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[[images - eleven black & white photographs of entertainers]]

Chattanooga, she worked honky tonks, tent shows, and carnivals until she became a recording star in 1923. During her first year with Columbia Records an unprecendented two million copies of her songs were sold. [All 160 of her recordings have recently been reissued by Columbia.]

There are legions throughout the world who believe no Blues singer ever matched the magic of Bessie Smith's incomparable singing of such songs as: "Gulf Coast Blues," her first [accompanied by the composer Clarence Williams], "Empty Bed Blues," "Down-Hearted Blues," "Backwater Blues," " St. Louis Blues," and "Spider Man Blues." Her death came tragically in 1937 as a result of an automobile accident. Because she was Black, Bessie Smith was denied hospital treatment in Clarksdale, Miss., where she died.

Ma Rainey, a pioneer blues singer, has been credited with discovering Bessie Smith while touring with her show, the "Rabbit Foot Minstrels." "Ma" was a wonderful talent in her own right. She was married to a singing comedian nicknames "Pa" Rainey and together they appeared on a rather incredulous bill, "Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues."

In addition to Bessie, there were other ladies named Smith who were making jazz history - none related to each other - Clara, Trixie, Laura, and Mamie. It was Mamie Smith who broke the color ban in the recording industry in 1920, thanks to a Harlem promoter, Perry Bradford who persuaded Okeh records to take a chance on the Black record market. Okeh never had it so good. Mamie's first record, "That Thing Called Love" and "You Can't keep a Good Man Down," took off like gang busters and sold an estimated 75,000 in no time at all. They were dubbed "race records" which indicated that they were made by Black musicians.

The ladies of jazz were a smash hit on "race records." Stars were not born, they were already there, experienced and waiting for a chance at the new medium. Because of their professionalism, some sky-rocketed to fame quite readily like Ethel Waters whose vocal style was to influence a generation of new singers. Additionally, she had the advantages of instinctive theatrical showmanship.

Behind every great lady in jazz there were always the finest of musicians - Louis Armstrong, James P. Johnson, Fletcher Henderson, Fats Waller, Buster Bailey, Charlie Green, Willie "the Lion" Smith, Coleman Hawkins, Clarence Williams, Johnny Dunn, Elmer Snowden - the list is endless.

Needless to say, Okeh didn't corner the Black record market. Stiff competition was just around the corner from Black Swan, Paramount, Columbia and Decca. Race records became a multi-million dollar business selling to Blacks and whites.