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The Music Room
Bessie Smith was a rough, crude, violent woman. She was also the greatest of the classic Blues singer of the 1920s. Bessie started out as a street musican in Chattanooga. In 1912 Bessie joined a traveling show as a dancer and singer. The show featured Pa and Ma Rainey, and Smith developed a friendship with Ma. Ma Rainey was Bessie's mentor and she stayed with her show until 1915. Bessie then joined the T.O.B.A. vaudeville circuit and gradually built up her own following in the south and along the eastern seaboard. By the early 1920s she was one of the most popular Blues singers in vaudeville. In 1923 she made her recording debut on Columbia, accompanied by pianist Clarence Williams. They recorded "Gulf Coast Blues" and "Down Hearted Blues." The record sold more than 750,000 copies that same year, rivaling the success of Blues singer Mamie Smith (no relation). Throughout the 1920s Smith recorded with many of the great Jazz musicians of that era, including Fletcher Henderson, James P. Johnson, Coleman Hawkins, Don Redman, and Louis Armstrong. Her rendition of "St. Louis Blues" with Armstrong is considered by most critics to be one of finest recordings of the 1920s. Bessie Smith was one of the biggest stars of the 1920s and was popular with both Whites and African Americans, but by 1931 the Classic Blues style of Bessie Smith was out of style and the Depression, radio, and sound movies had all damaged the record companies ability to sell records and Columbia dropped Smith from its roster. In 1933 she recorded for the last time under the direction of John Hammond for Okeh. The session was released under the name of Bessie Smith accompanied by Buck and his Band. Despite having no record company Smith was still very popular in the South and continued to draw large crowds, although the money was not nearly as good as it had been in the 1920s. Bessie had started to style herself as a Swing musician and was on the verge of a come back when her life was tragically cut short by an automobile accident in 1937. While driving with her lover Richard Morgan (Lionel Hampton's uncle) in Mississippi their car rear-ended a slow moving truck and rolled over crushing Smith's left arm and ribs. Smith bled to death by the time she reached the hospital. John Hammond caused quite a stir by writing an article in Downbeat magazine suggesting that Smith had bleed to death because she had been taken to a White hospital and had been turned away. This proved not to be true, but the rumour persists to this day.
Bessie Smith accompanied by her Down Home Trio Bessie Smith accompanied by Henderson's Hot Six Bessie Smith accompanied by Buck and his Band Bessie Smith and her Band Bessie Smith and her Blue Boys 
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Aggravatin' Papa
(Roy Turk / J. Russell Robinson / A. Britt)4-11-1923 New York, New York Columbia A Good Man Is Hard To Find
(Eddie Green)9-27-1927 New York, New York Columbia Any Woman's Blues
(Lovie Austin)10-16-1923 New York, New York Columbia At The Christmas Ball
(Fred Longshaw)11-18-1925 New York, New York Columbia Baby Doll
(Bessie Smith / H. Webman)5-4-1926 New York, New York Columbia Baby Have Pity On Me
(Clarence Williams / B. Moll)4-12-1930 New York, New York Columbia Baby Won't You Please Come Home
(Clarence Williams / C. Warfield)4-11-1923 New York, New York Columbia Back-Water Blues
(Bessie Smith)2-17-1927 New York, New York Columbia Beale Street Mama
(Roy Turk / J. Russell Robinson)4-11-1923 New York, New York Columbia Black Mountain Blues
(H. Cole)7-22-1930 New York, New York Columbia Bleeding Hearted Blues
(Lovie Austin)6-14-1923 New York, New York Columbia Blue Blues
(Bessie Smith)6-11-1931 New York, New York Columbia Blue Spirit Blues
(Spencer Williams)10-11-1929 New York, New York Columbia Bowevil Blues
(Ma Rainey / Lovie Austin)4-7-1924 New York, New York Columbia Careless Love Blues (1)
