Celebrating Bessie Smith : “Empress of the Blues”
What famous singer was the Empress of Blues?
Bessie was the most popular Blues Singers of the 20s and 30s. Nicknamed the Empress of Blues, she had a big voice.
Who was the jazz singer known as the Empress of the Blues?
Forebears: Bessie Smith , The Empress Of The Blues The pioneering singer influenced blues, jazz, rock and beyond with her powerful voice and inventive delivery, displaying a greatness rooted in the ability to channel her life story into her work.
Why is Bessie Smith the Empress of the Blues?
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. She was known for her rich contralto voice and her breathtaking emotional intensity.
Who was nicknamed The Empress of the Blues?
Even the audiences for the theatre performances were segregated. Eventually, Bessie Smith’s fame led to her being known as the “Empress of the Blues.” However, in 1929 the Great Depression hit. This hurt her career, but it did not prevent her from performing.
Which blues singer is best remembered for her recording of stormy weather?
Considered one of the great blues singers, Waters also performed and recorded with such jazz greats as Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Several composers wrote songs especially for her, and she was particularly identified with “Dinah” and “Stormy Weather.”
Why are blues songs sad?
The blues describes a musical form, as we have seen. ... Other blues are angry, moody, scary, frightened, and some are bouncy, joyous, exuberant, happy. Clearly, the blues is unusually rich in emotional expression. So, no, the blues is not sad music , and they do not tend to make us sad.
Who is known as the first lady of song?
Legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) became known as the “First Lady of Song,” “Queen of Jazz,” and “Lady Ella” for her singular tone. Ella Fitzgerald’s voice featured prominently on the 1940s musical soundtrack.
Who did Bessie Smith inspire?
She has been a primary influence for countless female vocalists — including Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin — and has been immortalized in numerous works. A comprehensive, acclaimed bio on her life — Bessie, by journalist Chris Albertson — was published in 1972 and expanded in 2003.
What was Bessie Smith nickname?
Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the “ Empress of the Blues” , she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s.
Who was the first female blues singer?
Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886–1939), known as “The Mother of the Blues”, is credited as the first to perform the blues on stage as popular entertainment when she began incorporating blues into her act of show songs and comedy around 1902.
What happened Ma Rainey?
After the death of her sister and mother, Rainey retired to Columbus, Georgia, in 1935. Rainey passed away as the result of a heart attack on December 22, 1939 .
How old is Bessie Smith?
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 .
Is Boogie Woogie a form of jazz?
Boogie-woogie is a style of blues music, usually played on the piano, that is closely related to jazz forms such as ragtime and stride piano. As time went on, solo boogie-woogie extended from piano to piano duo and trio, guitar, and big band. ... By the 1920s, boogie-woogie was one of America’s major musical genres.
Who recorded Stormy Weather first?
A 1933 song written by Harold Alen with lyrics by Ted Koehler, “Stormy Weather” was first performed at Harlem’s Cotton Club by Ethel Waters . This recording was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003, and the Library of Congress honored the song by adding it to the National Recording Registry in 2004.
