Bessie

by Chris Albertson Narrated by Robertson Dean

Overview

Bessie Smith, the great singer known as the "Empress of the Blues," is considered by many to be the greatest blues singer of all time. She was also a successful vaudeville entertainer who became the highest-paid African American performer of the Roaring Twenties.


Chris Albertson's revised and expanded edition of the biography of this extraordinary artist debunks many of the myths that have circulated since her untimely death in 1937. Albertson writes with insight and candor about the singer's personal life and her career, supplementing his historical research with dozens of interviews with her relatives, friends, and associates, including Ruby Walker Smith, a niece by marriage who toured with Bessie for over a decade.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"The first estimable full-length biography not only of Bessie Smith but of any black musician.”—Whitney Balliett, New Yorker (on the first edition)



“A remarkably clear-eyed examination of Smith’s personality (and sexuality) and, more important, of the gritty and greedy music business.”—Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic Monthly



“The most devastating, provocative, and enlightening work of its kind ever contributed to the annals of jazz literature.”—Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times (on the first edition)

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"The most devastating, provocative, and enlightening work of its kind ever contributed to the annals of jazz literature." —Los Angeles Times

Blues Hall of Fame - National Blues Foundation

Member of the 2012 Blues Hall of Fame, as awarded by the National Blues Foundation.

2015 Emmy Awards

An inspiration for the Emmy Award-winning television movie Bessie (Outstanding Television Movie, 2015)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170663125
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	08/19/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged

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