(W.C. Handy)5-26-1925 New York, New York Columbia Careless Love Blues (2)
(W.C. Handy)5-26-1925 New York, New York Columbia Cemetery Blues
(S. Laney / Spencer Williams)9-26-1923 New York, New York Columbia Chicago Bound Blues
(Lovie Austin)12-4-1923 New York, New York Columbia Cold In Hand Blues
(Jack Gee / Fred Longshaw)1-14-1925 New York, New York Columbia Devil's Gonna Git You
(Porter Grainger)8-24-1928 New York, New York Columbia Dirty No-Gooder's Blues
(Bessie Smith)10-1-1929 New York, New York Columbia Dixie Flyer Blues
(Bessie Smith)5-15-1925 New York, New York Columbia Don't Cry Baby
(S. Unger / S. Bernie / J. Johnson)10-11-1929 New York, New York Columbia Down Hearted Blues
(Alberta Hunter / Lovie Austin)2-16-1923 New York, New York Columbia Dyin' By The Hour
(G. Brooks)10-27-1927 New York, New York Columbia Dying Gambler's Blues
(Jack Gee)12-13-1924 New York, New York Columbia Easy Come Easy Go Blues
(W. Jackson / E. Brown)1-10-1924 New York, New York Columbia Empty Bed Blues (Part 1)
(J.C. Johnson)3-20-1928 New York, New York Columbia Empty Bed Blues (Part 2)
(J.C. Johnson)3-20-1928 New York, New York Columbia Evesdropper's Blues
(J.C. Johnson)1-9-1924 New York, New York Columbia Far Away Blues
(Duet with Clara Smith)
(G. Brooks)10-4-1923 New York, New York Columbia Florida Bound Blues
(Clarence Williams)11-17-1925 New York, New York Columbia Follow The Deal On Down
(Tom Delaney)12-11-1924 New York, New York Columbia Foolish Man Blues
(Bessie Smith)10-27-1927 New York, New York Columbia Frankie Blues
(E. Johnson)4-8-1924 New York, New York Columbia Frosty Morining Blues
(E. Brown)1-8-1924 New York, New York Columbia Golden Rule Blues
(Bessie Smith)11-20-1925 New York, New York Columbia Graveyard Dream Blues
(Ida Cox)9-26-1923 New York, New York Columbia Gulf Coast Blues
(Clarence Williams)2-16-1923 New York, New York Columbia Hard Driving Papa
(G. Brooks)5-4-1926 New York, New York Columbia Hard Time Blues
(Bessie Smith)10-25-1926 New York, New York Columbia Hateful Blues
(E. Johnson)4-8-1924 New York, New York Columbia Haunted House Blues
(J.C. Johnson)1-9-1924 New York, New York Columbia He's Gone Blues
(Bessie Smith)6-23-1925 New York, New York Columbia He's Got Me Goin'
(H. Gray)8-20-1929 New York, New York Columbia Homeless Blues
(Porter Grainger)9-28-1927 New York, New York Columbia Honey Man Blues
(G. Brooks)10-25-1926 New York, New York Columbia House Rent Blues
(T. Wallace)7-23-1924 New York, New York Columbia Hustlin' Dan
(J. Crawford)7-22-1930 New York, New York Columbia I Aint' Goin' To Play No Second Fiddle
(Perry Bradford)5-27-1925 New York, New York Columbia I'd Rather Be Dead And Buried In My Grave
(P. Fuller)2-16-1928 New York, New York Columbia If You Don't Know Who Will?
(Clarence Williams / Chris Smith / Tim Brymn)6-21-1923 New York, New York Columbia I Got What It Takes (But It Breaks My Heart To Give It Away)
(Clarence Williams / H. Jenkins)5-15-1929 New York, New York Columbia I'm Going Back To My Used To Be
(Duet with Clara Smith)
(J. Cox)10-4-1923 New York, New York Columbia I'm Wild About That Thing
(Spencer Williams)5-8-1929 New York, New York Columbia In The House Blues
(Bessie Smith)6-11-1931 New York, New York Columbia It Makes My Love Come Down
(Bessie Smith)8-20-1929 New York, New York Columbia It Won't Be You
(Bessie Smith)2-21-1928 New York, New York Columbia I Want Ev'ry Bit Of It
(Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams)3-5-1926 New York, New York Columbia I Used To Be Your Sweet Mama
(L. Miller / Fred Longshaw)2-9-1928 New York, New York Columbia I've Been Mistreated And I Don't Like It
(Fred Longshaw)11-18-1925 New York, New York Columbia I've Got What It Takes
(Clarence Williams / H. Jenkins)5-15-1929 New York, New York Columbia Jail-House Blues
(Bessie Smith / Clarence Williams)9-21-1923 New York, New York Columbia Jazzbo Brown From Memphis Town
(G. Brooks)3-18-1926 New York, New York Columbia J.C. Holmes Blues
