Who was Bessie Smith?

by: Fiona Nunn

Bessie Smith was an African American jazz and blues vocalist from Tennessee. Bessie began singing at a young age and was eventually recognized by other blues vocalists, like Ma Rainey, who took her under her wing. Bessie sang with such honest emotion and inspired all those she performed for. Releasing hits like, "You've Been a Good Ole Wagon" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," she quickly became the highest paid black performer of the 1920s. A black bisexual woman during a time of discrimination and segregation, Bessie was always unapologetically herself. Her booming voice created a story out of any song and influenced countless other female artists like Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. According to W.C. Handy, Smith’s blues were the bluest of them all. Yet, she sang with such excitement and passion, Handy also said they might not have been blue enough. Named the “Empress of Blues”, Bessie Smith contributed greatly to American blues and represented many groups of Americans that weren’t accepted at the time. Her influence is still seen in music and society today.