Bessie Smith:
The Woman Known As The Empress Of The Blues, Bessie Smith, Died On September 26, 1937, In Mississippi, From Injuries Sustained In An Automobile Accident.
Smith Was The Top Blues Singer Of The Post-World War I Era And Widely Regarded As The "Dean Of Female Blues Singers."
She Started Performing As A Teenager -- Going On Tent Tours With Ma Rainey And Other Traveling Minstrel Shows. By The 1920's Smith Was Playing Music Halls To Popular Acclaim.
In 1923 She Recorded Her First Hit, "Down Hearted Blues." The Record Sold Over Half A Million Copies In Six Months.
By The Time Of The Great Depression Bessie Smith's Fame -- As Well As The Popularity Of Blues Music -- Had Waned And She Began Drinking Heavily.
Bessie Smith Made A Comeback In 1933, Recording With Popular Jazz Artists. One Of Her Songs, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out," Reflected The Theme Of Her Later Life.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
