SINGER UNITED STATESBessie used to thrill me at all times. It’s the way she could phrase a note in her blues, a certain something in her voice that no other singer could get. . . . she had . . . music in her soul and felt everything she did.
—LOUIS ARMSTRONG, JAZZ TRUMPET PLAYER
Little Bessie’s throat was getting tired. She’d been singing outside the market all day long. Lots of people passed by, and many stopped to listen to the sweet voice of the nine-year-old girl dressed in her Sunday best. But not too many left money in her hat. Her stomach was growling for dinner, and she couldn’t wait to get home. But as she looked down at the few coins sitting in her hat, she knew it wasn’t enough. With no mother or father to support them, her brothers and sisters were counting on her. She would just have to stay a little longer. A small crowd gathered as Bessie belted out a soulful tune that gave them all goose bumps. She had no idea that soon she’d be singing on a real stage. Bessie was about to be discovered. In time, this frail young girl would become known as the Empress of the Blues.
As an African American, Bessie often faced segregation and prejudice when she toured, but she refused to be intimidated. One day, when she was threatened by members of the Ku Klux Klan, Bessie scared them away, yelling, “You better pick up them sheets and run!”
Elizabeth Smith was born on April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a bustling town of about thirty thousand people. About 40 percent of Chattanooga’s population was made up of African Americans, many of whom struggled to make ends meet. In a time of racial discrimination and segregation, African American families had to work hard just to scrape by. Since both of Bessie’s parents died at a young age, she and her siblings earned money any way they could. Throughout her childhood Bessie spent her days singing on the streets for pocket change.
When Bessie was nine years old, she made her stage debut in a local theater. She earned eight dollars for her performance. In 1912, Bessie’s oldest brother was working for a traveling show, and when they returned to Chattanooga he convinced the managers to audition his talented sister. They hired her as a dancer because they already had a singer in Gertrude “Ma” Rainey. Ma Rainey was impressed with Bessie’s voice and later recruited her for the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, a famous African-American performance troupe.
Soon Bessie’s music became so popular that she could perform on her own. She traveled throughout the South, playing in theaters, clubs, and meeting halls. In 1921 Bessie started performing in northern cities too. Her raw, powerful voice drew large crowds, and she became well-known for her dramatic style.
Bessie made her first record, “Down Hearted Blues,” in 1923, and by the end of the year, it had sold over 750,000 copies. In the course of her career, she made more than 150 recordings and sold up to ten million records. This is an amazing total, since Bessie sang at a time when many people didn’t even own record players! She was often accompanied by the most talented musicians of the day, including trumpeter Louis Armstrong, pianist Fletcher Henderson, and trombonist Charlie Green.
“The greatest blues singer in the world will never stop singing” are the words carved on Bessie’s tombstone, which was purchased by Janis Joplin and other donors in 1970. Before that, Bessie’s grave had been unmarked.
In 1937 Bessie died from injuries sustained in a car accident. She was only forty-three, but she lived a full, hard life in her short years. This unparalleled singer experienced firsthand the highs and lows that were the subjects of her music. She triumphed over poverty and prejudice. She went from being a poor street singer to the celebrated Empress of the Blues. Today, Bessie’s many blues recordings are still considered some of the best of all time.
AGE 10