Bill Steber reminded us of that in a Facebook post that included the picture, above, which he took 20 years ago in the room where Bessie Smith died in Clarksdale after a car accident on Highway 61, in what was then the Colored Hospital. A few years later, it became the Riverside Hotel, where it is still open and operated by the son of the woman who made it a hotel. That place is an essential stop for anyone interested in Mississippi Blues history.
Below is a 1929 film of her singing “St. Louis Blues.” Her singing is breathtaking on this one.
Here’s the link to the Mississippi Blues Trail marker we put up at the Riverside Hotel; it housed the GT Thomas Afro American Hospital when she died.
http://www.msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/riverside-hotel
More posts like this, please, NMC. The photograph and the film clip, combined, are riveting, sad, exquisite (and, while I knew she was a remarkable singer, I’ve never before seen either). This is what makes a blog like yours astonishing to those of us who grew up, not just before the Internet, but also before television sets were installed in our homes.
Thanks, NZS. Made my evening. I was really wanting someone to say something about the clip of her singing, which never fails to grab me, emotionally. I’d have trouble naming performances that mean more to me, particularly the unaccompanied parts at the start.
So I’m glad that connected for you.
And equally glad my friend Bill’s photo made an impression.
Sublime.