Bessie Smith

Acting

Born April 15, 1894 — Died September 26, 1937 Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

Bessie Smith was an American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Empress of the Blues", she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and was a major influence on fellow blues singers, as well as jazz vocalists.