Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith, known as the "Empress of the Blues," was the most influential and controversial classical blues singer of the 1920s. During her prime, her powerful blues voice sold almost a million records and gave her a weekly salary of about $2000, placing her at the top of the blues charts. Though she was often criticized for her reputation of drinking, fighting, and sexual encounters with both sexes, she was a legend in the black community. …

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