Browsing: Mamie Smith

Throughout history countless women have given the blues a unique stamp.

Throughout history countless women have given the blues a unique stamp.

Blues Hall of Fame inductions, free medical screenings, meet-and-greets with art shows, fundraisers, and of course the Blues Music Awards themselves make for an event filled week!

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the true origin of the blues, there’s little debate the first “Blues Hit” was Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues”. And with the hit came some of the first music industry lawsuits about hits — a time-honored tradition since the dawn of the music industry!

Maybe you’ve heard ‘bout Bessie Smith. Empress of the Blues. Powerhouse in music history. One of the greatest voices of all time. But she wasn’t the only Smith out there. The blues as we know it started with a Smith. And it wasn’t Bessie…