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On this day, 100 years ago, Columbia Records held a recording session with a singer named Bessie Smith. The country at large didn't know her then, but soon found out because she was launching a career ...

Sexy and racy, Blues singer Bessie Smith was the definition of a Red Hot Mamma and the most successful entertainer of her time. On the eve of her tragic death in 1937, Bessie takes center stage in a ...

The Bessie Smith Cultural Center announces the return of the Bessie Smith’s Big 9 Music Fest, taking place on Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14. The festival will be held along the 200 block of ...

Miche Braden stars as Bessie Smith, the legendary “Empress of the Blues,” who blazed the trail for a century of performers from Aretha Franklin to Adele. Mixing classics like “Need a Little Sugar In ...

A Concord, North Carolina, resident is working to make sure a musical legend is forever remembered for a moment of bravery that occurred in the city almost 100 years ago. Jeff Williams was watching ...

A local historical society believes America is a nation filled with music as diverse as its people, influenced by cultures from around the world. That’s why a program called “From Bessie Smith to ...

The Bessie Smith Cultural Center will present a full month of events this June celebrating African American history, culture and music. "From honoring Negro League baseball legends to uplifting ...

Only 7% of LAist readers currently donate to fund our journalism. Help raise that number, so our nonprofit newsroom stays strong in the face of federal cuts. Donate now. On this day, 100 years ago, ...

Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin. Copyright 2024 NPR Bessie Smith, also known as "Empress of the Blues," recorded her first record on Feb ...