It is hardly possible to find a blues performer who could surpass Bessie Smith in the depth and melody of her voice, penetration and lack of pathos, for which she was nicknamed the Empress of the Blues. She lived a rich, but alas, short life, filled with great victories and bereavements.
Bessie was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 15, 1894 to a large family. Her father died when she was an infant, her mother when Bessie was 8 years old. All the children were left in the care of Violet's older sister and lived in dire poverty.
Bessie has always loved to sing, and she earned her first money at the age of 9, singing melodious verses on the streets. On Sundays she sang with pleasure in the choir. Having learned hunger and poverty, the girl sought to earn as much as possible so that she would never wear things for her older sisters and never sit without bread.
When she turned 18, her older brother Clarence got her into the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, where she first danced and then sang on the backing vocals of jazz singer Ma Rainey, nicknamed "Mom of the Blues." After going through Ma's vocal school, Bessie embarked on a solo career. Her passionate deep, chest-like voice excited the audience. Starting with popular melodies and vaudeville, she gradually moved on to blues, which mixed Latin motives, African rhythms and South American penetration and passion.
First, there were small theaters and taverns, then - touring the stage of the United States of America. By the age of 26, she was on a wave of popularity: after the First World War, the fashion for all jazz swept all sectors of society, including white Americans.
In 1923, Bessie married her bodyguard, Jack G., and in the same year she was noticed by the manager of the oldest American recording studio, Columbia Records, Frank Walker. Under this label, Bessie Smith's first disc, Down Hearted Blues, was released, all of which sold out very quickly. Tours in New York and Chicago were equally enthusiastic. In the crowded halls during the performance of songs, absolute silence reigned, which burst into applause at the end of the compositions. The audience was captivated by the simplicity and depth of her voice, her songs, absolutely devoid of pathos and pretense.
By the mid-1920s, Bessie had become one of the most famous and highly paid dark-skinned singers, for which she received the title of "Empress of the Blues". In this she even surpassed Ma Rainey, but there was no rivalry between them - until the end of her life, the singers were friends. Bessie has worked with renowned musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Clarence Williams, Benny Goodman and Jack Teegarden, Coleman Hawkins and Fletcher Henderson. For all the time, the performer has recorded about 160 compositions, which have been reissued on vinyl more than once.
The Great Depression and the changing tastes of the public led to a decline in interest in the blues and Bessie was in the shadows. Jazz big bands entered the stage, the era of swing began, the audience wanted to have fun, not be sad. And yet she was still appreciated and loved. In 1929 she starred in the film "St. Louis Blues" and was preparing for a new film. In 1935-1937 for Bessie organized a tour "The Return", which was surprisingly successful. However, fate decreed otherwise - while touring the southern states in Bessie, Smith died in a car accident. On September 26, 1937, she was only 43 years old.
A poor girl from Tennessee who became one of the highest paid singers of her time, she went down in blues history. She continues to influence music and arouse genuine interest in people all over the world. On November 2, 2004, a CD was released entitled "Empress of the Blues: 1923-1933", which collected the best compositions recorded by Bessie over 10 years: from February 16, 1923 to November 24, 1933. And in 2015, the biographical drama Bessie was released, where the gorgeous Queen Latifa played the role of a brilliant blues vocalist.
