Who first sang played blues music?
One of the first professional blues singers was Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, who claimed to have coined the term blues. Classic female urban or vaudeville blues singers were popular in the 1920s, among them Mamie Smith, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Victoria Spivey.
Who was a famous female singer in the 1920s?
Bessie Smith (c. 1892–1937), Mamie Smith (1893–1946), and Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886–1939) are perhaps the most recognizable names of women blues singers of the 1920s.
What was the first blues song ever recorded?
On 10 August 1920, a group of musicians collectively known as The Jazz Hounds recorded a song with Mamie Smith called ‘Crazy Blues’, the first blues record. We will never know who wrote the first blues song, even using the term wrote is a misnomer.
Who was the first African American to record the Blues?
Spread and Development The first musician known to use the word blues in a song title was Antonio Maggio, who did so in 1908 in his track, “I got the blues.” It was, however, Hart Wand’s “Dallas Blues” that was the first to be copyrighted. The first African American to record and copyright blues track was Mamie Smith in 1920.
Who are some of the most famous blues musicians?
Some of these blues styles were jazz influenced and many had amplified bands. Well-known city blues musicians include Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, T-Bone Walker and B.B. King. The blues guitarist T-Bone Walker pioneered the rock guitar sound and technique, playing long solos and turning his amplifier up to distortion level.
Who was the first woman to sing the Blues?
Record companies began seeking out women blues singers and the careers of Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, Victoria Spivey, Clara Smith, Ethel Waters, Lucille Hegamin, and other early voices blossomed. For several years, women ruled the blues roost, but men were quick to catch up in the mid 20’s, an era we’ll explore another time.