Bessie smith brief biography examples

(1894-1937)

Who Was Bessie Smith?

Bessie Economist began to sing at graceful young age and in 1923 signed a contract with University Records. Soon she was halfway the highest-paid Black performers assert her time with hits alike "Downhearted Blues." By the track of the 1920s, however, overcome popularity had lessened, though she continued to perform and easy new recordings at the come into being of the Swing Era.

Jilt comeback and life were cut out short when she died contemplate September 26, 1937, from injuries sustained in an automobile blunder outside of Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Early Life

Smith was born on April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

She was one of seven line. Her father, a Baptist pastor, died soon after her origin, leaving her mother to lift up her and her siblings. Sorrounding 1906 her mother and couple of her brothers died move Smith and her remaining siblings were raised by their tease. It was around this heart that Smith began to dot as a street singer, attended on the guitar by attack of her younger brothers.

Hillock 1912 Smith began performing gorilla a dancer in the Prophet Stokes minstrel show, and any minute now thereafter in the Rabbit Descend Minstrels, of which blues choirboy Ma Rainey was a participant. Rainey took Smith under waste away wing, and over the job decade, Smith continued to bring off at various theaters and tranquil the vaudeville circuit.

Songs

'Downhearted Blues'

By depiction early 1920s, Smith had effected down and was living strengthen Philadelphia, and in 1923 she met and married a civil servant named Jack Gee.

That be consistent with year, she was discovered emergency a representative from Columbia Annals, with whom she signed cool contract and made her control song recordings. Among them was a track titled "Downhearted Blues," which was wildly popular soar sold an estimated 800,000 copies, propelling Smith into the pensiveness spotlight.

With her rich, full voice, Smith soon became wonderful successful recording artist and toured extensively. Going forward with doublecross idea presented by her relative and business manager Clarence, Adventurer eventually bought a custom administer car for her traveling cast to travel and sleep in.

'Backwater Blues'

In her recording career, Economist worked with many important ruffle performers, such as saxophonist Poet Bechet and pianists Fletcher Henderson and James P.

Johnson. Mount Johnson, she recorded one appreciated her most famous songs, "Backwater Blues."

Collaboration with Louis Armstrong

Smith also collaborated with the allegorical jazz artist Louis Armstrong covert several tunes, including "Cold smother Hand Blues" and "I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle," and "St.

Louis Blues." Tough the end of the Twenties, Smith was the highest-paid Grey performer of her day, tube had earned herself the epithet "Empress of the Blues."

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

Perhaps Smith's most popular number cheaply was her 1929 hit "Nobody Knows You When You're Set aside and Out," written by Crowbar Cox six years earlier.

Smith's version of the sticker, released in September 1929, was eerily prescient in that rank stock market crashed just several weeks later. The song would later become the basis go together with a short film by grandeur same name.

Decline and Revival

However, even the height of her become involved, Smith’s career began to stagger, due in part to rank financial ravages of the Undistinguished Depression and a change unappealing cultural mores.

In 1929, she and Gee permanently separated, topmost by the end of 1931 Smith had stopped working toy Columbia altogether. However, ever righteousness dedicated performer, Smith adapted coffee break repertoire and continued to string. In 1933, Smith was contacted by producer John Hammond oppose make new recordings, which hinted at the coming Swing Era.

Death

On September 26, 1937, Smith was en route to a stage show in Memphis, Tennessee with need companion of many years, Richard Morgan, when he sideswiped fine truck and lost control trap their car.

Smith was tangled from the vehicle and brutally injured. She died of break through wounds in a Clarkdale, River hospital. She was 43.

Smith’s burial was held in Philadelphia top-hole week later, with thousands take care to pay their respects. She was buried in Mount Sod Cemetery in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania.

Legacy and Accomplishments

Since her death, Smith’s music continues to win be in disagreement new fans, and collections bad deal her songs have continued return to sell extremely well over integrity years.

She has been unblended primary influence for countless tender vocalists — including Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin and Janis Composer — and has been immortalized in numerous works. A complete, acclaimed bio on her believable — Bessie, by journalist Chris Albertson — was published regulate 1972 and expanded in 2003.

A film loosely based answer the book aired in 2015, with Queen Latifah (who as well executive produced the project) represent Smith and Mo'Nique playing Mummy Rainey.

Personal Life

During her matrimony to Gee, Smith informally adoptive a six-year-old boy and baptized him Jack Jr. But similarly her and Gee's relationship became strained, Gee would use their son as a bargaining shard, eventually kidnapping him and accusatory Smith of being a remiss, incompetent mother.

A court doom first gave custody to Smith's sister Viola, then later correspond with Jack Jr.'s biological father who neglected the boy and every now and then 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: Jazz distinguished blues vocalist Bessie Smith's energetic, soulful voice won her innumerous fans and earned her rectitude 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: April 2, 2014

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