Classic Blues 2
The most famous of the Classic Blues singers was Bessie Smith from Chattanooga, Tennessee, whose majestic style and powerful delivery were recalled with awe by all who heard her. Termed the "Empress of the Blues," she epitomized the idiom for many enthusiasts, but she had been taught and encouraged by an older woman, Gertrude "Ma" Rainey-dubbed the mother of the blues. For further insight on these two musical icons, click on the video links in the box below.
| Gertrude "Ma" Rainey (1886-1939) | Bessie Smith (1894-1937) |
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Ma Rainey, "Mother of the Blues," was a pioneer of the blues music genre. Rainey's raw delivery landed her a record deal and her own show. |
Bessie Smith became known as the "Empress of the Blues." Her distinctive voice made her one of the first jazz singers to appear on records. |
Ma Rainey (Biography) | Wild Women of Song  Ma Rainey - Singer | Mini Bio | BIO |
Bessie Smith: Greatest Female Blues Singer | Mini Bio | BIO Against The Odds - The Story of Bessie Smith (1983) |
Bringing their repertoires and manners of expression and delivery to large audiences throughout much of the East, the Midwest, and the South did much to popularize the new idiom among African Americans. Many of the larger shows, including Ma Rainey's, had their railroad cars. Some companies traveled in the "tent shows," which could perform under canvas, at smaller locations. Others, with varied vaudeville casts, included blues singers; The Florida Cotton Blossoms show, for example, featured the classic singer Ida Cox. Among the traveling companies that recruited new artists every year were A Rabbit Foot Minstrel Show, founded in 1890 by Patrick Chappelle from Florida and developed later by Fred. S. Wolcott, a farmer of Port Gibson, Mississippi, and Sugar Foot Green from New Orleans, which was equally famous, although it did not emanate from New Orleans but North Carolina.