decreasing interest in classic blues led the recording company to drop Bessie from their roster. However, she was still very popular in South and her shows drew huge audience.
Who was Bessie Smith?
Bessie Smith hadn’t made it through the mean streets of her childhood without learning a thing or two, and she was one smart cookie about Ma Rainey. Instead of starting a cat fight, Smith began to study the more experienced woman’s performances, and many people believe she learned her legendary stage presence from Rainey. Except, well, that wasn’t all she learned…
What are some interesting facts about Bessie Smith?
Tragic Facts About Bessie Smith, The Empress Of The Blues. Singers come and go all the time, but few leave as great a mark as Bessie Smith did. Then again, few people had her brilliant, tragic life. As one of the first Blues stars, Smith changed the course of American culture forever—but in the end, her fame came at a heartbreakingly high price.
What was Bessie Smith's only film?
Today, we have something very precious to remember Bessie Smith by: A single film. In 1929, she made the film St. Louis Blues, a dramatization of the song of the same name. Today, it is the only footage of Smith in existence, and gives us a window into her electric performances. Given her tragic and untimely end, footage like that is absolutely priceless.
Why did Bessie Smith come to rest in an unmarked grave?
Despite the outpouring of love for Smith after her tragic end, she came to rest in an unmarked grave not good enough for a pauper. The reason for this is chilling. Jack Gee was still her official husband, and he refused to buy a stone to mark her burial. Even worse, he went so far as to pocket the money her friends raised to honor her. Don’t worry, though: Bessie eventually got what she deserved.
Why did Bessie Smith go to the hospital?
Because two ambulances actually arrived—one from a Black hospital, and one from a whites-only facility. According to an urban legend, Smith went to the whites-only hospital and they turned her away, causing her to lose precious seconds of her fading life. This is likely untrue— but her last moments on Earth were even more tragic.
How old was Bessie when her brother betray her?
In 1904, when the 12-year-old Bessie was just settling into life as a working woman, her brother dealt her a heartbreaking betrayal. Her oldest brother Clarence snuck out of the house to join the travelling Stokes troupe without telling Bessie; he didn’t want the young, stubborn girl following him.
Why did Bessie quit school?
In order to support her failing family, Bessie quit school and started busking on the streets with her brother Andrew. They took the White Elephant Saloon as their stomping grounds, and it was here that Bessie began to develop her signature dancing and singing while Andrew accompanied her on guitar. Only all was not well in the little brood…
Who was known as the Empress of the Blues?
At the height of her fame, blues singer Bessie Smith was really known as “the Empress.” So it was no joke when Romare Bearden titled his painting, Empress of the Blues.
What was Bessie Smith known for during the Harlem Renaissance?
Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday popularized Blues and jazz vocals at this time. During the Harlem Renaissance, a new way of playing the piano, the Harlem Stride style, was created. It soon became popular and spread throughout the country.
What song is Bessie Smith known for?
Perhaps Smith’s most popular song was her 1929 hit “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” written by Jimmy Cox six years earlier.
Who was known as the greatest of all stride pianists?
These pianists were aware of and intrigued by the European musical tradition. The three masters of stride piano were James Johnson, probably the “inventor” of the style, Thomas “Fats” Waller, who was by far the most commercially successful and probably the best composer, and Willie “The Lion” Smith.
Who popularized ragtime?
Scott Joplin, called the “King of Ragtime,” published the most successful of the early rags, “The Maple Leaf Rag,” in 1899. Joplin, who considered ragtime a permanent and serious branch of classical music, composed hundreds of short pieces, a set of études, and operas in the style.
How did Bessie Smith impact the blues?
With her subsequent recordings, Smith was one of the artists who propelled the fledgling “race records” market of music targeted to black audiences that had launched a few years earlier in 1920 with Mamie Smith’s hit “Crazy Blues.” Through the rest of the 1920s, Bessie Smith became one of the earliest stars of recorded …
What blues singer famously saved Columbia Records?
Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Smith was young when her parents died, and she and her six siblings survived by performing on street corners. … 78 RPM Singles — Columbia Records.
Where was Bessie Smith born?from last.fm
The 1900 census indicates that Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July 1892.
Who was the most popular blues singer of the 1920s?from last.fm
Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer. Nicknamed The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and, along with Louis Armstrong, a major influence on other jazz vocalists. The 1900 census indicates that Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July 1892. However, the 1910 census recorded her birthday as April 15, 1894, a date that appears on all subsequent documents and was observed by the entire Smith family. Census d… read more
Who was the Empress of Blues?from genius.com
About Bessie Smith. Bessie Smith is regarded as “The Empress of Blues,” and considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 1900s. She was born in 1894 Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her recording contract in 1922 with Columbia Records was a landmark for Black musicians, and she became one of the highest-paid Black performers during that time.
Overview
Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Empress of the Blues", she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and was a major influence on fellow blues singers, as well as jazz vocalists.
Biography
The 1900 census indicates that her family reported that Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 15, 1894. The 1910 census gives her age as 16, and a birth date of April 15, 1894, which appears on subsequent documents and was observed as her birthday by the Smith family. The 1870 and 1880 censuses report three older half-siblings, but later interviews with Smith's family and contemporaries do not mention them.
Personal life
In 1923, Smith was living in Philadelphia when she met Jack Gee, a security guard, whom she married on June 7, 1923, just as her first record was being released. During the marriage, Smith became the highest-paid black entertainer of the day, heading her own shows, which sometimes featured as many as 40 troupers, and touring in her own custom-built railroad car. Their marriage was stormy with infidelity on both sides, including numerous female sex partners for Bessie. Gee …
Musical themes
Songs like "Jail House Blues", "Work House Blues", "Prison Blues", "Sing Sing Prison Blues" and "Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair" dealt critically with social issues of the day such as chain gangs, the convict lease system and capital punishment. "Poor Man's Blues" and "Washwoman's Blues" are considered by scholars to be an early form of African-American protest music.
What becomes evident after listening to her music and studying her lyrics is that Smith emphasi…
Digital remastering
Technical faults in the majority of her original gramophone recordings (especially variations in recording speed, which raised or lowered the apparent pitch of her voice) misrepresented the "light and shade" of her phrasing, interpretation and delivery. They altered the apparent key of her performances (sometimes raised or lowered by as much as a semitone). The "center hole" in some of the master recordings had not been in the true middle of the master disc, so that there …
In popular culture
The 1948 short story "Blue Melody", by J. D. Salinger, and the 1959 play The Death of Bessie Smith, by Edward Albee, are based on Smith's life and death, but poetic license was taken by both authors; for instance, Albee's play distorts the circumstances of her medical treatment, or lack of it, before her death, attributing it to racist medical practitioners. The circumstances related by both Salinger and Albee were widely circulated until being debunked at a later date by Smith's biogra…
Further reading
• Albertson, Chris (1991). Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Volumes 1–5 (Liner notes). Sony Music Entertainment.
• Albertson, Chris (2003). Bessie. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09902-9.
• Barnet, Andrea (2004). All-Night Party: The Women of Bohemian Greenwich Village and Harlem, 1913–1930. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books. ISBN 978-1-56512-381-6.