Who was known as the Empress of the Blues?

singer Bessie Smith
At the height of her fame, blues singer Bessie Smith was really known as “the Empress.” So it was no joke when Romare Bearden titled his painting, Empress of the Blues.

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.

Did Bessie Smith lose her house?

One of her biggest hits was “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” whose lyrics eerily paralleled her own life. Nevertheless, when Bessie died, so many vultures carved up her estate that there was not even enough money left to pay for a headstone.

Who wrote Bessie Smith songs?

It was written by two female songwriters and blues artists, Alberta Hunter and Lovie Austin. Both women had notable musical careers.

Are blues always 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.

What is the difference between blues and boogie woogie?

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. While the blues traditionally expresses a variety of emotions, boogie-woogie is mainly associated with dancing.

How did blues become popular?

In the 1920s, the blues became a major element of African American and American popular music, reaching white audiences via Handy’s arrangements and the classic female blues performers. The blues evolved from informal performances in bars to entertainment in theaters.

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.

Who did Bessie Smith marry?

Jack Geem. 1923–1937
Bessie Smith/Spouse

In 1923, Smith was living in Philadelphia when she met Jack Gee, a security guard, whom she married on June 7, 1923, just as her first record was being released.

What black female singer died in a car accident?

Legendary blues singer Bessie Smith is buried near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 4, 1937. Some 7,000 mourners attended her funeral. Smith had been killed a few days before when the old Packard she was driving hit a parked truck near Coahoma, Mississippi, between Clarksdale and Memphis.

What was Bessie Smith nickname?

Empress of the Blues
Bessie Smith/Nicknames
By the time she became the bona fide superstar whose influence earned her the nickname “The Empress of the Blues,” Smith had been singing for decades.

What is the most popular form of blues?

The most common musical form of blues is the 12-bar blues. The term “12-bar” refers to the number of measures, or musical bars, used to express the theme of a typical blues song.

Which singer is known as the “Empress of the Blues”?

Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer. Nicknamed the Empress of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. Nov 22 2019

What is the nickname of Empress of the Blues?

One of those singers was the extremely popular Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937), whose nickname was ‘the Empress of the Blues’ (she was also called ‘the Queen of the Blues’).

What did Bessie Smith do in the 1920s?

Known as the “Empress of the Blues,” Bessie Smith revolutionized the vocal end of blues music in the 1920s with her rich voice and has influenced generations of musicians. After singing with “Ma” Rainey’s Rabbit Foot Minstrels traveling show for several years, Bessie Smith went solo and signed with Columbia Records .