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Bessie Smith Facts & Worksheets

Bessie Smith, known by her fans as Empress of the Blues, was the most renowned female jazz musician of her time

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During the 1920s and 1930s, jazz music and dance styles became famous, and this period was known as the Jazz Age. Bessie Smith, known by her fans as Empress of the Blues, was the most renowned female jazz musician during this time.

See the fact file below for more information on Bessie Smith or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Bessie Smith worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Early Life

  • The legendary jazz singer, Bessie Smith, was born on April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • Her father, William Smith, a laborer and a part-time Baptist minister died when she was born.
  • When her mother, Laura Smith, and two of her brothers passed away in 1906, her aunt took and raised Bessie Smith and her four siblings.
  • Due to poverty, Bessie Smith started working early and began busking on the streets with her younger brother Andrew as her guitarist.
  • They frequently performed on Thirteenth and Elm streets, in front of the White Elephant Saloon.

Career

  • Her eldest brother, Clarence, joined Moses Stokes’ traveling group in 1904.
  • When he returned home in 1912, Clarence helped Bessie Smith arrange an audition with Lonnie and Cora Fisher, the group’s manager.
  • They decided to hire Bessie as a dancer in the minstrel show.
  • After some time, she joined Rabbit Foot Minstrels and worked with the famous American blues singer Ma Rainey.
  • Aside from being a friend, Ma Rainey mentored Bessie Smith, not by teaching her how to sing but by helping build her stage presence.
  • Bessie Smith began singing chorus lines and performed in theaters such as the 81 Theatre in Atlanta and vaudeville with the Theater Owners Booking Association. (TOBA).
  • In 1920, she had already established her name as a blues singer in the South and along the East Coast.
  • At the time, there was a demand for blues singers due to Mamie Smith who sold 100,000 copies of her song “Crazy Blues.”
  • In 1923, she took the opportunity to begin her recording career.
  • Frank Walker, a talent agent from Columbia Records, signed a contract with Bessie Smith in 1923.
  • At that time, Whites were offered better contracts, and despite that, she still took the chance.
  • Dan Hornsby arranged her first recording session in February 1923.
  • Her first released arranged single, “Downhearted Blues” (backed by Gulf Coast Blues), sold 780,000 copies in six months.
  • Her rise in popularity made her schedule busy with many performances.
  • She collaborated with various artists such as Louis Armstrong, Joe Smith, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Green, and James P. Johnson.
  • Due to discrimination between Whites and Blacks, Bessie Smith was not allowed to ride the “Whites only” first-class car; thus, she ordered a luxurious personalized 72-foot-long railroad car and went on tours with it.
  • She was said to be the highest-paid black entertainer of her time and was called the Empress of the Blues.
  • With her rough and soulful voice, she recorded over 160 songs and among these were her hit songs, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” “Back-Water Blues,” “Devil’s Gonna Get You,” “Empty Bed Blues,” “Downhearted Blues,” and “He’s Got Me Goin’.”
  • The message of Bessie Smith’s music emphasizes independence, sexual freedom, feminism, social issues, and bravery.
  • Bessie Smith’s voice became more evident when the electrical recording was introduced and her music reached more people.
  • After her performances, she would go on radio stations to perform radio concerts.
  • The emergence of the Great Depression endangered the career of many artists, including Bessie Smith, because the recording industry was affected while vaudeville also nearly ended.
  • Despite this, Bessie Smith continued performing on tours and singing in clubs and even performed in “Pansy,” a broadway musical in 1929.
  • In the same year, she appeared in her only film, “St. Louis Blues,” directed by Dudley Murphy.
  • In 1933 when there was a rise in the Swings genre, producer John Hammond reached out to her to make new music.

Marriage

  • Bessie Smith married Earl Love in 1920 but he died the following year.
  • Three years, she married Jack Gee in 1923. 
  • Their relationship was not smooth as they were bound with violent fights and affairs.
  • Hoping to save their marriage, they even adopted a six-year-old child named John Gee, Jr. 
  • However, Smith’s busy schedule made it hard for her to take care of John.
  • She bought two houses for her sisters and left her child with them in Philadelphia.
  • Being bisexual, Bessie Smith was involved in several sexual relationships while Jack Gee had an affair with another singer, Gertrude Saunders.
  • Bessie Smith was also known for her vulgar behavior and heavy drinking.
  • Jack Gee planned his revenge on Bessie Smith by using their son as leverage.
  • He took John Gee, Jr. to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty Children (SPCC) and had custody of him.
  • However, Jack Gee and Gertrude Saunders made John live in the basement.
  • Bessie Smith found new love with Richard Morgan.

Death

  • Bessie Smith and Richard Morgan were involved in a car accident.
  • In September 1937, while the couple was driving along U.S. Route 61, their car crashed into a parked truck.
  • Bessie Smith, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was severely injured.
  • She was brought to the G.T. Thomas Afro-American Hospital, but unfortunately, she died that morning after not regaining consciousness.
  • Bessie Smith had a large funeral covered by her insurance policy, but her grave was left unmarked.
  • Her funeral was initially at the Upshur’s funeral home in Philadelphia.
  • However, it was transferred to O.V Catto Elks Lodge to accommodate more people.
  • About 7,000 people was reported to have attended.
  • She was buried at Mount Lawn Cemetery.
  • Her former husband, Jack Gee, kept all Bessie Smith’s money.
  • A concert in 1948 entitled the Bessie Smith Memorial Concert was arranged to raise funds for a headstone.
  • However, Bessie’s sister confirmed that Jack Gee kept all the funds.
  • Another benefit concert with the same purpose was held in 1950.
  • Maud, Bessie’s sister, agreed to purchase the headstone with Jack Gee, so she gave him a check. 
  • Again, no stone was acquired for Bessie Smith as Gee kept the intended funds for himself.
  • In August 1970, Janis Joplin and Juanita Greene bought a gravestone for Bessie Smith.
  • Her stone was engraved with “The Greatest Blues Singer In The World Will Never Stop Singing.”

Bessie Smith Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Bessie Smith across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Bessie Smith who was the most renowned female jazz musician of her time.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Bessie Smith Facts
  • I Am Bessie
  • Bessie, Is It True?
  • The Music
  • Records
  • Can You Feel The Song?
  • Musician’s Life
  • Jazz and Blues
  • Behind The Success
  • What Can You Say?
  • Women Empowerment

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Link will appear as Bessie Smith Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 7, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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