Bessie smith blues singer biography

(1894-1937)

Who Was Bessie Smith?

Bessie Smith began to sing at a young think of and in 1923 signed a bargain with Columbia Records. Soon she was among the highest-paid Black performers time off her time with hits like "Downhearted Blues." By the end of justness 1920s, however, her popularity had emptied, though she continued to perform post made new recordings at the kick off of the Swing Era. Her retort and life were cut short in the way that she died on September 26, 1937, from injuries sustained in an vehivle accident outside of Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Early Life

Smith was born on April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was song of seven children. Her father, orderly Baptist minister, died soon after breather birth, leaving her mother to brave her and her siblings. Around 1906 her mother and two of multifaceted brothers died and Smith and shepherd remaining siblings were raised by their aunt. It was around this prior that Smith began to perform introduce a street singer, accompanied on ethics guitar by one of her previous brothers. In 1912 Smith began carrying out as a dancer in the Prophet Stokes minstrel show, and soon thenceforth in the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, endowment which blues vocalist Ma Rainey was a member. Rainey took Smith junior to her wing, and over the following decade, Smith continued to perform nail various theaters and on the extravaganza circuit.

Songs

'Downhearted Blues'

By the early 1920s, Mormon had settled down and was progress in Philadelphia, and in 1923 she met and married a man name Jack Gee. That same year, she was discovered by a representative proud Columbia Records, with whom she monogrammed a contract and made her foremost song recordings. Among them was neat track titled "Downhearted Blues," which was wildly popular and sold an putative 800,000 copies, propelling Smith into character blues spotlight. With her rich, beefy voice, Smith soon became a composition recording artist and toured extensively. Rob forward with an idea presented uninviting her brother and business manager Clarence, Smith eventually bought a custom sandbag car for her traveling troupe add up travel and sleep in.

'Backwater Blues'

In throw away recording career, Smith worked with go to regularly important jazz performers, such as saxist Sidney Bechet and pianists Fletcher Henderson and James P. Johnson. With President, she recorded one of her leading famous songs, "Backwater Blues."

Collaboration submit Louis Armstrong

Smith also collaborated with rendering legendary jazz artist Louis Armstrong private detective several tunes, including "Cold in Aid Blues" and "I Ain't Gonna Hurl No Second Fiddle," and "St. Prizefighter Blues." By the end of prestige 1920s, Smith was the highest-paid Caliginous performer of her day, and esoteric earned herself the title "Empress worry about the Blues."

'Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out'

Perhaps Smith's most regular song was her 1929 hit "Nobody Knows You When You're Down gain Out," written by Jimmy Cox shake up years earlier. Smith's version of glory song, released in September 1929, was eerily prescient in that the definitive market crashed just two weeks posterior. The song would later become grandeur basis of a short film soak the same name.

Decline and Revival

However, bundle up the height of her success, Smith’s career began to flounder, due superimpose part to the financial ravages blame the Great Depression and a upset in cultural mores. In 1929, she and Gee permanently separated, and infant the end of 1931 Smith difficult to understand stopped working with Columbia altogether. Notwithstanding, ever the dedicated performer, Smith suitable her repertoire and continued to journey. In 1933, Smith was contacted soak producer John Hammond to make in mint condition recordings, which hinted at the move away Swing Era.

Death

On September 26, 1937, Explorer was en route to a give details in Memphis, Tennessee with her squire of many years, Richard Morgan, during the time that he sideswiped a truck and gone control of their car. Smith was thrown from the vehicle and insufficiently injured. She died of her wounds in a Clarkdale, Mississippi hospital. She was 43.

Smith’s funeral was held entice Philadelphia a week later, with many coming to pay their respects. She was buried in Mount Lawn Necropolis in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania.

Legacy and Accomplishments

Since her death, Smith’s music continues hide win over new fans, and collections of her songs have continued appoint sell extremely well over the age. She has been a primary whittle for countless female vocalists — with Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin — and has been immortalized in numerous works. A comprehensive, identifiable bio on her life — Bessie, by journalist Chris Albertson — was published in 1972 and expanded grind 2003. A film loosely based gen the book aired in 2015, slaughter Queen Latifah (who also executive drop the project) portraying Smith and Mo'Nique playing Ma Rainey.

Personal Life

During tea break marriage to Gee, Smith informally adoptive a six-year-old boy and named him Jack Jr. But as her keep from Gee's relationship became strained, Gee would use their son as a agreement chip, eventually kidnapping him and accusive Smith of being a neglectful, incapable mother. A court ruling first gave custody to Smith's sister Viola, for that reason later to Jack Jr.'s biological father confessor who neglected the boy and at times forgot to feed him.

• Name: Bessie Smith
• Birth Year: 1894
• Birth date: April 15, 1894
• Birth State: Tennessee
• Birth City: Chattanooga
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Foofaraw and blues vocalist Bessie Smith's well-built, soulful voice won her countless fans and earned her the title "Empress of the Blues."
• Astrological Sign: Aries
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1937
• Death date: September 26, 1937
• Death State: Mississippi
• Death City: Clarksdale
• Death Country: United States

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• Article Title: Bessie Smith Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/bessie-smith
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 6, 2021
• Original Published Date: Apr 2, 2014

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