1898?-1937

Analyzes the performances, words, and lives of African-American blues artists Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday, and attempts to explore the feminist implications of their recorded music. Includes original transcriptions of the lyrics of all available recordings by Rainey and Smith.

Chronicles the life of Bessie Smith, discussing how she transformed from a vaudeville entertainer to the highest-paid African-American performer of the roaring twenties.

Tells the life story of 1920s blues singer Bessie Smith, describing her childhood, her achievements, and her legacy.