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Smith in 1936. The 1900 census indicates that her family reported that Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July 1892. [2] [3] [4] The 1910 census gives her age as 16, [5] and a birth date of April 15, 1894, which appears on subsequent documents and was observed as her birthday by the Smith family.
Bessie Smith was the highest-paid black artist of the 1920s. The most popular of the classic blues singers was Tennessee-born Bessie Smith, who first recorded in 1923. Known as the "Empress of the Blues", she possessed a large voice with a "T'ain't Nobody's Bizness if I Do" attitude.
"Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair" is a late-1920s blues song written by composer George Brooks and made famous by Bessie Smith. [1] [2] In the song, a female narrator confesses the murder of a deceitful lover [3] and expresses her willingness to accept her punishment.
Bessie Smith recorded the song on May 15, 1929, [8] in New York City. She recorded the song with instrumental accompaniment, including a small trumpet section. When Smith's record was released on Friday, September 13, 1929, the lyrics turned out to be oddly prophetic.
Bessie Smith recorded an influential blues version in 1926. [78] 1925 – "Sweet Georgia Brown" [56] is a jazz song composed by Maceo Pinkard with music by Kenneth Casey. Bandleader Ben Bernie popularized the song and was given co-credit for the lyrics, although it is unclear whether or not he participated in the writing.
Ideas such as equality and freer sexuality began to spread and women took on new roles. The 1920s saw the emergence of many famous women musicians including African-American blues singer Bessie Smith (1894–1937), who inspired singers from later eras, including Billie Holiday (1915–1959) and Janis Joplin (1943–1970). [3]
Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s. New Brunswick and London: Rutgers. ISBN 0-8135-1280-8. Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books, ISBN 1-85868-255-X; Stewart-Baxter, Derrick (1970). Ma Rainey and the Classic Blues Singers. London: Studio Vista. OCLC 250212516
Blues singer Bessie Smith recorded the song with piano accompaniment by Clarence Williams. [2] It was released as her first single (backed with "Gulf Coast Blues") and 780,000 copies were sold in the first six months. [3] One historian noted that "sales through the years plus the bootlegging of her discs must have made it a million seller". [4]