Backwater Blues: The Best of Bessie Smith

Check out this album review of Bessie Smith’s “Backwater Blues: The Best of Bessie Smith.”

Bessie Smith’s Life

Bessie Smith was an American singer and one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and began her career in Memphis, Tennessee. Her recordings, including such hits as “Downhearted Blues” and “St. Louis Blues”, were extremely popular, and she became known as the “Empress of the Blues”.

Bessie Smith’s early life

Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 15, 1894. Her father, William Smith, was a Baptist minister; her mother, Malissa (Studaw), died when Bessie was nine years old. Bessie and her five siblings were then raised by their father and stepmother, Laura ( Carney) Smith. As a young girl, Bessie loved to sing in church and at family gatherings. In her teens, she began touring with the Stokes troupe as a dancer and singer.

In 1912, Bessie met vaudeville starGEORGE WASHINGTON PHILLIPS,”BROOM”
While touring with the Stokes troupe in 1913, Bessie met vaudeville star GEORGE WASHINGTON PHILLIPS,”BROOM”, who became her first husband. The following year she had her first child, Clarence Jr., who died shortly after birth.

Bessie Smith’s singing career

Bessie Smith began her singing career in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1912. She soon became the most popular blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. Her recordings sold millions of copies and made her one of the best-known performers of her time.

Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 15, 1894, to William Smith and Laura Owens. Her father was a cigar maker and her mother worked as a housemaid. Bessie had two brothers and four sisters. The family was very poor and often could not afford to heat their home in the winter. As a result, Bessie often sang for friends and neighbors to keep warm.

In 1912, Bessie met Ma Rainey, one of the most popular blues singers of the time. Rainey agreed to take Smith on tour with her show. After touring with Rainey for several years, Smith began performing on her own. Her first recording was made in 1923 for Columbia Records. It was called “Downhearted Blues” and became a huge hit.

Over the next few years, Smith recorded many more hits, including “St. Louis Blues” (1925), “I Ain’t Got Nobody” (1927), and “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” (1929). During this time, she also toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe.

Bessie Smith continued to record and perform until her untimely death in 1937. She died in an automobile accident near Clarksdale, Mississippi. She was only 43 years old.

Bessie Smith’s later years

In the years following the death of her husband in 1925, Bessie Smith’s career went into decline. Record sales dwindled and she was dropped by Columbia Records in 1931. She toured less frequently and began drinking heavily. In 1933, she was in a serious car accident near Clarksdale, Mississippi, which left her with multiple injuries, including a broken arm and leg. Although she eventually recovered, she was unable to resume her active performing career and her health continued to decline. Bessie Smith died on September 26, 1937, at the age of 43. The exact cause of death is unknown, but it is believed that she succumbed to injuries sustained in the car accident coupled with alcoholism.

Bessie Smith’s Music

Bessie Smith was an African American blues singer. She is often referred to as the “Empress of the Blues.” She was a popular performer in the 1920s and 1930s. Her music was a mix of blues, jazz, and vaudeville.

Bessie Smith’s early recordings

Bessie Smith’s Early Recordings is a compilation album by American blues singer Bessie Smith. It was released on Columbia Records in February 1933 and consisted of eight tracks recorded by Smith for Columbia between 1923 and 1925. The album was reissued on CD in 1988 by Sony Music Entertainment.

The album includes some of Smith’s best-known songs, such as “Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer”, “Downhearted Blues” and “St. Louis Blues”. Also included are two previously unissued recordings, “Cold in Hand Blues” and “Reckless Blues”.

Bessie Smith’s later recordings

In the fall of 1933, after intense haggling between Smith and Brunswich/Vocalion head Jack Kapp, she finally agreed to a new contract that gave her a raise in royalties and a $2,500 signing bonus. This increased revenue allowed her to hire a full-time accompaniment consisting of piano, guitar, string bass, and drums, which she first used on October 16 in Chicago. The string bass player was presumably “Mt. Pleasant” Joe Williams (who would achieve fame as a leader himself in the 1940s), with Edgar Battle on second guitar and Frank Signorelli on drums. In November she returned to New York City for several recording sessions that resulted in the classic tracks “Gimme a Pigfoot (and a Bottle of Beer),” “I Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl,” and the original version of “Downhearted Blues.”

These records were cut with Brunswick’s new microgroove disc technology, which produced thinner and quieter grooves than the old 78s, thereby allowing for longer playing time per side. Since they could be played at lower volumes without surface noise becoming overpowering, they were especially well suited for radio broadcast. Brunswick released four discs in this format under Smith’s name between November 1933 and February 1934: “I Wonder” b/w “Gimme a Pigfoot”; “Downhearted Blues” b/w “Sugar Blues”; “‘T Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do” b/w “Do Your Duty”; and “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” b/w “(Backwater Blues.”

Bessie Smith’s influence on later musicians

Bessie Smith’s music was very influential on later musicians. She was one of the first musicians to use blues scales in her playing, and her powerful voice and unique style influenced many later singers. Her willingness to experiment with different sounds and styles also inspired many later artists.

Bessie Smith’s Legacy

Bessie Smith was an African American blues singer who became popular in the 1920s and 1930s. She is often referred to as the “Empress of the Blues.” She was a major influence on other blues singers, including Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin. Bessie Smith’s powerful voice and emotional delivery helped to define the blues genre.

Bessie Smith’s influence on the blues

Bessie Smith was an American blues singer. She is often referred to as the Empress of the Blues. She was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is a major influence on later blues singers, jazz singers, and rock and roll singers. Her vocal style, powerful voice, and ability to convey emotion made her one of the greatest blues singers of all time.

Bessie Smith’s influence on popular music

Bessie Smith was an African American blues singer. She is often referred to as the “Empress of the Blues.” She was a major influence on other blues singers, as well as on jazz and popular music performers. Her powerful voice and emotional style of singing soon made her one of the most popular blues singers of her time.

Smith’s recordings were commercially successful and she became one of the best-selling artists of the 1920s. She was the highest-paid African American entertainer of her time. Her records were popular among both black and white audiences.

Despite her success, Smith faced many challenges in her personal life. She divorced twice and struggled with alcoholism. She was also involved in several relationships with women.

Smith died in a car accident in 1937 at the age of 43. Her influence on music continued long after her death. She was posthumously inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1983.