Photo: Carl Van Vechten / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Bessie Smith was born on April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. Bessie Smith was listed as a street artist, musician and singer. Death is recorded on September 26, 1937, at the age of 43. Listed accolades include Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1989), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1989) and National Women's Hall of Fame (2023).
My Take
For me, Bessie Smith is proof that a single voice can outlast its own century. She rose from the streets of Chattanooga to become the defining blues singer of her era, and what strikes me most is not the "Empress of the Blues" crown but the sheer force of will behind it. The honors kept coming long after her death in 1937 — a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2023 — which tells me every singer who followed quietly studied her. That is the rarest kind of influence: still teaching, decades on.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bessie Smith
- Name (Japanese)
- ベッシー・スミス
- Reading
- べっしー・すみす
- Born
- April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Horse
- Origin
- Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
- Occupation
- street artist / musician / singer / dancer / mime artist
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1989 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1989 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- 2023 National Women's Hall of Fame
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie%20Smith
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%99%E3%83%83%E3%82%B7%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9F%E3%82%B9
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q93349
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-18
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Bessie Smith born?
Born April 15, 1894.
When did Bessie Smith die?
Died September 26, 1937, aged 43.
Where was Bessie Smith from?
Bessie Smith was from Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States.
What did Bessie Smith do?
Bessie Smith worked as street artist, musician, singer, dancer, mime artist.
Street artist — see all → · Musician — see all → · More people from the United States →