Bessie displayed a fondness for the child, and the mother told Bessie that if she ever felt that she couldn't take care of him, she would give him to Bessie for adoption. She would go on to be arguably one of the greatest voices in the blues, and was even known as The Empress of the Blues. Tragic Facts About Bessie Smith, The Empress Of The Blues "Yeah, this project came pretty early in my career as an actress," Latifah told, Bessie Smith Videos & the 'Bessie' Movie Trailer, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. She never stopped performing, however. In an act of revenge, Jack Gee kidnapped Bessie Smith's Husband Dies Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. A comprehensive, acclaimed bio on her life Bessie, by journalist Chris Albertson was published in 1972 and expanded in 2003. appearance, the 1929 short film St. the 1920s and earned the nickname "The hit, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," whose lyrics In 1923, Smith released her first record, Down-Hearted Blues. It sold nearly 800,000 copies and made her a superstar. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Her father, William Smith, had died when she was a baby. Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 - September 26, 1937) was an African American blues singer. Bessie Smith. Since her death, Smiths music continues to win over new fans, and collections of her songs have continued to sell extremely well over the years. [45], The 1948 short story "Blue Melody", by J. D. Salinger, and the 1959 play The Death of Bessie Smith, by Edward Albee, are based on Smith's life and death, but poetic license was taken by both authors; for instance, Albee's play distorts the circumstances of her medical treatment, or lack of it, before her death, attributing it to racist medical practitioners. After a whirlwind courtship, in which Smith nursed Gee back to health after he was shot on their first date, Jack Gee and Bessie Smith were married on June 7, 1923. What is Bessie Smith remembered for? | Britannica The Death of Bessie Smith Controversy always swirled around Bessie, even in death. As soon as he recovered, but was punctuated by a spot of good news when she was tapped to Smith advocated for a wider vision of African-American womanhood beyond domesticity, piety, and conformity; she sought empowerment and happiness through independence, sassiness, and sexual freedom. -'Bessie' by Chris Albertson. in June 1929. However, she didn't adopt the six-year-old boy out of the blue as the movie implies. to feed him. Free trial is available to new customers only. on 50-99 accounts. Handy. Gee and Smith split, Walker disappeared with Gee. 1895-1937) was a blues and jazz singer from the Harlem Renaissance who is remembered at as the Empress of the Blues. In the mid-1970s I interviewed Albertson, who talked to many people who had been at the 1937 accident scene and concluded that Bessie was in fact rushed to the closest hospital to the accident, which happened to be a black hospital, but that Bessie had lost too much blood to be saved with 1930s medical care. Her father, a Baptist minister, died soon after her birth, leaving her mother to raise her and her siblings. Smith, Bessie (1894-1937) Bessie died in a car accident in 1937. In 1929, she appeared in a Broadway musical, Pansy. The grave remained unmarked until August 7, 1970, when a new tombstone was placed there, paid for by rock singer Janis Joplin and Juanita Green, who as a child had done housework for Smith. -NPR, Yes. The film features a thinner, prettier, Her lyrical sincerity and public behavior were not widely accepted as appropriate expressions for African-American women; therefore, her work was often written off as distasteful or unseemly, rather than as an accurate representation of the African-American experience. It does not store any personal data. It sent his car careening into Bessie Smith's overturned Packard, completely wrecking it. For most of 1923, her records were issued on Columbia's regular A-series. There Gee filed false neglect and endangerment charges against Smith. The man left the room and they thought the altercation was over. Smith's funeral was a lavish affair. She was openly bisexual, dating both men and women, and ended up in a tumultuous marriage with Jack Geea man who would eventually become her manager. In the late 1920s her record sales and her fame diminished with the Great Depression and as social forces changed the face of popular music and bowdlerized the earthy realism of the sentiments she expressed in her music. In 1929, when she learned of his affair with another singer, Gertrude Saunders, Smith ended the relationship, although neither of them sought a divorce. friend, Smith was heartbroken. Though During her marriage to Gee, Smith informally adopted a six-year-old boy and named him Jack Jr. She performed and recorded with luminaries like Clarence Williams, Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Hendersons