Bessie Smith was Blues. Bessie Smith was folk. Bessie Smith was Jazz. Bessie Smith was Punk.

She also released a lot of records prior to 1930. Which is not particularly useful when your archive starts in 1930.

She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she survived her childhood by busking on street corners.

She eventually rose to become the highest-paid Black entertainer of her day. She even had her own custom rail carriage.

She championed the African-American working class. She was a true pioneer who helped invent the market for "race records" and female blues singers in the 1920s.

She incorporated biting commentary on poverty, the convict lease system, capital punishment, and female empowerment into her songs.

To represent her in the archive, I’ve chosen "Blue Blue." from 1931.

Blue Blue by Bessie Smith

But I'd also recommend reading about her amazing life and listening to some of those brilliant 1920s records. Just proving to me genre never really existed!