Day 2 - 160 -- Singing the Blues

This weekend I watched the HBO movie, Bessie, an amazing biopic about Bessie Smith. Queen Latifah played the title role. I've seen her in comedic roles before, but her dramatic abilities are strong. Smith was a complex individual with many demons from her abusive childhood in the US south and being a black female entertainer in the first decades of the 20th century. She was determined, though. Her repertoire in Blues and Jazz set the stage for many other artists -- male and female. She worked in vaudeville, travelled as headliner in troupe shows, and moved into the Swing era just before her untimely death.

The life story was inspiring. It reminded me of a movie I'd seen years ago -- Lady Sings the Blues -- where Diana Ross played Billie Holiday, a blues singer who stated she'd been inspired by Bessie Smith. Each film speaks to the difficulties faced by black women during these times -- when racial and sex-based prejudice was entrenched in all policies. To persevere took special individuals and these women were definitely that.

With such fantastic recording histories, finding just two songs to share today was a challenge. I've realized today that I am up for a challenge. <smile>  The first by Bessie Smith received many accolades and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the songs that led the way for new musical formats.  The second is a song that struck me the first time I heard it -- the melody is amazing, though the lyrics are hard to accept -- but I'm from a different time and space. You might enjoy hearing Diana Ross and Queen Latifah singing each of these songs, too -- just for the juxtaposition. I love the soul in the originals, but the actors did commendable jobs. Enjoy!

Downhearted Blues -- Bessie Smith

My Man -- Billie Holiday