band and she starred in the 1929 film St. An ambulance rushed Bessie to the hospital. Does Bessie give birth to a boy? My father was not very nice to me, Jack Gee, Jr., told me. The boy's father had been a stranger in the night, and the mother was having trouble making ends meet since she had other children. Subscribe now. Initially, her body was laid out at Upshur's funeral home. Biography Early life Smith in 1936 The 1900 census indicates that her family reported that Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July 1892. Bessie Smith Study Guide: Controversy Smith, who had no idea where her adopted son was, grew They called him Henry Fitzroy. [24], Smith was paid a non-royalty fee of $37.50 for each selection on these Okeh sides, which were her last recordings. her to come with him. After that, some people say, the doctor at the scene ignored her while he tended to the bumps and scrapes of a white couple that was in a nearby fender-bender. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. She was an icon for her race . Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Want 100 or more? Bessie Smith To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. Jack Gee Jr. The Depression, changing musical tastes that favored jazz and swing instead of vaudeville blues and the singers severe alcoholism made it nearly impossible for her to find work. In real life, they were at a house party when a drunk man with gold teeth grabbed Ruby's arm and forced her to dance with him. Watch Bessie Smith in her only movie A short while later, Jack Jr. went to live with Soon she was among the highest-paid Black performers of her time with hits like "Downhearted Blues." The tailgate of the truck sheared off the wooden roof of Smith's old Packard vehicle. So we went in, and she said she wanted to buy the car in the window. said the man. [16] Even her admirerswhite and blackconsidered her a "rough" woman (i.e., working class or even "low class"). Mixing biography, fiction, music and memoir, in Bessie Smith, Scotland's Makar, Jackie Kay, remembers the electric thrill of identification when, as a young black girl . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. To ease her The SPCC then sent the boy to a home in Valhalla, Like in the movie, Jack warmed to the child, at least at first, and Viola was given the task of caring for the boy when Bessie was away. Wed love to have you back! Tire marks suggested that Morgan swerved to avoid the truck but hit it side-on, with the brunt of the impact striking the passenger side where Bessie was sitting, likely with her arm or elbow out the window. Smith began forming her own act around 1913, at Atlanta's "81" Theater. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Three recordings by Smith were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, an award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance". 1900 US census, Hamilton, Tennessee, Schedule 1, Chattanooga Ward 04, District 0060, p.23. Does Jacob kiss Bella in the Eclipse book? Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, TN in 1894. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! He was 84 years old. [8][29], "The Bessie Smith ambulance would not have gone to a white hospital; you can forget that", Hugh Smith told Albertson. Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. What happened to Bessie Smith as a child? - knowtheirworth.com -'Bessie' by Chris Albertson. Like Bessie, Richard had separated from his spouse. Blues singer Bessie Smith, killed in Mississippi car wreck A film loosely based on the book aired in 2015, with Queen Latifah (who also executive produced the project) portraying Smith and Mo'Nique playing Ma Rainey. ", Smith also collaborated with the legendary jazz artist Louis Armstrong on several tunes, including "Cold in Hand Blues" and "I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle," and "St. Louis Blues." Her father was a Baptist minister and day laborer and her mother a laundress. To provide for the family, Bessie and her brother would busk on the streets. Smith's career was cut short by the Great Depression, which nearly put the recording industry out of business, and the advent of sound in film, which spelled the end of vaudeville. Smiths subject matter was the classic material of the blues: poverty and oppression, lovebetrayed or unrequitedand stoic acceptance of defeat at the hands of a cruel and indifferent world. Her successful recording career with Columbia Records began in 1923, but her performing career was cut short by a car crash that killed her at the age of 43. As a consequence, Bessie was unable to gain an education.