Then again, few people had her brilliant, tragic life. Her father died soon after her birth and her mother and two of her brothers died by the time she was eight or … The first major blues and jazz singer on record and one of the most powerful of all time, Bessie Smith rightly earned the title of "The Empress of the Blues." Bessie Smith died as the result of a car crash near Clarksville, Tennessee on September 26, 1937. She showed a lot of pride as an independent African-American woman. She was a highly accomplished blues singer of the "Classic Blues" tradition, a woman who began singing on the streets of Chattanooga, Tennessee at the age of 10, and rose to become the highest paid Black entertainer in America. At an early age, Bessie Smith and her brother Andrew became street performers: She sang and did dance steps while he accompanied her on the guitar. She was known for her rich contralto voice and her breathtaking emotional intensity. Bessie Smith, in full Elizabeth Smith, (born April 15, 1894?, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.—died September 26, 1937, Clarksdale, Mississippi), American singer, one of the greatest blues vocalists. Dr. Scott: I think the greatest criticism is that, the street itself in the early 20th century wasn't known as a stage for women. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Biography of Bessie Smith, All About Jazz - Biography of Bessie Smith, BlackPast.org - Biography of Bessie Smith, Bessie Smith - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Corrections? In 1912, Smith had her first professional gig. Her gradually increasing alcoholism caused managements to become wary of engaging her, but there is no evidence that her actual singing ability ever declined. The Most Phenomenal Women in Music History, Biography of Frank Sinatra, Legendary Singer, Entertainer, Biography of Johnny Cash, American Singer-Songwriter, 10 Powerhouse Women Sing Bossa Nova Classics, 40 Best Frank Sinatra Songs to Play at Your Wedding, Biography of Marilyn Monroe, Model and Actress. The Bessie Smith Performance Hall has become well known in the Chattanooga community as an educational institution and spectacular venue to host performances, banquets, meetings and various community events. Soon she was among the highest-paid Black performers of her time with hits like "Downhearted Blues. Bessie was accompanied by theatrical producer Clarence Williams on the piano. Bessie Smith, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 as an “early influencer,” died at the age of 43 on September 26, 1937. Bessie Smith, known as the “empress of the blues,” reigned in the 1920s across the United States and Europe. In 1920s and 1930s, she became the most popular blues singer in United States. Even on her first records in 1923, her passionate voice overcame the primitive recording quality of the day and still communicates easily to today's listeners (which is not true of any other singer from that early period). Her deeds became the stuff of legend. In this extract from her new book, she remembers the wild spirit who helped her … She died from injuries sustained in a road accident. Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – Sept. 26, 1937) was one of the most popular and best-selling performers and recording artists of the 1920s. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Bessie Smith, photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1936. All of Bessie Smith's original records (mostly in 78 rpm) are long out of print, but her work has been compiled and is still available in collections released by Columbia. Handy and Kenneth W. Adams, and in it, Bessie sang the song accompanied by James P. Johnson on the piano. Her parents died before she turned 10, and her oldest sister Viola raised the children by taking in laundry. She was born on April 15, 1894 in … Bessie was born on April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. What are some criticisms that there may have been of her as a young woman performing in the streets? Bessie Smith. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. She was well known during the jazz age. Her father was a Baptist minister and a laborer. To help raise money for her family, she … The company toured in Baltimore, Atlantic City, and Philadelphia, where Bessie Smith eventually settled. Nicknamed the Empress of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of … Her1924 contract with TOBA made her the highest paid Black performer in the country. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. If you are interested to know more about the well known American blues singer, check Facts about Bessie Smit h. Smith was born on 15 April 1894 and passed away on 26 September 1937. Bessie Smith sang city blues, a song style of the early 20th century United States that was written by male songwriters and performed exclusively by female singers from the professional vaudeville stage, accompanied only by a pianist or by a small jazz band. She appeared in a short motion picture, St. Louis Blues (1929), since 2006 preserved in the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress. It was said that, had she been white, she would have received medical treatment that would have saved her life, and Edward Albee made this the subject of his play The Death of Bessie Smith (1960). 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. Omissions? Known as the ‘Empress of Blues’, Bessie Smith was one of the strongest blues vocalists in 1920s and 1930s. American singer known as the Empress of the blues. Bessie Smith was known as the "Empress of the Blues" for the majesty and power with which she belted out tunes. Here are a few of the classics associated with her. Bessie Smith's 'Back-Water Blues': The Story Behind the Song. She was known for her rich contralto voice and her breathtaking emotional intensity. Preachin' the Blues:' Bessie Smith's Secular Religion and Alice Walker's The Color Purple, The Blues Tribute Poem and the Legacies of Gertrude “Ma” Rainey and Bessie Smith, Black Women in Song: Some Socio~Cultural Images, Bessie Smith: 'Down Hearted Blues' and 'Gulf Coast Blues' Revisited, Empress of the Blues: The Complete Recordings. She made 160 recordings in all, in many of which she was accompanied by some of the great jazz musicians of the time, including Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong. B lueswoman Bessie Smith was a complex character, a self-made superstar whose biography is often stranger than fiction. She first married in 1922, a man named Earl Love, a soldier from Mississippi, and after he died she married nightwatchman Jack Gee in 1923. In the year 1923, he signed her to Columbia records. Her father, William Smith, a part time Baptist minister died when Bessie was an … Her work has appeared in scholarly publications such as Archaeology Online and Science. Citation Information Article Title The inscription reads, "The Greatest Blues Singer in the World Will Never Stop Singing—Bessie Smith—1895-1937.". The 17-minute film boasted a screenplay by W.C. The cast included Will and Gertrude Rainey. By the time the Depression began in 1929, the classic blues musical tradition was no longer in style, and in 1931 Columbia Records dropped Bessie Smith. Bessie Smith was born into poverty in Chattanooga, Tennessee, one of seven children of William and Laura Smith. By all accounts, Smith was a feisty and pugnacious woman, with a strong streak of independence. Smith had a rough childhood growing up. The film, based on the lyrics of the song, which Smith sings, is the only known footage of the singer and shows the emotional power of her performance. Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer. July 1, 2003 • Writer and producer Chris Albertson is considered an authority on blues singer Bessie Smith. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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 whose art expressed the frustrations and hopes of a whole generation of black Americans. Bessie Smith was known as the "Empress of the Blues." Coming to be known as one of the fundamental jazz plays in history, it has comprised of the blues aspect in the rhythmic flow, a quality that had not been explored. Smith's career included long-term runs at major venues, playing to packed houses throughout the twenties in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Memphis. His 1971 biography of Smith has been … Bessie Smith is considered to be one of the most popular and successful blues singers of the 1920 s and `30s.

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