Bessie Smith

A detailed Summary of Bessie Smith


Bessie Smith, known as the "Empress of the Blues," was the most influential and controversial classical blues singer of the 1920s. During her prime, her powerful blues voice sold almost a million records and gave her a weekly salary of about $2000, placing her at the top of the blues charts. Though she was often criticized for her reputation of drinking, fighting, and sexual encounters with both sexes, she was a legend in the black community. Even though her career ended prematurely due to a tragic car accident, her music reached people throughout the south and the north and influenced later renowned singers like Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin.

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee sometime in 1894, Bessie Smith was raised by her older sister, Viola, after the early death of both her father and mother. Her older brother, Clarence, was her number one influence as a child, and it was he who influenced her and her younger brother Andrew to begin their performing careers in the


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once dropped from Columbia's singing lineup in 1931, she halted her career until 1933 when she joined Okeh under the direction of John Hammond. Here she began her comeback as swing musician and recorded with different jazz musicians-- black and white. Although she was without a record label, she remained as popular in the south as she had been under the Columbia label. With such songs as "Gimmie a Pigfoot" she was still able to strike a note that her southern audience still found moving.

Oliver, Paul. Bessie Smith. New York: Barnes Press, 1961



Some common words found in the essay are:
Empress Blues, Columbia Records, Bessie Smith, John Hammond's, Strokes Company, African American, John Hammond, Gimmie Pigfoot, Hearted Blues, Ma Rainey, bessie smith, classical blues, oliver paul bessie, bessie smith york, car accident, bibliography oliver, paul bessie, oliver paul, top blues, hall fame, york barnes press, smith york barnes, columbia records, paul bessie smith, bled death,

Approximate Word count = 660
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Music

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • Bessie Smith Itamp39s a Hard Knock Life Bessie Smith, the greatest and most significant blues singer of the 1920amp39s, paid her dues and persevered the suffering of desertion ... 350 words
  • Harlem and the Blues ... this time to be. Aaron Douglas painted and Langston Hughes wrote, while Bessie Smith sang her blues. Aaron Douglas, inspired by ... 1237 words
  • jazzing 20th the century ... the 1920amp39sJAZZ. ampquot A press agent made up the name ampquotEmpress of theBlues,ampquot but that is what Bessie Smith truly was. She sang with ... 659 words
  • The Life of Billie Holiday ... The future ampquotLady Dayampquot first heard the music of Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith on a Victrola at Alice Deanamp39s, the Baltimore brothel where she ran errands and ... 1092 words
  • Billie Holiday ... but she also contributed remarkable originals to the jazz canon, including ampquotStrange Fruitampquot and ampquotGod Bless The Child.ampquot Influenced by Bessie Smith and Louis ... 690 words

Professional Essays

  • History of the Blues There is little exact information a ... blues probably developed in the rural area known as the Mississippi Delta and was then adapted to the style of popular vocalists such as Bessie Smith a style ... 7246 words
  • The Blues as a Musical Genre ... Classic city blues evolved in the 1920s and 1930s in the singing of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and others and blues then became as much a style of women ... 1367 words
  • Albee ... The Zoo Story, The Death of Bessie Smith, The Sandbox, and Quotations from Chairman Mao TseTung were all released during Albees thirties between 1959 and ... 1604 words
  • JAZZ ANECDOTES ... Bessie Smith, a legendary blues singer, died because a hospital would not admit her because she was black, and before she could get to a hospital that treated ... 528 words
  • Edward Albee ... The Zoo Story, The Death of Bessie Smith, The Sandbox, and Quotations from Chairman Mao TseTung were all released during Albees thirties between 1959 and ... 1605 words
  • Aretha Franklin ... At first, Hammond ampquotguided her in the direction of classic jazz and blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holidayampquot Helander 200. ... 1798 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.