[6][7]. blues singer known for her roles in shows led by the bandleader However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. While is there isnt a definite origin as to who exactly created the Blues, we do have a good idea as to how it came to us today:W.C. Nevertheless, when Bessie died, so many vultures carved up her estate that there was not even enough money left to pay for a headstone. Smith then sings the However, at the height of her success, Smiths career began to flounder, due in part to the financial ravages of the Great Depression and a change in cultural mores. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In 1928, Bessie Smith bought her sister Viola a restaurant Many newspaper editorials around the country denounced this apparent case of blatant racism, suggesting that her life might have been saved if the whites-only hospital had treated her. By the end of the 1920s, Smith was the highest-paid Black performer of her day, and had earned herself the title "Empress of the Blues.". Shortly after she died, a front page story in the New York Times said that an ambulance driver rushed Bessie's severely injured body to the nearest hospital in Clarksdale, Mississippi, but that the hospital refused to admit her because it was a whites-only hospital. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Smith, who was in the passenger seat, probably with her right arm or elbow out the window, took the full brunt of the impact. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Du Bois and Booker T. Washingtons Clash, Beyonc's Renaissance Tour Merch is on Amazon, Opal Lee: The Grandmother of Juneteenth, Lupita Nyong'o Just Wore Brad Pitt's Skincare Line, Halle Bailey's The Little Mermaid Glossier Makeup. The Hot Club of Philadelphia will bring the legacy of Django Reinhardt to Chestnut Hill. She died that morning without regaining consciousness. By the early 1920s, Smith had settled down and was living in Philadelphia, and in 1923 she met and married a man named Jack Gee. Bessie Smith's son's name was Jack Gee jr. She named him after her husband (Jack Gee)divorced her. Famous Musicians Black History Bessie Smith Jazz and blues vocalist Bessie Smith's powerful, soulful voice won her countless fans and earned her the title "Empress of the Blues." Updated:. [8] Their marriage was stormy with infidelity on both sides, including numerous female sex partners for Bessie. In 1979, Jack Gee Jr., the son of Bessie Smiths estranged husband, appealed his case to the Court of Appeals in Pennsylvania. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% [46] The circumstances related by both Salinger and Albee were widely circulated until being debunked at a later date by Smith's biographer. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Skid marks at the scene suggested that Morgan tried to avoid the truck by driving around its left side, but he hit the rear of the truck side-on at high speed. Bessie Smith is regarded as "The Empress of Blues," and considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 1900s. similar to Smith's actual life. Smith flashed his lights in warning, but the oncoming car failed to slow and plowed into his car at full speed. New York. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. By the time Bessie was nine, her mother and a brother had also died and her older sister Viola took charge of caring for her siblings. Corrections? Taken singularly, they're great . for a group? Smith's work challenged elitist norms by encouraging working-class women to embrace their right to drink, party, and satisfy their sexual needs as a means of coping with stress and dissatisfaction in their daily lives. In 1923, Smith was living in Philadelphia when she met Jack Gee,[8] a security guard, whom she married on June 7, 1923, just as her first record was being released. On September 26, 1937, Bessie Smith died at age 43 in a car accident in Mississippi. Yes, as in the HBO movie, Bessie's marriage to Jack ended after she learned that he had used her money to fund a show for his mistress, Gertrude Saunders (pictured below). (SPCC). The Death of Bessie Smith is a one-act play by American playwright Edward Albee, written in 1959 and premiered in West Berlin the following year. Yes. The great tragedy of her career was that she outlived the topicality of her idiom. however, Smith returned to drinking heavily and to her string of Her first electrical recording was "Cake Walking Babies [From Home]", recorded on May 5, 1925. The movie alludes to the tragedy but does not show it. She also performed in shows on the black-owned Theater Owners Booking Association (T.O.B.A.) [47] HBO released a movie about Smith, Bessie, starring Queen Latifah, on May 16, 2015.[48]. The circumstances of Smith's death and the rumor reported by Hammond formed the basis for Edward Albee's 1959 one-act play The Death of Bessie Smith. Bessie's grave didn't have a headstone for 30 years, according to NPR . 2001; Accessed 16 Sep. 2021. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000026000. Her most notable songs included Taint Nobodys Biz-ness If I Do, Careless Love Blues, Empty Bed Blues, Nobody Knows You When Youre Down and Out, and Gimme a Pigfoot.. Legendary blues singer Bessie Smith is buried near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 4, 1937. Despite her success, neither she nor her music was accepted in all circles. