Bessie Smith
- Type: Vocalist
- Country: United States
- Born: April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
- Died: September 26, 1937 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States
- Active: 1894 - 1937
Biography
Known as the "Empress of the Blues," Bessie Smith was the most popular and influential female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. Her powerful contralto voice and intense emotional delivery captivated audiences and set a new standard for vocalists. Mentored by blues pioneer *Ma Rainey*, Smith signed with #Columbia Records# in 1923, and her first single, 'Down-Hearted Blues', became a massive success. She recorded 160 songs for the label, often collaborating with top jazz musicians of the era, including a legendary 1925 session with *Louis Armstrong*. Her work profoundly influenced subsequent generations of jazz and blues artists.
Genres
Bessie Smith Discography
- Jail-House Blues / Graveyard Dream Blues (1923) - Single - rated 3.59/5
- Down Hearted Blues / Gulf Coast Blues (1923) - Single - rated 3.62/5
- Baby Won't You Please Come Home Blues / Oh Daddy Blues (1923) - Single - rated 3.72/5
- 'Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do / Keeps On A-Rainin' (1923) - Single - rated 3.93/5
- Careless Love Blues / He's Gone Blues (1925) - Single - rated 3.69/5
- The St. Louis Blues / Cold in Hand Blues (1925) - Single - rated 3.64/5
- Empty Bed Blues - Part 1 / Empty Bed Blues - Part 2 (1928) - Single - rated 3.71/5
- Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out / Take It Right Back ('Cause I Don't Want It Here) (1929) - Single - rated 4.19/5
- Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl / Safety Mama (1931) - Single - rated 3.61/5
- Gimme a Pigfoot / Take Me for a Buggy Ride (1934) - Single - rated 3.98/5
- Bessie Smith Album (1937) - Compilation - rated 3.55/5
- The Bessie Smith Story, Vol. 1 (1951) - Compilation - rated 3.69/5
- The Complete Columbia Recordings (2012) - Compilation - rated 4.6/5