Both of Bessie Smith’s parents died when she was young, because of that she did not get a formal education. To raise money for her family, she and her brother become street performers. Yet she was able to transform her life to become one of the biggest blues singers in the country.

She had to believe she could do it, in order to do it.

Tell yourself you are able. You can do it. Whatever it is.

A few years ago I did a photoshoot with costumes and the whole bit. I wanted to focus on women who had impacted history. This month I will focus on some of those.

This week I want to focus on music because it has its own life in the culture.

Empress of the Blues was one of the titles Bessie Smith was known for. She was born in 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She started her career in 1912 traveling with Ma Rainey as a dancer. By 1923 she signed with Columbia Records where over the years she made over 160 recordings. She toured vaudeville and later did a show on Broadway. In 1929 she appeared in the movie, St Louis Blues. Her music dealt with the social issues of her day, Jail House Blues, Work House Blues, Prison Blues. She was injured in a car crash in 1937 where she later died from those injuries.