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Bessie: Revised and expanded edition (Hardcover)

by Chris Albertson (Author) "On Monday, October 4, 1937, Philadelphia witnessed one of the most spectacular funerals in its history..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bessie Smith, New York, Van Vechten (more...)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday by Angela Y. Davis

Bessie: Revised and expanded edition Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude
Price For Both: $46.53

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Editorial Reviews

Book Description
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. This book—a revised and expanded edition of the classic biography of this extraordinary artist—debunks many of the myths that have circulated since her untimely death in 1937. Chris Albertson writes with insight and candor about the singer’s personal life and her career, supplementing his historical research with dozens of interviews with her relatives, friends, and associates, in particular Ruby Walker Smith, a niece by marriage who toured with Bessie for over a decade. For this new edition he includes more details of Bessie’s early years, new interview material, and a chapter devoted to events and responses that followed the original publication in 1971.

About the Author
Chris Albertson is the acknowledged authority on Bessie Smith. A long-time contributor to Stereo Review, Down Beat, Saturday Review, and other publications, he has written extensive liner notes for jazz and blues albums and has produced a wide array of recordings, radio, and television programs.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Yale University Press; Rev Exp edition (June 10, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0300099029
  • ISBN-13: 978-0300099027
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: