Bessie Smith was a jazz and blues vocalist, deep and powerful voice who her innumerable fans and earned her the title "Empress of the Blues." She was conceived in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 15, 1894, and unfortunately passed on September 26, 1937, in a car accident. Bessie had numerous achievements as a dynamic blues artist through 1912-1937. Through battles and diligent work, Bessie was remaining in Philadelphia and she caught the eyes of 'Columbia Records', who found Bessie's stunning ability in singing. At that point In her first album, she sang a track known as 'Downhearted Blues' which right away ended up renowned and sold a surmised of 800,000 copies.
Have u ever heard the first african american to fly a plane?if u don’t her name is Bessie Coleman she was the first african american to fly a plane and do stunts and tricks in the sky. Bessie Coleman was born in Waxahachie Texas and at the age of 2 two years old her father left the family to go back to indians territory. When Bessie was 12 she went to a missionary baptist church in Texas then she graduated and then went to the Oklahoma colored agriculture. In 1915 Bessie was 23 years old and she moved to Chicago to work with her brothers as a manicurist.
She became the best-selling blues artist of her time, making almost 160 recordings including some of her songs like “Backwater Blues” and “Tain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do”. Once she became famous, she began touring everywhere and eventually bought a custom railroad car for her traveling troupe. Traveling on the road, Bessie dealt with corrupt promotors and bad atmospheres. With Ma Rainey as the mentor she also influenced
William Grant Still was an African American composer born in Woodsville, Mississippi on May 11, 1895. He grew up playing violin, starting at the age of 14, in Little Rock Arkansas. He attended Wilberforce University in 1911 determined to be a composer of concert music and opera. Early in his musical career, his primary role model in the classical world was Coleridge- Taylor, a british composer of mixed race. Around 1916, Still started to work for W.C. Handy in the arranging business.
She left a huge impact on the music played today. Some people say, if it was not for her, we would never have singers like Adele nor Lady Gaga. Nevertheless, we would never have had Frank Sinatra or Janis Joplin who also found inspiration in her. There are many more singers/performers who were influenced by Bessie and her way of singing. However, some people do not know who she was or anything about her.
She showed all African American women and men that they can achieve the impossible and have an intelligent mind like everyone else. Even African American poets from today like Alice Walker found her as an inspiration. In one of her poems about being brought to america, she perfectly summarizes what the struggle was being a slave that is equal to everyone
Billie Holiday is one of the most influential jazz singers of her time. Her attitude, determination and most of all her music inspired artists throughout time and inspired major social change. Throughout her lifetime she explored the world of jazz, her identity, and how far the limits of her talent would take her. She exchanged her poor life, full of drugs and scandal for a life of performing the arts and showcasing her talents and abilities. Her incredible determination led her to do what she loved regardless of what anyone thought , which led to her inciting major social exchange; moving black suffering into white consciousness.
Arguably one of the very best is Louis Armstrong. Known to be well versed in not only trumpet but also vocals and even composition. Louis Armstrong inspired many people across a wide range. He was so actively involved in everything going on around him. He was one of the only African American musicians who spoke up against political issues, he publically talked about the wrongness of school segregation (Harris).
Duke Ellington was a jazz author, conductor, and entertainer amid the Harlem Renaissance. During the developmental Cotton Club years, he explored different avenues regarding and built up the style that would rapidly bring him overall achievement. Ellington would be among the first to concentrate on melodic shape and sythesis in jazz. Ellington composed more than 2000 pieces in his lifetime. The Duke Ellington Orchestra was the "house" symphony for various years at the Cotton Club.
Elvis Presley, although disliked by many people because of the way
Rosa parks follows another woman, Claudette Colvin. Claudette did do exactly the same thing as Rosa, but she was pregnant at the time so the NAACP though she didn’t have the ability to stand up on her own. Colvin, Parks, Lafayette, Emeagwali, Fuller, Malcolm X, and Bridges are just a couple of the great african-american heroes. Rosa Parks is a influence on all people. She shows everyone that if they stand up in what the believe in they can do all things, even if there are consequences.
Often referred to as "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was one of the most popular female jazz singers in the United States. Throughout her career, Ella was awarded thirteen Grammys and sold over 40 million albums. With a voice that not only encompassed a large range, but a dynamic and powerful sound, Ella could sing almost anything from scatting to the popular tunes of her day. She performed in the top venues all around the world to packed houses, with audiences as diverse as the music she created. Ella came from a small town and impoverished family, but through her talent and determination, skyrocketed to fame creating a legacy that has withstood the sands of time.
The nineteenth century was an era of change. The changes also included women's statuses; women were now able to participate in society. Although, in music women still weren't equal to men, as men had been creating music and performing for a long time beforehand. Before the nineteenth century, women with music abilities were to only play their music in a private setting. The first women that were allowed to openly create music were those that were upper-class.
Sarah Vaughan is a singer that really inspired me to push the limits as an individual and is also someone I listen to almost every single day. She was one of the first African American woman to associate her sound to a music genre called bebop and came out with many well-known hits. She is not only considered a legend because of her music, but also because of the bravery she had to emit in order to survive a very segregated time. Vaughan was known for her wide range of pitch and her keen ear for sound. Vaughan would sing covers and get a good portion of people in the media complaining that she didn’t sing the songs right because of her unique voice and wide range of pitch.
The Evolution of Jazz was one of my favorite and most interesting classes this semester. I was able to begin and grow my knowledge of jazz, while simultaneously widening my perspective of music in general. I am also taking a course on feminist studies this semester, so maybe I am just on a pro-female kick, but by far my favorite jazz artist we discussed this semester was Ella Fitzgerald. Maybe it was because I can’t play an instrument, so I could better relate to her talent, or maybe it was my pro-women vibes, but I think it was her incredibly beautiful bellows that drew me towards her music. Ella Fitzgerald was dubbed the “First Lady of Song” and was by far the most prominent female jazz singer in history.
