Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1894, Bessie Smith was one of the greatest names in jazz music. She grew up in poverty with a huge family in the South and found a way to explore her passion. Will Friedwald asserts, “Bessie represented the highest peak ever reached by black pop of the twenties” (Friedwald 15). First, she discovered her natural talent for singing while her brother played guitar. Eventually, she worked in minstrel shows and travelling road shows. Smith moved to various states, and as Manera explains, “her singing gathered new fans wherever she went” (Manera 9).
Discrimination did not stop her
Bessie Smith rose above the cultural stereotype for women and gained economic and social power. She worked hard to build her career despite the various difficulties in her personal life. Prejudice did not go in Smith’s favor as she was rejected and declined from many record companies because of her race and gender.
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