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Note:
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Playlist
(airdate 10/22/07, 57:46 min)
Kokomo Arnold - Sissy Man Blues (1935) Ma Rainey - Sissy Blues (1926) Ma Rainey - Prove It On Me Blues (1928) Ruby Smith - Buffet Flat Story (1971) Bessie Smith - Soft Pedal Blues (1925) Ethel Waters - Dinah (1925) Gladys Bentley - How Much Can I Stand (1928) Bessie Jackson - B.D. Women Blues (1935) Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon - Operation Blues (1929) Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon - My Daddy Rocks Me With One Steady Roll (1929) Billy Banks & His Rhythmakers - Oh, Peter (1932) Alberta Hunter - I Won't Let You Down (1940) Billy Wright - You Satisfy (1950) Hedda Lettuce - Drag Queen Blues (2005) Tiny Bradshaw & His Orchestra, with Little Tiny Kennedy - Newspaper Boy Blues (1952) Billie McAllister - 31 E Blues (1952) Patsy Valdelar (or Vidalia) - Keep Your Hands on Your Heart (1953) Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog (1952) Little Richard - Directly From My Heart (1953) Little Richard - Tutti Frutti (1955) Little Richard on Esquerita (late 50s) Esquerita - Just Another Lie (1958) Esquerita - Dew Drop Inn (1965) Bobby Marchan - Poor Pitiful Me (1956) Huey Piano Smith & the Clowns - Don't You Just Know It (1958) Bobby Marchan - There Is Something On Your Mind (1960) Long John Baldry - Five Long Years (1965) Blues Incorporated - How Long, How Long Blues (1962) Janis Joplin - Cry Baby (1970) |
This month's show is a "deep history" one. To give it a concise title I'm calling it Queer Blues, and I'll be taking the music of gay, lesbian and bisexual blues artists from the mid 1920's up to 1970. I hope hard core blues purists will not mind the slight liberties with what I've included as "blues." That's probably more of subjective genre now than it was in the early years. So while some of the songs may not be strictly blues, I hope their inclusion widens our perspectives. |
Not a gay artist, as far as I know, but in 1935 Kokomo Arnold (1901 - 1968) wrote one of the early classics of the queer blues genre, "Sissy Man Blues." I've set up a special reference page on this song, see Sissy Man Blues |
Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith
Ma Rainey (1886 - 1939) was considered "The Mother of the Blues," and was a mentor to Bessie Smith (1894 - 1937), "The Empress of the Blues," who was a prolific artist. Chris Albertson was the author of her definitive biography and many of the interview sessions with her niece, Ruby Smith, can be found on Volume 5 of the series below. |
Ethel Waters and Bessie Jackson
Ethel Waters (1896 - 1977) has been called the first black superstar, famous for her work in nightclubs, Broadway, radio and films, being only the second African American nominated for an Academy Award (1949). Her signature song was "Am I Blue." Above right, Lucille Bogan aka Bessie Jackson (1897 - 1948) was famous for her raw lyrics, and sang about those "B.D. Women Blues," in 1935, under the name Bessie Jackson. |
Gladys Bentley
Gladys Bentley (1907 - 1960), with top hat and tuxedo and at 250 pounds, was the epitome of the bull dyke performer. During the 1930's she headlined Harlem's Ubangi Club and then relocated to California, where she often starred at the famous San Francisco lesbian bar Mona's Club 440. |
At
5'2" Frankie earned the nickname "half-pint," and his
comedic and gender-blurred |
Alberta Hunter Famous blues singer Alberta Hunter (1895 - 1984) had two music careers, from the 20s through the 50s, and then she came out of retirement in 1978 and continued until her death in 1984. |
Billy Wright Click for Much More Billy Wright Colorful Billy Wright (1932 - 1991) was an excellent stage performer (also dabbling in female impersonation), made many fine recordings and had some Billboard charts success, and was a mentor to Little Richard, helping him get started. |
I
needed two pages to cover the 20 artists on And I highly recommend this 28-minute documentary
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