(G. Horsley)5-27-1925 New York, New York Columbia Keep It To Yourself
(Clarence Williams)3-27-1930 New York, New York Columbia Keeps On A Rainin' (Papa, He Can't Make No Time)
(Spencer Williams / M Kortlander)4-26-1923 New York, New York Columbia Kitchen Man
(Andy Razaf / A. Bellenda)5-8-1929 New York, New York Columbia Lady Luck Blues
(W. Weber / Clarence Williams)6-14-1923 New York, New York Columbia Lock And Key
(Henry Creamer / James P. Johnson)1-4-1927 New York, New York Columbia Lonesome Desert Blues
(Bessie Smith)12-9-1925 New York, New York Columbia Long Old Road
(Bessie Smith)6-11-1931 New York, New York Columbia Looking For My Man Blues 9-28-1927 New York, New York Columbia Lost Your Head Blues
(Bessie Smith)5-4-1926 New York, New York Columbia Lou'siana Low Down Blues
(Spencer Williams)7-22-1924 New York, New York Columbia Love Me Dady Blues
(L. Longshaw)12-12-1924 New York, New York Columbia Mamas Got The Blues
(Sarah Martin / Clarence Williams)4-28-1923 New York, New York Columbia Mean Old Bed Bug Blues
(L. Wood)9-27-1927 New York, New York Columbia Me And My Gin
(H. Burke)8-25-1928 New York, New York Columbia Midnight Blues
(B. Thompson / Spencer Williams)6-15-1923 New York, New York Columbia Mistreatin' Daddy
(Porter Grainger / Bob Ricketts)12-4-1923 New York, New York Columbia Moan Mourners
(Spencer Williams)6-9-1930 New York, New York Columbia Money Blues
(D.K. Leader / H. Eller)5-4-1926 New York, New York Columbia Moonshine Blues
(Ma Rainey)4-9-1924 New York, New York Columbia Mountaintop Blues
(Spencer Williams)7-22-1924 New York, New York Columbia My Man Blues
(Duet with Clara Smith)
(Bessie Smith)9-1-1925 New York, New York Columbia Nashville Woman's Blues (1)
(Fred Longshaw)5-26-1925 New York, New York Columbia Nashville Woman's Blues (2)
(Fred Longshaw)5-26-1925 New York, New York Columbia Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl
(Clarence Williams / D. Small / Tim Brymn)11-20-1931 New York, New York Columbia New Gulf Coast Blues
(Clarence Williams )11-17-1925 New York, New York Columbia New Orleans Hop Scop Blues
(G.W. Thomas)3-27-1930 New York, New York Columbia Nobody In Town Can Bake A Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine
(Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams)6-22-1923 New York, New York Columbia Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
(Jimmy Cox)5-15-1929 New York, New York Columbia Oh Daddy Blues
(E. Herbert / W. Russell)4-11-1923 New York, New York Columbia One And Two Blues
(G. Brooks)10-26-1926 New York, New York Columbia On Revival Day (A Rhythmic Spiritual)
(Andy Razaf)6-9-1930 New York, New York Columbia Outside Of That
(J.H. Trent / Clarence Williams)4-28-1923 New York, New York Columbia Pickpocket Blues
(Bessie Smith)2-9-1928 New York, New York Columbia Pinchbacks - Take "Em Away
(Bessie Smith / I. Johns)4-4-1924 New York, New York Columbia Please Help Me Get Him Off My Mind
(Bessie Smith)8-25-1928 New York, New York Columbia Poorman's Blues
(Bessie Smith)8-24-1928 New York, New York Columbia Preachin' The Blues
(Bessie Smith)2-17-1927 New York, New York Columbia Put It Right Here (Or Keep It Out Of There)
(Porter Grainger)3-20-1928 New York, New York Columbia Rainy Weather Blues
(G. Brooks)8-8-1924 New York, New York Columbia Reckless Blues
(Bessie Smith)1-14-1925 New York, New York Columbia Red Mountain Blues
(H. Troy)11-20-1925 New York, New York Columbia Rocking Chair Blues
(Bessie Smith / I. Johns)4-4-1924 New York, New York Columbia Safety Mama
(Bessie Smith)11-20-1931 New York, New York Columbia Salt Water Blues
(G. Brooks)7-31-1924 New York, New York Columbia Sam Jones Blues
(Al Bernard / Roy Turk / J. Russel Robinson)9-24-1923 New York, New York Columbia See If I Care
(Clarence Williams / Alex Hill)4-12-1930 New York, New York Columbia Shipwreck Blues
(Bessie Smith)6-11-1931 New York, New York Columbia Sinful Blues
(Perry Bradford)12-11-1924 New York, New York Columbia Sing Sing Prison Blues
