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Bessie Smith: Empress Of The Blues

189 Words1 Pages
Bessie Smith was born on April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was an African American popular blues singer in the 1920’s and 1930’s era. During this time Smith was often regarded as one of the greatest blues singers of her time. She was also dubbed as the “Empress of the Blues”. Bessie Smith began her own musical career in1913 at Atlanta’s 81 theaters. By 1920, she had established a reputation in the South and along the Eastern Seaboard. In 1920, Smith sold over 100,000 copies of her recording “Crazy Blues” on Okeh Records label recorded by singer Mamie Smith, this recording pointed her to a new market. The recording industry had not directed its product towards blacks at this time, but the success of the record had inspired
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