MA RAINEY

(Born April 26, 1886 ; died December 22, 1939)

Ma Rainey is called “the mother of the blues” by so many because she inspired many, many female blues singers that followed her. Her songs dealt with the pain of mistreatment, and with the terrible situations of poor southern blacks and sharecroppers. She delivered her voice raw, and earthy – the styles of the southern country blues artists.

Ma Rainey was very young when she first appeared onstage in 1900. In 1904, she got married, and she and her husband traveled the south performing as a duo. When she finally signed a record contract in 1923, she had nearly 25 years experience performing and singing and being a blues queen.

She wasn’t exactly a singer blessed with fashion-magazine good looks – she was chubby faced and stocky. However, her stage wardrobe was that of The Mother of the Blues! She wore lavishly sequined dresses, glittering headbands, and plenty of jewelry, including a necklace of gold coins. She definitely, dressed, acted, and sang the part of an early and influential blues queen. Ma Rainey isn’t about to be forgotten.