Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26 1937) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA was the most popular and successful blues singer of 1920s and 30s, and a huge influence on the singers who followed her.

Biography

Smith was initially hired as a dancer with the Moses Stokes company, a show that also included Ma Rainey, who did not teach Smith to sing but probably helped her develop a stage presence. Smith began developing her own act around 1913, at Atlanta's "81" Theatre and by 1920 she had gained a reputation in the South and along the Eastern Seaboard.

Related Topics:
Ma Rainey - 1913 - Atlanta - 1920 - Eastern Seaboard

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1923, when the blues trend started selling records, Smith was signed by Columbia records, and quickly rose to stardom as a headliner on the T. O. B. A. (Theater Owners' Booking Association) theatre circuit. Her biggest recorded hit was "Down Hearted Blues", a song written and previously recorded by Alberta Hunter. Working a heavy theatre schedule during the winter months and doing tent tours for the rest of the year (traveling in her own railroad car), Smith became the highest-paid black entertainer of her day. Her recorded accompaniments included some of the finest musicians around, most notably Louis Armstrong, James P. Johnson, Joe Smith, Charlie Green, and Fletcher Henderson.

Related Topics:
1923 - Columbia records - T. O. B. A. - Alberta Hunter - Louis Armstrong - James P. Johnson - Joe Smith - Charlie Green - Fletcher Henderson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Smith's career was cut short by a combination of alcoholism, the Great Depression (which all but put the recording industry out of business) and the advent of "talkies", which did vaudeville in. Smith, however, never stopped performing. While the days of elaborate shows were over, she continued touring and occasionally reverted to singing in clubs. In 1929, she appeared in a Broadway flop called Pansy, a musical in which, the top white critics agreed, she was the only asset. That same year, she made her only film appearance, starring in a two-reeler based on W. C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues." In the film, she sings the title song accompanied by members of Fletcher Henderson's orchestra, the Hall Johnson Choir, and a string section--a musical environment that is radically different from any found on her recordings.

Related Topics:
Alcoholism - Great Depression - Vaudeville - 1929 - Broadway - Musical - W. C. Handy - St. Louis Blues - Fletcher Henderson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

John Hammond asked her to record four sides for the Okeh label in 1933 after seeing her perform in a Philadelphia nightclub. These were her final recordings, of particular interest because the accompanying band included such Swing Era musicians as Frankie Newton and Chu Berry. Even Benny Goodman, who happened to be recording in the adjoining studio, dropped by for an almost inaudible guest visit. Hammond was not pleased with the result, preferring to have Smith back in her old blues groove, but "Take Me For A Buggy Ride" and "Gimme a Pigfoot", are among her most popular recordings.

Related Topics:
John Hammond - 1933 - Philadelphia - Swing Era - Benny Goodman

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She resumed touring with some success, adding swing to her repertoire.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On September 26, 1937, Smith was severely injured in a car accident while travelling from a concert in Memphis to Clarksdale, Mississippi along United States Highway 61 with her companion (and Lionel Hampton's uncle) Richard Morgan. She was taken to Clarksdale's Afro-Hospital and her arm was amputated, but she never regained consciousness and died that morning.

Related Topics:
Memphis - Mississippi - United States Highway 61 - Lionel Hampton - Amputate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~