Post 4- Blues Music: Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith, commonly referred to as the “Empress of the Blues,” was born in 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She earned her title by displaying her powerful voice to the public for everyone to hear. She is considered by many as one of the most successful African-American females of all time. Not only did she sing, she was also an actress and comedian. Smith is believed to be one of the highest paid black performers of her time. As an attempt to escape poverty as a teenager, she joined the Moss Stokes Company with her brother and Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, the “Mother of the Blues.” Ma Rainey served as the most influential person during Smith’s pre-professional career. Smith performed for nearly a decade until Columbia Records signed her in 1923. “Down Hearted Blues,” her first recording, sold nearly 800,000 copies, firmly establishing her as a new singer in the blues genre.

Smith did not cut any corners in her songs- she told everyone how the world really was and how she felt about it. She believed that her truth needed to be told, so she told it. Smith continued on to become very successful with hits like “St. Louis Blues” featuring Louis Armstrong, “Backwater Blues,” and “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out.” As the Swing era was emerging, Bessie Smith was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1937 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Over her ten year career, she created one hundred and sixty recordings. Following her death, Smith’s legacy continued on as she inspired new artists to display who they truly were.

“Down Hearted Blues” (1923)

The beginning of “Down Hearted Blues” actually reminded me of Ragtime music slightly. The first two verses are unique and do not have any repetition. The third-sixth verses have the traditional AAB blues pattern, which helps emphasize what she is saying during each verse. Smith describes how down she is about her life and how she knows there is nothing she can do about it. I have sympathy towards Smith during her performance of this song because she conveys how lonesome she is. The rhythm remains constant throughout the song, allowing the melody to flow peacefully during the piece. The beat is easy to tap along to, making it easier to focus on her lyrics. Although Smith is very pleasing to the ears, she seems to be slightly monotone in this piece. She uses her voice in this particular form to symbolize that she has given up and that she knows she will never find true love. Her powerful voice stands out so much in this song that the instrumental background may not even be needed as supplementation. The conjunct melody made me want to sing along with her! The piece uses syncopation to allow variation between the instruments and the vocals. She lets the chords of the instruments dangle off of her words, resulting in a beautiful piece that focuses primarily on the lyrics.

“Backwater Blues” (1927)

“Backwater Blues” tells the story of how the speaker is forced out of her home due to flooding waters. She manages to escape her flooding home, only to look back and see that she will never be able to go back to it. Her lyrics aid the audience in understanding why she is down. “Backwater Blues” does not sound as much like the blues as “Down Hearted Blues” to me, but it is still distinguishable as the blues due to the sad content of the song. Each verse in the song follows an AAB pattern from beginning to end. The repetition of her lyrics depict just how saddening her situation is- she is in the middle of losing everything. The song has a homophonic texture due to the use of instruments and vocalization in unison. The rhythm and beat remain constant throughout the song. The beat does not change because each verse follows the same AAB pattern, which results in the same rhythm continuing on. The melody is conjunct, making it easy to follow the lyrics of the song and the instrumental portions at the same time. The consonant chords allow for a smooth harmony to flow continuously during the song. The piece has a homophonic texture due to the supplementation of the instruments to the vocalization of Smith. The vocalization stands out far more than the sound of the instruments, primarily due to Smith’s incredible voice.

Bessie Smith had a powerful impact on future blues and Rock and Roll singers, like Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin. Following her death, Smith received numerous awards and honors for her achievements, including:

• 1980: Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame
• 1989: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• 1989: Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1994: Face was placed upon a US Postage Stamp
• 2001: “Down Hearted Blues” was named one of the Songs of the Century by the National Endowment for the Arts
• 2002: “Down Hearted Blues” was listed on the National Recording Preservation Board by the Library of Congress
• 2006: “Down Hearted Blues” listed in the Grammy Hall of Fame

Sources:

“Bessie Smith- American Singer.” Encyclopedia Britannica, written by The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Feb 2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith.

“Bessie Smith- Back Water Blues.” Youtube, uploaded by TravelerIntoTheBlue, 9 Oct 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXShOJVwaM.

“Bessie Smith.” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, courtesy of the Rock Hall Library and Archive, https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bessie-smith.

“Bessie Smith (Down Hearted Blues, 1923) Jazz Legend.” Youtube, uploaded by RagtimeDorianHenry, 3 Jun 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6TiLIeVZA.

“Smith, Bessie.” Carl Van Vechten Estate/Library of Congress, Washington D.C., photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1936, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith.