On this day, May 26, 1891, Mamie Smith was born.
Thu May 26, 2022: On this day, May 26, 1891, Mamie Smith was born.
Mamie Smith
Background information
Birth name: Mamie Robinson
Born: May 26, 1891; Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died: September 16, 1946 (aged 55); Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Mamie Smith (née Robinson; May 26, 1891 September 16, 1946) was an American vaudeville singer, dancer, pianist, and actress. As a vaudeville singer she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African American artist to make vocal blues recordings. Willie "The Lion" Smith (no relation) described the background of that recording in his autobiography,
Music on My Mind (1964).
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Mamie Smith - Crazy Blues
Marcos
Mamie Smith (1883-1946) was the first African-American female performer to make a vocal blues recording in 1920 with "Crazy Blues". The song was written by Perry Bradford and it was recorded on August 10, 1920, by Mamie Smith and Her Jazz Hounds.