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Bessie Smith, in full Elizabeth Smith, (born April 15, 1894?, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.died September 26, 1937, Clarksdale, Mississippi), American singer, one of the greatest blues vocalists. The circumstances surrounding the singers death are mysterious. The play consists of a series of conversations between Bernie and his friend Jack, Jack and an off-stage Bessie, and black and white staff of a whites-only hospital in Memphis, Tennessee on the death date of the famous blues singer, Bessie Smith, who . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The Afro-American Hospital (now the Riverside Hotel) was the site of the dedication of the fourth historical marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail.[35]. At the time, sales of over 100,000 copies of "Crazy Blues", recorded for Okeh Records by the singer Mamie Smith (no relation), pointed to a new market. $24.99 In 2002, Smith's recording of "Downhearted Blues" was included in the National Recording Registry by the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress. Due to her parents' death and her poverty, Bessie experienced a "wretched childhood". Bessie Smith was one of the greatestbluesvocalists ever. ", Photo: Edward Elcha/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Inside Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown's Tumultuous Relationship, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Bessie Smith, Birth Year: 1894, Birth date: April 15, 1894, Birth State: Tennessee, Birth City: Chattanooga, Birth Country: United States, Best Known For: Jazz and blues vocalist Bessie Smith's powerful, soulful voice won her countless fans and earned her the title "Empress of the Blues. She has been a primary influence for countless female vocalists including Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin and has been immortalized in numerous works. Who Was The Real Bessie Smith From Netflix's 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'? Which Is More Stable Thiophene Or Pyridine. with. Starring Queen Latifah, Michael Kenneth Williams, Tika Sumpter, Mike Epps |, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Yes. Did Bessie Smith have biological children? A monumental figure in her own time and beyond, the great Bessie Smith was born on April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. than to Smith's. Birthplace: Chattanooga, TN Location of death: Clarksdale, MS Cause of death: Accident - Automobile Remains: Buried, Mount Lawn C. A major influence on the development of the blues in the early twentieth century, Bessie Smith was given a challenging start to her life, raised in poverty in the then still . Bessie Smith, in full Elizabeth Smith, (born April 15, 1894?, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.died September 26, 1937, Clarksdale, Mississippi), American singer, one of the greatest blues vocalists. Four decades later, however, Bessie's biographer Chris Albertson, debunked the racism claim. She stayed with him until her death. Bessie Smith is said to have died, after an automobile crash, at a local hospital in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Morgan escaped without injuries. Among them was a track titled "Downhearted Blues," which was wildly popular and sold an estimated 800,000 copies, propelling Smith into the blues spotlight. Latifah also serves as the films executive producer. She has been a primary influence for countless female vocalists including Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin and has been immortalized in numerous works. What experience do you need to become a teacher? Discount, Discount Code He attributed her death to extensive and severe crush injuries to the entire right side of her body, consistent with a sideswipe collision.[27]. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Handy, who composed the song, had written a short Jack Gee, Jr. from Bessie's Philadelphia home and brought the boy For several years Smith traveled through the South singing in tent shows and bars and theatres in small towns and in such cities as Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. Bessie and Richard found themselves at rather similar places in their lives. Dubbed the Mother of the Blues, she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of southern blues, influencing a generation of blues singers. However, ever the dedicated performer, Smith adapted her repertoire and continued to tour. Hoping to capitalize on this new market, Smith began her recording career in 1923. