The great singer known as the "Empress of the Blues". Considered by many to be the greatest blues singer of all time, Bessie Smith was also a successful vaudeville entertainer who became the highest paid African-American performer of the roaring twenties. Bessie died from injuries sustained in a car crash. Her arm which was probably hanging out the car window was almost severed at the elbow. Her grave was unmarked for 33 years until Janis Joplin paid for her headstone in 1970.
Half-sister of [a4940962].
Born: April 15, 1895 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Died: September 26, 1937 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 (Early Influence).