Image Source: Bessie Smith Photo Credit to Carl Van Vechten |
| Bessie Smith | | Born: April 15, 1894 | | Died: September 21, 1937 |
Briefly
American popular and successful female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s, and a strong influence on subsequent generations, including Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson, and Janis Joplin. |
