Bessie Smith Known as the "Empress Of Blues", Bessie Smith was said to have revolutionized the vocal end of Blues Music. She showed a lot of pride as an independent African-American woman. Her style in performance and lyrics often reflected her lifestyle. Bessie Smith was one of the first female jazz artists, and she paved the way for many musicians who followed. Bessie was born April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee to a part time Baptist preacher, …showed first 75 words of 953 total…

…showed last 75 words of 953 total…in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Bessie Smith had a huge voice capable of strength and softness, which she left behind on all her recordings. To me as individual Bessie Smith was just someone that came from basically nothing and become something everyone was proud of. I chose her because she seemed like an interesting African American women to write about and I also found it interesting how she really died.