Bessie Smith
Born in Tennessee and nicknamed "The Empress of the Blues", Bessie Smith became the protegee of Ma Rainey as early as 1912, and in 1920 she performed her first Atlantic City show. She took on the Big Apple three years later, landing a contract with Columbia and becoming a star with her first release, a recording of "Downhearted Blues". The blues was losing ground by the end of the 20's, and although she scored a hit with "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" in 1929, Columbia dropped her in 1931. Major performances had her set for a comeback when she died tragically in a 1937 car crash.
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