The accidental death of Bessie Smith in Mississippi has turned into a myth that has been repeated many times, including several times in print by respected authors. A local club operator heard her; offered her $8.00 a week to sing at his tavern and so her career began. The eighth child of a poor black family in Chattanooga, Bessie began singing on street corners for pennies when she was less than 10 years old. Regardless, Bessie Smith died tragically at the young age of 43, yet still remains one of the most iconic and influential musicians that ever lived. Read 18 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Bessie Smith, American singer, one of the greatest blues vocalists. In 1958, the release of Dinah Washington Sings Bessie Smith and LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith indicated a continued interest in the Empress of the Blues two decades after her death… https://wams.nyhistory.org/confidence-and-crises/jazz-age/bessie-smith September 26th is the sixty-fourth anniversary of the tragic death of famous blues singer, Bessie Smith. The sandbox ; and, The death of Bessie Smith ; with, Fam and Yam by Edward Albee. Her father was a Baptist minister and a laborer. Bessie Smith was born into poverty in Chattanooga, Tennessee, one of seven children of William and Laura Smith. The Sandbox & The Death of Bessie Smith book. Publication date 1988 Topics Smith, Bessie, 1894-1937 -- Drama Publisher New American Library Collection inlibrary; printdisabled; internetarchivebooks; china Digitizing sponsor Kahle/Austin Foundation Contributor Internet Archive Language English. Home Home - Blog Updates The Truth about Bessie Smith’s Tragic Death February 13, 2018 Richard blues music , history , racism 1 Comments J. Frank Dobie was a member of the faculty at the University of Texas off and on from 1914 until his dismissal in 1947. Bessie Smith is a backround figure, as an accident involving her and her boyfriend/manager brings them into a whites-only hospital and an iron hearted nurse who laserates the e.r. And her death probably could have been prevented if … Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2013-01-25 15:07:22 Bookplateleaf 0006 Boxid IA1342924 City New York, N.Y. Donor bostonpubliclibrary External-identifier Many people blame segregation and unfair treatment for her death. Known as the ‘Empress of the Blues,’ she was a bold, supremely confident artist who sang with breathtaking emotional intensity on such songs as ‘Down Hearted Blues,’ ‘Empty Bed Blues,’ and ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out.’ 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. The Death of Bessie Smith is a disturbing, but surely more realistic slap dash into 1937 Memphis, race relations and female/male battles. intern who is in love with her. Her father died soon after her birth and her mother and two of her brothers died by the time she was eight or nine. 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