Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith was born April 15, 1894 in Chester, Pennsylvania. She had six other siblings and at the age of eight years old she was orphaned and had to be taken care of by Viola, who was her oldest sister. She started singing on the street corners at this age also. at the 18 years old she joined a traveling show and was taken care of by Gertrude "Ma" Rainey. Ma Rainey introduced her to show business, and maybe even rural blues singing. They also became lifelong friends. She performed with African-American troupes at tent shows and carnivals and also vaudeville circuit. Bessie tried to record her own music a many of times but failed but the Columbia Records signed her in 1923. "Down-hearted Blues", which was her first record, sold more than 800,000 copies in six months. She made about 160 recordings for Columbia over the next seven years. She the named of the "Empress of the Blue" therefore she wore extravagant costumes while singing about things as sex, despair, and sex. With the come up of the Great Depression her career started to become rocky. Radio had began to replace vaudeville, blues was losing much of its audience to swing music, and she had been let go by Columbia Records. So Bessie started back with her touring shows, she appeared in the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. She tried to get back into the music business by trying swing music but it had very little success. She died on September 26th in a tragic care accident.

http://www.pics-celeb.com/2010/01/bessie-smith.html

Bessie Smith "Down Hearted Blue" song: There is an AABC form in this song. She is talking about all the trouble that she has had from this man and that the trouble is going to follow her to her grave. She cant believe whats really happening and that she has only loved 3 men in her life; her father, her mother, and a man that wrecked her life. Its going to take her some time to heal from this heart break. It is only her voice and a piano in the song.