She began performing while still a kid as a means of surviving after her parents both died in a car accident. She later began touring as a Vaudeville performer and received training from Ma Rainey, one of the first big blues singers. After years performing throughout the American South, she secured a recording deal and began making her first records in 1923. Many of her records became big hits and she starred in a film short St. Louis Blues. At her peak, she was the highest paid black entertainer.
Her popularity though did wane around the time of The Great Depression as the recording industry was nearly out of business while the Vaudeville venues she played out gradually died off as sound films became the norm. She did continuing touring in the 30s, mostly in less elaborate clubs, and made what would be her final recordings in 1933, though with more swing styled arrangements than her earlier blues material. In 1937, she was critically injured in a car accident and died shortly after. While thousands attended her funeral, she was initially buried in an unmarked gave though a tombstone was later commissioned by Janis Joplin, who was a big fan of her work, which says "The Greatest Blues Singer in the World Will Never Stop Singing."
Despite a relatively short recording career, her work influenced numerous other singers. She has since received numerous honors since her passing. She was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and was part of the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, listed as an “Early Influence”. She has also had multiple recordings inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as well an induction in the National Recording Registry. Her life story was also adapted as the HBO film Bessie (2015) where she was played by Queen Latifah.
Tropes:
- 12-Bar Blues: "St. Louis Blues" is notable example of a song with this structure.
- The Alcoholic: "Me and My Gin" where she claims she is sinning due to her drinking habits, is friends with any bootlegger and will fight the army and navy if they get in the way of her gin.
- Christmas Songs: "At The Christmas Ball" of course set during Christmas time.
- Double Entendre: Naturally, for a 20s nightclub entertainer, her songs are full of this. "I Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl" and "Kitchen Man" are probably the standouts.His frankfurters are oh so sweet
How I like his sausage meat
Oh, how that boy can open clam
No one else can touch my ham - Greatest Hits Album: Various compilations of hers serve as this. Granted, she recorded music during a time where LP albums didn’t exist yet.
- Haunted House: In "Haunted House Blues", she claims her house is haunted with dead man though it seems her main concern is a man who mistreats her.
- Murder Ballad: "Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair" has Bessie bragging about killing her man for cheating on her, then begging to be executed so she won't have to go to jail.I cut him with my Barlow
I kicked him in the side
I stood here laughing o'r him
While he wallowed around and died - Ode to Intoxication: If "Me and My Gin" is any indication, she won’t let anyone get in the way of her drinking (even if acknowledging it as a sin). "Gimme A Pig Foot" isn't far behind sheer debauchery, even if it makes it sound a lot more fun.Give that piano player a drink because he's bringing me down!
- Riches to Rags: "Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out" is about a former wealthy person who has since lost their fortune with not even a penny in their pocket.
- Something Blues: She has dozens of examples with some of the best known being "Downhearted blues", "St. Louis Blues" and "Empty Bed Blues".
- Spoken Word in Music: "Gimme A Pig Foot and a Bottle of Beer" starts with Bessie exclaiming "Twenty-five cents?! HAH! No, no, I wouldn't pay 25 cents to go in nowhere!" before striding into the speakeasy she's singing about.
- Vaudeville: Many of her live performances were part of the Vaudeville shows.
