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Mamie Smith
Mamie Smith was just a child when she began her artistic career as a dancer in
the Four Mitchells troupe. A few years later, she took part in New York
nightlife, this time as a singer. In addition to the revues that brought
African-American culture to the concert halls, Mamie Smith also made jazz
history with a session that gave birth to the first vocal blues album recorded
in the early '20s. That same year, with the help of Perry Bradford, she gave the
blues its first major recording successes. The first grande dame of the blues
went on to record with Sidney Bechet, Clarence Wil...