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Bessie's niece, Ruby Walker, said that she doesn't remember Bessie's sister Viola liking anybody, calling her a "nasty woman" in Chris Albertson's Bessie biography. [13] Working a heavy theater schedule during the winter and performing in tent shows the rest of the year, Smith became the highest-paid black entertainer of her day and began traveling in her own 72-foot-long railroad car. Bessie (2015) Starring Queen Latifah, Michael Kenneth Williams, Tika Sumpter, Mike Epps | based on the biography 'Bessie' by Chris Albertson No time to marry, no time to settle down; I'm a young woman, and I ain't done runnin' aroun'. Bessie Smith was much more than just a blues singer. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Could she have been saved? The true story confirms that Bessie's mother, Laura Smith, died when Bessie was eight or nine. But as her and Gee's relationship became strained, Gee would use their son as a bargaining chip, eventually kidnapping him and accusing Smith of being a neglectful, incompetent mother. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: October 4. Jack Gee, who was the hus band of Bessie Smith, the late blues singer, died Monday at his home in Philadelphia. Did Ma Rainey have gold teeth? What becomes evident after listening to her music and studying her lyrics is that Smith emphasized and channeled a subculture within the African-American working class. "Down in the Deep South Cotton Belt, no ambulance driver, or white driver, would even have thought of putting a colored person off in a hospital for white folks. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Oliver, Paul. [25] Hammond was not entirely pleased with the results, preferring to have Smith revisit her old blues sound. What black female singer died in a car accident? When the company established a "race records" series, Smith's "Cemetery Blues" (September 26, 1923) was the first issued. Bessie's sister-in-law, Maude Smith Clarence's wifetraveled on the road with Smith during the 1920s and, as an elderly woman, recalled for biographer Chris Albertson that "Bessie and Ma Rainey sat down and had a good laugh about how people was making up stories of Ma taking Bessie from her home. 48. Dr. Smith dressed her arm injury with a clean handkerchief and asked Broughton to go to a house about 500 feet off the road to call an ambulance. segregation and eventually being Smith grew up in poverty and obscurity. Though the light was poor, he observed only minor head injuries. You can navigate days by using left and right arrows. Even Jack Gee had welcomed the addition at first, according to biographer Jennifer Warner in Queen of the Blues: The Life and Times of Bessie Smith. Jack Gee (1889-1973), Bessie's extremely violent husband from whom she had been separated, thwarted all efforts to purchase a stone, once or twice even pocketing money raised for that purpose, according to researchers of Bessie. Smith grew up in poverty and obscurity. Sure got to prove it on me." The oncoming car ricocheted off Hugh Smith's car into the ditch on the right, barely missing Broughton and Bessie Smith.[28]. She made 160 recordings in all, in many of which she was accompanied by some of the great jazz musicians of the 1920s and 30s, including Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong. The year had been a disastrous year for Bessie Smith, What you may not know is the true story behind the project, which concerns a once-in-a-generation musician ahead of her timea woman determined to control her art and her life on her own terms. One of her biggest hits was "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," whose lyrics eerily paralleled her own life. Most historians now agree that the stories are apocryphal: Smith did make it to the hospital, but her injuries were so severe that it made no difference. On May 16 my wife and I watched the HBO movie, Bessie, starring Queen Latifah playing the legendary blues singer Bessie Smith (1894-1937), who was born in Tennessee but lived most of her adult life as a South Philadelphia resident. [6], Songs like "Jail House Blues", "Work House Blues", "Prison Blues", "Sing Sing Prison Blues" and "Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair" dealt critically with social issues of the day such as chain gangs, the convict lease system and capital punishment. [15] Although Smith was a voice for many minority groups and one of the most gifted blues performers of her time, the themes in her music were precocious, which led to many believing that her work was undeserving of serious recognition. In 1929 she was so happy because she had just been in a movie, 'St. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Inside Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown's Tumultuous Relationship, Inside Whitney Houston's Relationship With Best Friend Robyn Crawford, W.E.B. Filming began The room in which Bessie died, of her internal injuries, has been kept, always un-let, as a shrine to her memory.
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