Westhill Institute

Bessie Smith:
How did she affected history?

Valentina Argandona
American history
9 February 2018

BIOGRAPHY !1
 Great History Women
The reason for writing this essay is to prove that weather you are a woman or a man
you can go down in history for simple stuff and make a big impact that affects todays
daily life. This was a great woman with a
tough life - it is worth mentioning that
everyone can have one, but especially now
a days people that people give up so
easily, but we also see that people looking
through history people are being stronger -
and a simple dream that lead to her
changing the way people saw the African
American singers. The reason for reading this:
Get yourself informed about what really happened in order to see what we see today
in all the world it is notably a context but an answer. Bessie smith impacted the world
where segregation existed by allowing her dream and acting int the Harlem
renaissance - artistic movement that will be later explained through the biography
because it is an important thing that shaped her moment in history and was shaped
by her life-. She with other people changed what we see now diversion in the cultural,
artistic movements and stuff. Not often we see woman at this time in history because
they were not very active in the public eye, and even worst if you were an African
American, and that why she performed in a specific place for black people and not a
divierse audience. Eventually as you read along the biography you will learn about
how she made all the diversity that we see in the entertainment industry possible to
todays date.

BIOGRAPHY !2
Valentina Argandona
Collin Andrews
february, 2017

Bessie Smith
A story about a woman who made it in history

Introduction:

This essay will be talking qbout how this woman Bessie smith influenced on her gold era and how it
changed the way that the African Americans in the vaudeville where being seen and the acts she had at
participating in Harlem renaissance her act of rebellion.
Thesis:
Bessie Smith was the greatest singer from the 20´s and a great influencer at the tie that she was a woman
that participated at the harlem renaissance making her a great woman who was passed down to history for
making something good and fighting for not segregation.

Early life:
Bessie smith was a recognized jazz singer from the 20´s and 30´s, known as the Empress of the blues
and a great influencer on jazz singers from that time. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 15, 1894
daughter to Laura and William smith a laborer and a part time baptist and reportedly said to have three half
siblings. And this is her story at the age of 9 her parents passed away leaving her sister Viola in charge . At that
time to earn money to eat her and her brother Andrews started singing and dancing in the streets of Chattanooga,
Early career:
by the year 1904, Clarence ( her oldest brother) he left home, in order to join a small traveling troupe
owned by Moses Stokes that was A traveling vaudeville and minstrel tent show run by Lonnie and Cora Fisher. By
the time that her brother got back she got hired as a dancer, because their lead singer at the time was Ma Rainey
- she was one of the earliest African-American professional blues singers and one of the first generation of blues
singers to record. She was billed as the "Mother of the Blues”. Over time she managed to perform some chorus
lines making the Atlanta theater her home base. She also perform on theaters owned by “ T.O.B.A ” - was the
vaudeville (A typical vaudeville performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped
together on a common bill. Types of acts have included popular and classical musicians, singers, dancers,
comedians, trained animals, magicians, strongmen, female and male impersonators, acrobats, illustrated songs,
jugglers, one-act plays or scenes from plays, athletes, lecturing celebrities, minstrels, and movies. A vaudeville
performer is often referred to as a “vaudevillian”.) 1 for African-American in 1920´s , the owners where mostly
white that put on a show for black audiences- after this she became a big hit and signed a record with Columbia
Records. By 1923 she started her career and at the time she was living Philadelphia where she met Jack Gee - a
security guard - and got married June 7, 1923, when her first records was being released, During the marriage

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaudeville

BIOGRAPHY !3
Smith became the highest-paid black entertainer of the day, heading her own shows, which sometimes featured as
many as 40 troupers, and touring in her own custom-built railroad car. Their marriage was stormy with infidelity on
both sides, including numerous female lovers for Bessie. Gee was impressed by the money but never adjusted to
show business life or to Smith's bisexuality. after he learned of his affair with another singer, Gertrude Saunders,
Smith ended the relationship, although neither of them sought a divorce.
Professional career:
By the time that she performed near Rainey she learned to be at the stage she didn't teach her to sing but
how to be a true performer, from that she began to form her own act to form a reputation in the south and the
east coast. In 1920 sales were over the skies for “crazy blues” from Mamie Smith a black singer, which led to
producers to search for black female singers, when she was signed into the Columbia records, by Frank walker
who followed her career. When the company established a "race records" series, Smith's "Cemetery
Blues" (September 26, 1923) was the first issued smith became a headliner on the T.O.B.A. circuit and rose to
become its top attraction in the 1920s. By the time that she was recognized she the most famous black singer and
the best paid she could earn at least 2, 000 dollars a week with in that time was really a big deal nobody could
earn that quantity in just a week, and even has her own train where she has 40 artist working under her direction.

Her problems:
As mentioned before she was owned about her bisexuality even when she was married to Jack Gee she
cheated on him with her coworkers -girls- several times, She also dealed with problems such as drugs and alcohol,
in November, 24 of 1933, Bessie makes her last recording, which in her voice sounded ore beautiful than other
time in her career, her soul sings like she felt it would be the last. And thats it inly 4 years later on a morning of
November 26 1937, she drives down from a minimized road in Missipi where her car encounters a truck, her
body is broken down and eventually she is taken to the nearest hospital which is versioned that she wasn't
attended in the emergency section because she was black and people discriminated her and that day was the day
that the blues lost her empress and their most famous singer.
Her impact on the world:
Bessie acted out in the Harlem renaissance - that could be also named new negro movement that took
place in Harlem, New York . This movement was a movement where black and white pople would act together
instead of being segregated although many people accepted it, many people did not completely accept it. Bessie
smith contributed by sinning the place that she was required since she was already famous she would gain more
audience to join the movement.
conclusion:
In conclusion Smith was a great woman, she let her addictions decide her destiny but overall she was an
excellent person an excellent singer. No matter where you come from you can do great things with very little stuff
and very simple thing.

http://www.lavanguardia.com/hemeroteca/20170926/431556249079/bessie-smith-blues-jazz-musica-la-
emperatriz-del-blues.html

https://prezi.com/gnuuv5liiare/bessie-smith-harlem-renaissance/

BIOGRAPHY !4
http://www.ushistory.org/us/46e.asp

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3845.html

BIOGRAPHY !5