Video: Bessie Smith sings “Back Water Blues”

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Bessie Smith (1894 – 1937) was an American blues singer born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Nicknamed the Empress of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. One of the greatest singers of her era, Bessie Smith continues to be a major influence on jazz singers and hip-hop artists.

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