Which singer is known as the “Empress of the blues?
Black women in the music industry Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, and Ethel Waters were the most popular, each bringing something new and unique to the stage of American music. Ma Rainey, referred to as the "Mother of the Blues", became popular in the early 1900s. Rainey was the first popular black female stage entertainer to incorporate authentic blues into her song selection. She is known for the “Jump Blues” which incorporated a racy and theatrical style, whereas Bessie Smith, who was known as the "empress of the blues” showcased the classic blues. Unfortunately, as the male-dominated country blues grew in popularity, women fell out of the
Lil Johnson (blues singer) Blues". She sang in a vigorous and sometimes abrasive manner. All her songs have been anthologized on later blues collections. There is no record of what became of Johnson after her recording career ended in 1937. Lil Johnson (blues singer) Lil Johnson (fl. 1920s-1930s, dates and places of birth and death unknown) was an African-American singer who recorded dirty blues and hokum songs in the 1920s and 1930s. Her origins and early life are not known. She first recorded in Chicago in 1929, accompanied by the pianists Montana Taylor and Charles Avery on five songs, including "Rock That Thing". She