Bessie

Bessie Smith Known as the “Empress Of Blues”, Bessie Smith was said to have revolutionized the vocal end of Blues Music. She showed a lot of pride as an independent African-American woman. Her style in performance and lyrics often reflected her lifestyle. Bessie Smith was one of the first female jazz artists, and she paved the way for many musicians who followed. Bessie was born April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee to a part time Baptist preacher, William Smith, and his wife Laura. The family

By most accounts, Bessie Smith was a rough, crude, violent woman. She was also one of the greatest Blues singers of the 1920s. The road that took her to the title “Empress of the Blues” was not an easy one. It was certainly not one of the romantic "rags to riches" tales that Horatio Alger made popular during her time. For a young black woman from the South the journey was anything but easy, and it would require a special kind of person, and Bessie Smith was definitely that. She was a woman who fought

have a melancholy mood. The blues can be divided into many sub-genres, including Classical, Country, and Urban. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the careers of two of Classical blues most influential and legendary singers: Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. Ma Rainey, considered by many to be the “Mother of the Blues,” was one of the first pioneers of the classical blues style. She sang with a deep, rich, and quite often rough contralto voice while the voices of her

the stable heard it 100’s of times! Like HELLO!!! I was there!!! But do you know about all the other animals that was there that night too? Isaac the sheep, Samuel the horse, Nestor the Donkey, Matthew the camel, little ol me, and Bessie, the cow. Now I know Bessie is not your normal biblical name,

about the certain circumstances the artist may be going through at the time. Two women who dominate this style of music are Gertrude “Ma” Rainey and Bessie Smith. As stated by “Gay & Lesbian Biography”, “The careers of Rainey and Smith are closely interwoven.” Ma Rainey is a woman who is admired for both her amazing vocals and her ability to entertain. Bessie Smith is a woman who started off as a background dancer for her peer Ma Rainey, but then went on to emulate her by outdoing her success. Both women

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey is a pivotal figure in the history of American music. She was the first person to ever perform blues and the first internationally known African American female blues singer. Her music acted as inspiration for many distinguished figures during the Harlem Renaissance, and continues to influence contemporary music and art. A single source of blues music cannot be traced, but Ma Rainey is rightfully credited with introducing it to the world. Hence the reason she was dubbed as “The

It is time, at last, to speak the truth about the legendary blues singer. Truth is this particular jazz and blues vocalist, Bessie Smith had a soulful voice that gained her countless fans and earned her the title “Empress of the Blues”. Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee to her parents William and Laura Smith. Although we are not certain on Bessie Smith’s exact birth date we are lead to believe she was born on April 15, 1894 or July 1892. Shortly after Bessie’s birth her father, a Baptist

In the perspective of a citizen of the United States in 1922, it seems almost impossible that a woman, let alone an African-American woman, would be responsible for changing the history of Texas and greatly impacting the world of aviation. However, Bessie Coleman broke the mold when she became the first African American to hold a pilot license. Among her qualities of isolation, insubordination, and imprecision, which would typically viewed by society with a negative connotation, came her title as one

large crowds of homeless people waiting outside of soup kitchens and bread lines, no matter what city or town you were in. It was during this dark period of despair and misery that Bessie Smith, the “Empress of the Blues,” recorded one of her most well-known and loved songs, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out.” Bessie Smith’s song reflected the hearts and minds of millions of Americans during that somber period. Smith sings “Nobody knows you/

serious making her feel vulnerable as she mentioned if she could no longer drive, she will feel inadequate. Comparatively, Bessie was able to go with the flow although she understood there is no cure available for her condition, she remained positive. Next we must look at Fanny’s lower level of biological functioning from a perspective of her mental health status, unlike Bessie, she has Alzheimer’s disease with increased symptoms.