(Porter Grainger / F. Johnson)12-6-1924 New York, New York Columbia Slow And Easy Man
(S. Red)8-24-1928 New York, New York Columbia Sobbin' Hearted Blues
(Perry Bradford / Layer / Davis)1-14-1925 New York, New York Columbia Sorrowful Blues
(Bessie Smith / I. Johns)4-4-1924 New York, New York Columbia Spider Man Blues
(Bessie Smith / H.Gray)3-19-1928 New York, New York Columbia Squeeze Me
(Clarence Williams / Fats Waller)3-5-1925 New York, New York Columbia Standin' In The Rain Blues
(Bessie Smith)2-21-1928 New York, New York Columbia St. Louis Blues
(W.C. Handy)1-14-1925 New York, New York Columbia St. Louis Gal
(J. Russel Robinson)9-24-1923 New York, New York Columbia Sweet Mistreater
(Henry Creamer / James P. Johnson)1-4-1927 New York, New York Columbia 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
(Porter Grainger / E. Robbins)4-26-1923 New York, New York Columbia Take It Right Back ('Cause I Don't Want It Here)
(H. Gray)7-25-1929 New York, New York Columbia The Bye Bye Blues
(P. Carter)9-26-1924 New York, New York Columbia The Gin House Blues
(H. Troy / Fletcher Henderson)3-18-1926 New York, New York Columbia Them "Has Been" Blues
(W.E. Skidmore / M. Walker)3-5-1925 New York, New York Columbia Thinking Blues
(Bessie Smith)2-9-1928 New York, New York Columbia Ticket Agent Ease Your Window Down
(Spencer Williams)4-5-1924 New York, New York Columbia Washwoman's Blues
(Spencer Williams)8-24-1928 New York, New York Columbia Wasted Life Blues
(Bessie Smith)10-1-1929 New York, New York Columbia Weeping Willow Blues
(P. Carter)9-26-1924 New York, New York Columbia What's The Matter Now?
(Clarence Williams / Spenser Williams)3-5-1926 New York, New York Columbia Woman's Trouble Blues
(Jack Gee)12-12-1924 New York, New York Columbia Work House Blues
(Ted Wallace)7-23-1924 New York, New York Columbia Worn Out Papa
(Spencer Williams)10-11-1929 New York, New York Columbia Yes Indeed He Do!
(Porter Grainger)8-24-1928 New York, New York Columbia Yodling Blues
(Alex Hill / Clarence Williams)6-14-1923 New York, New York Columbia Young Woman's Blues
(Bessie Smith)10-26-1926 New York, New York Columbia You Don't Understand
(Clarence Williams, Spencer Williams / James P. Johnson)10-11-1929 New York, New York Columbia You Ought To Ashamed
(Porter Grainger)8-24-1928 New York, New York Columbia You've Been A Good Old Wagon
(Smith / Balcom)1-14-1925 New York, New York Columbia You've Got To Get Me Some
(Spencer Williams)5-8-1929 New York, New York Columbia 
Artist Instrument Ed Allen Cornet Louis Armstrong Cornet Buster Bailey Clarinet Louis Bacon Trumpet George Baquet Clarinet Bessemer Singers Vocals Gavin Bushell Alto Saxophone Buddy Christian Banjo June Cole Bass Brass Lincoln M. Conway Guitar Demas Dean Cornet Ernest Elliot Alto Saxophone, Clarinet Bob Fuller Clarinet, Alto Saxophone Porter Grainger Piano Charlie Green Trombone John Griffin Guitar Coleman Hawkins Tenor Saxophone Fletcher Henderson Piano Shelton Hemphill Cornet Irving Johns Piano James C. Johnson Piano James P. Johnson Piano Jimmy Jones Piano Tommy Ladnier Cornet Eddie Lang Guitar Fred Longshaw Piano Stanley Miller Piano, Talking John Mitchell Banjo Don Redman Clarinet Harry Reser Guitar Robert Robbins Violin Clara Smith Vocals Joe Smith Cornet Elmer Snowden Banjo Cyrus St. Clair Bass Brass Steve Stevens Piano Greely Walton Tenor Saxophone Abraham Wheat Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone Clarence Williams Piano Joe Williams Trombone
Somebody's Angel Child; The Story Of Bessie Smith, by Carmen Moore, 1969 Bessie, by Chris Albertson, Stein and Day Publishers, 1972 The Bessie Smith Companion, by Edward Brooks, Cavendish Publishing Co., 1982 Bessie Smith, by Jackie Kay, Outlines, 1997 Blues Legacies And Black Feminism, by Angela Davis, Pantheon Books, 1998 Backwater Blues; In Search Of Bessie Smith, by Sara Grimes, Rose Island Publishing Company, 2001 
Title Director Year St. Louis Blues Dudley Murphy 1929